****1/2 - a great collection of Ledbetter's Victor sides
Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 03/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hudy (or "Huddie") Ledbetter was a songster, a folk singer, a blues singer and a gospel singer, and "Take This Hammer" is an excellent compilation of Leadbelly's 1940 Victor recordings, showing his versatility and the power of his huge, resonant baritone.
On half of these 26 tracks, Leadbelly is joined by The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet (a vocal ensemble); the rest are solo performances. The sound is exceptionally good for 64-year-old recordings, and while "Take This Hammer" is not an exhaustive career overview, it does include many of Huddie Ledbetter's best and best-known songs, including "Pick A Bale Of Cotton", "Alberta", "Yellow Gal", "Alabama Bound", "Rock Island Line", "The Midnight Special", "TB Blues", and the title track. The presence of The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet on tracks 1-6 and 15-21 lends a new dimension to Leadbelly's songs, adding texture and depth to them without robbing songs like "Can't You Line 'Em" and "Whoa Buck, Back" of any of their power. These sides have inspired artists from Muddy Waters to Aerosmith (!), and they are also some of the most accessible Hudy Ledbetter ever recorded.
Originally released in 1965 on Smithsonia Folkways, these wonderful recordings are an essential part of Hudy William Ledbetter's recorded legacy.
Highly recommended."
Excellent recording
Docendo Discimus | 07/30/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had the "Absolutely the Best" CD and decided to get this one because of the number of tracks. I couldn't believe the the difference in sound quality of this cd compared to others I've heard. I would highly recommend this album to the casual leadbelly listener."
Fish out of water
Sarcalogos misericordia vobis | 07/11/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I love Leadbelly, and I love black gospel, but this is a strange, unnatural marriage. Leadbelly is phenomenal. The Golden Gate gospel group is wonderful, but together they are not that great. The seven or so solo Leadbelly tunes are breathtaking; the combined tunes are clumsy. Sort of reminds me of B. B. King and Bobby Bland "Together Again for the First Time" album; both artists are great, but something didn't click for the combined album."