You can definitely judge this disc by its cover...
Derek Taylor | Madison, WI | 05/20/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Its too bad Amazon doesn't have a cover picture up for this one yet, 'cause the portrait of Joe, Amelia & Shortstuff in the cotton field just about perfectly captures what's in store on the disc. Talk about a motherlode of Mississippi country blues! The biggest wonder is why this treasure trove stayed on the shelf so long. Sure its got some blemishes: missed cues, loose strings, etc. & but these warts add, rather than subtract from the end result. Ol' Big Joe kept fine company & the raw, unadorned sound of these sides proves it. Highlights include Joe's blistering acoustic slide fireworks throughout & Amelia Johnson's gutsy blues shouts (there are also tunes fronted by idiosyncratic unknowns such as Austen Pete, "Shortstuff" Macon & Glover Lee Conner). A further, but welcome mystery is Chris Stratchwitz's decision to release the disc in Arhoolie's mid-price series. 26 tracks=77 minutes, you ain't gonna find a better bargain...an essential purchase & one of the best blues releases of the year!"