****1/2
Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 08/16/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
""King Of The 12-String Guitar" is not the definitive Huddie Ledbetter-collection, of course...Leadbelly recorded literally hundreds of sides. And it isn't quite the best single-disc compilation of his either (that would be "The Best Of Leadbelly" from Cleopatra, or "Take This Hammer" from the "When The Sun Goes Down"-series).
But this 1991 CD offers a dozen and a half excellent early waxings, most of them alternate takes and other previously unissued sides, which makes "King Of The 12-String Guitar" a very interesting purchase for collectors, especially if their collection is lacking a little something in the "early Leadbelly"-section.
Newcomers should find these gritty 30s recordings to their liking as well, though. Huddie Ledbetter's best-known songs are largely missing, sure, but there is a lot of other great stuff on this 56-minute disc: "Packin' Trunk Blues", "Four Day Worry Blues", "Death Letter" (not the Son House-number), and many more.
Collectors who already have "Leadbelly's Last Sessions", and either Smithsonian/Folkways' "Leadbelly Legacy" series or Catfish's "The Definitive Leadbelly", will want this CD for the numerous rarities, but it can also be enjoyed as simply a good slice of Leadbelly in his prime."
A good choice to round out a collection
blind joe death | planetary surface | 01/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard of Leadbelly from Nirvana's "Unplugged" album. Kurt Cobain called the songster his "favorite performer." Although I don't think THAT highly of Leadbelly, I do believe that he is a great performer with some very catchy songs. His compositions are simple, soothing, and distinctive.I would recommend this album if you are...
...a fan of Led Zeppelin III, particularly "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper"
...a fan of acoustic guitars
...a fan of REAL folk music, not the 60s stuff
...a fan of early Blues
...a music lover looking to expand your collectionThis is the only Leadbelly CD I've listened to, so I can't tell you if this is his best. What I can tell you is that this site listed "King of the 12-String Guitar" as Leadbelly's most essential recording."