Those Prison Blues by Robert Pete Williams

Label: Folk-Lyric / Arhoolie Records.

Release Date: 1961, 1971, 1983.

Recording Date: 1959 and 1960.

Release Info: Vinyl, LP, Mono (FL-109), Vinyl, LP, Reissue, Stereo (Arhoolie-2015).

Those Prison Blues is a seminal country blues album by musician Robert Pete Williams, recorded by folklorist Dr. Harry Oster inside the Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola) between 1959 and 1960. The raw, deeply personal recording serves as a powerful historical artifact of the American South and captured Williams' harrowing experiences during his life sentence for a fatal shooting.

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It is an interesting type of blindfold test to play these recordings of this artist that were made when he was in prison serving a life sentence for murder, then compare them with tracks he cut after being released, supposedly for his great abilities as a blues improviser. The question might be, how would life in the prison environment affect the musical output of a performer such as this, and can a listener tell the difference between the blues of a prisoner and a free man? There are several tracks here in which the perfunctory nature of the performances simply do not compare with the majesty of later recordings Robert Pete Williams made when breathing free air again. Perhaps this is why some of these tracks were not released the first time around. However, the flaws described are not consistently true about this entire set of prison performances, and neither is the dimensionless recording sound that the listener is initially greeted with, the strings flapping as if tuning up would have brought on the guards. Things pick up with "Texas Blues," in which the guitarist's fingers seem to be flying over the strings, picking out notes the way a bird might nip at a seed on the ground. The guitar sound becomes transformed on "Louise," emphasizing middle tones in a way that reaches into the gut. At this juncture, one might be willing to admit the obvious intensity of a prison performance when it represents a human's only possible emotional outlet, but from the sound of this man's blues, this remained pretty much the case long after he was released from the slammer. Although some of these tracks are brilliant, there are more consistent collections available by this artist, as well as ones that are more generous with playing time. ~ Eugene Chadbourne

Credits: Cover - Wayne Pope; Design - Norman Gross; Engineer - Harry Oster, Richard Allen; Liner Notes, Photography by - Harry Oster; Producer, Liner Notes - Chris Strachwitz; Producer, Recorded by, Photography by - Dr. Harry Oster; Recorded by (Collected by) - Harry Oster, Richard Allen; Vocals, Guitar (6 and 12 string), Composed by, Arranged by  - Robert Pete Williams.

Tracklist:

Original Folk-Lyric Release

• A1. I'll Be Glad When I'm from Behind Iron Walls - [5:23]
• A2. Louise - [4:24]
• A3. Blue in Me - [4:02]
• A4. Come Here, Baby, Tell Me What Is Wrong with You - [1:57]
• A5. I Got the Blues So Bad - [3:35]
• A6. Boogy Woman - [3:06]
• B1. Pardon Renied (Denied) Again - [4:44]
• B2. Army Blues - [3:13]
• B3. Blues in the Dark
• B4. Make Me a Pallet on the Floor (Traditional)
• B5. Angola Special - [4:12]

Arhoolie Reissue

• A1. Pardon Denied Again - [4:44]
• A2. This Wild Old Life (previously unreleased) - [4:20]
• A3. Texas Blues (previously unreleased) - [5:07]
• A4. Up And Down Blues (previously unreleased) - [6:00]
• B1. I'm Blue as a Man Can Be (aka I'll Be Glad When I'm From Behind Iron Walls) - [5:23]
• B2. Louise - [4:24]
• B3. Blue in Me - [4:02]
• B4. I Got the Blues So Bad - [3:35]
• B5. Come Here Baby, Tell Me What Is Wrong with You - [1:57]

A2 to A4 are previously unissued titles. All other selections appeared originally on Folklyric LP 109.

Personnel: Performance - Robert Pete Williams - guitar, vocals; Hogman Maxey - 12-string guitar (on "Boogy Woman" and "Army Blues"). All compositions by Robert Pete Williams except where noted.

Those Prison Blues is an album by blues musician Robert Pete Williams recorded by Harry Oster in Louisiana State Penitentiary in 1959 and 1960 and originally released on the Folk-Lyric label before being reissued with an altered track listing on Arhoolie in 1971.