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K. Ledbetter | 09/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This single-disc compilation makes a pretty good introduction to the legendary folk/ blues musician, Lead Belly. The sound quality is good and comparable to the more recent collection Absolutely the Best, and this CD contains many of the same standards as that album, including "The Bourgeois Blues," "In New Orleans," "Goodnight Irene" and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," as well as additional classics such as "Yellow Gal," "Blue Tail Fly" and "The Boll Weevil Song." The only thing stopping this collection from being indisputably more definitive than Absolutely the Best is the unfortunate absence of "Midnight Special," a song famously covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival in the late 1960s, and probably one of Huddie's four or five most popular songs. My suggestion? If you're willing to shell out a bit more, then get this album along with Lead Belly Sings for Children, also available on Amazon. The latter contains the aformentioned "Midnight Special," as well as a number of wonderful children's songs, spirituals and medleys."

One of the very best single-disc Leadbelly compilations

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 08/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Cleopatra disc is a great place to start for those just getting acquainted with Huddie Ledbetter. It's not definitive, of course, but these fine transfers of Leadbelly's best-known songs will satisfy most casual fans, and while "Take This Hammer" (a part of the "When The Sun Goes Down"-series) is probably a little more accessible for the casual listener, you can't beat this disc as far as the song selection goes.



More serious fans will of course want "The Definitive Leadbelly" from the Catfish label, or the multi-volume "Leadbelly Legacy" series from Smithsonian/Folkways, but this is a terrific starting point for the curious. Huddie Ledbetter, who usually performed solo accompanied only by his own twelve-string guitar, was the first black musician to gain recognition amongst the white audiences of the 20s and 30s, and this is essential early American blues and folk music."