Search - Tommy Mcclennan :: Cotton Picking Blues

About this CD

Slobberer | Astoria, NY United States | 12/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cotton Picking Blues

Acrobat (label) U.K.

features raw pre war country/delta blues from the late 30's & early 40's by Tommy McClennan & Robert Petway....



track are;

1. Bottle it up and go

2. Catfish blues

3. Cotton patch blues

4. Whiskey head woman

5. Ride 'em on down

6. Cross cut saw blues

7. Let me be your boss

8. Des'e my blues

9. Brown skin girl

10. Bertha Lee blues

11. You can mistreat me here

12. Classy Mae blues

13. Boogie woogie woman

14. Blues trip me this morning

15. New shake 'em on down

16. My little girl

17. It's a crying pity

18. Travelin' highway man

19. In the evening

20. Mozelle blues

21. Mr so and so blues

22. I'm a guitar king

23. Rocking chair blues

24. New highway no 51 blues

25. Roll me baby...............

"

Dynamic Delta Duo

Pitoucat | UK | 09/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tommy McClennan was a unique, rough-voiced, dirty-guitar player from the Mississippi Delta, who laid down a batch of eccentric recordings between 1939 and 1942 before disappearing into relative obscurity. The complete set was reissued a couple of years back in a double CD from RCA, but this album from ABM presents a useful sample of the best of the man's music, as well as that of his buddy, Robert Petway.



The idiosyncratic McClennan appears to get totally involved in his music making and taken over by it, uttering impromptu asides amongst wild guitar flourishes. He was an influential performer, and many of his recordings, such as 'I'm A Guitar King', 'Bottle It Up And Go', and 'New Highway No. 51', have become blues classics, with several providing hits for other, more famous artists. His blues 'Cross Cut Saw' is now strongly identified with Albert King, who recorded it for Stax in the 1960s.



Robert Petway was from the same musical school as his friend McClennan, and although possessing a relatively mannered vocal delivery was the more styled guitarist. His 'Catfish Blues' is a stunning performance which McClennan also recorded a few months later as 'Deep Blue Sea Blues', and it's a pity that this track is not included here for comparison purposes. The song was later taken up by Muddy Waters to form the basis of his famous 'Rolling Stone'. A comparison can be made of Petway's 'Ride 'Em On Down' and McClennan's 'New Shake 'Em On Down', and it serves to highlight the essential differences as well as similarities between their deliveries, and perhaps, their personalities. There's even the opportunity to hear both musicians working together, on 'Boogie Woogie Woman'.



There's no problem with sound quality on this ABM release and, with illuminating notes by Neil Slaven, a complete discography and a fascinating sample of the music of a unique pair of artists, the CD can be recommended to all fans of the Delta sound.

"

Yes,Yes,One Of The Best Blues Recordings..

R. Webb | u.s.a. | 06/11/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thanks to Canned Heat's Bob Hite, just recently discovered Tommy McClennan,Hite introduces "Whiskey Headed Woman" on their landmark album "Boogie With",Whiskey Headed Woman no.2 is Canned Heat's version. Tommy McClennan and his partner Robert Petway are featured here on this twenty five song compilation,"one of the best country blues albums" I've ever heard. Both men accompany themselves with acoustic guitars with occasional stand up bass,each song is sung and performed individually by McClennan and Petway. The McClennan tracks seem to have a step better audio than Petway's,overall the sound is surprisingly good,all songs were recorded in the late thirties,early forties,and thoughtfully compiled on this 2000 ABM disc,a product of the UK. There is nothing fake or artificial about this recording,this is straight up hardcore blues,it blew me away, thought I've heard'em all."