Search - Various Artists :: Blues: Backwoods

Bo Weavil Stands Out

D. B Pepper | Plainview, NY United States | 12/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album contains the complete recordings of Bo Weavil Jackson, which is reason enough to purchase this great cd. Not much is known about Bo Weavil. In fact, we don't even know his real name. However, he produced some of the greatest acoustic country blues that I've ever heard. Eleven out of the thirteen of his complete recordings range from great to masterpiece. Only "...Kingdom Land" and "Why Do You Moan?" are average songs. Bobby Grant's "Nappy Head Blues" is an essential piece of pre-war blues music. Lane Hardin has a nice and clear voice, and some pretty guitar work. King Solomon Hill's second take of his "Whoopee Blues" is quite awesome. This is a 4 star cd that you should pick up!"

Why do you moan?

Josh Z. Bonder | Toronto | 11/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As mentioned by my fellow reviewer, any CD containing the complete recordings of Bo Weavil jackson (Sam Butler) is well worth purchasing for any country blues fan. His recordings are masterpieces of guitar/slide guitar playing, and many manage to be both frantic, catchy and mesmerizing at once. Some may argue that Jackson's gospel tinged tunes are perhaps slightly weaker than the others, but the consistency and calibre of his recorded output to my mind equals that of better-known early blues "stars". For Jackson's complete recordings, this disc gets five stars from me.



The other artists included on this disc are no slouches either, but coming after 13 Bo Weavil Jackson tunes is a hard position to be in. Bobby Grant's two recorded sides are excellent, if only slightly less tantalizing than Jackson's best work. King Solomon Hill manages to be the most bizarre entry on this disc, with his two versions of "Whoopee Blues" sounding like they were sung by two completely different singers. In fact they were both sung by him, one in high and eerie falsetto. His other recordings are also strong, though "Whoopee Blues" is probably his most distinct. Lane Hardin's are a lovely way to end the disc, keeping things strong and somewhat ethereal to the end.



While the artists following Jackson may not quite rival his best output, they certainly come close on many occasions. Moreover, it's certainly nice to have these rare artists and their songs collected on one solid disc. If your taste for country blues has left you hungry for more after Patton, Brown, James, Jefferson, Johnson, House, McTell, White and their ilk, this should be a very satisfying find indeed."