From the Used Bin 3

Wow! a four CD juke box of some of the most important blues of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Even if you don't like "pre--war" blues this should knock your socks off. You'll have to forgive the slightly stupid name of this four CD series: "The Secret History of Rock and Roll." Promo title.

I'd intellectually known that a lot of the great songs I'd grown up with like Elmore's "When Things Go Wrong With You" and B.B.'s "How Blue Can You Get" came from some place else, I wasn't prepared for just how good the originals are. Man, is the sound good on these! Lots of downhome stuff on the first two volumes (including the ones re-made into hits by the 60s rockers), lots of great "Bluebird" Chicago stuff including piano blues on Vol. III, and great pre-chess stuff on Vol. IV. (Big Boy Crudup kills!).

Drawn from the Victor and Bluebird labels, these have been rarely re-issued. 100 great tunes. Recommended. I got these pretty cheap used. They are being sold now in the Year of the Blues, but if I know the RCA Victor people they'll disappear soon and this stuff will be unavailable again. Watch for them cheap.



Tracks for all four volumes: Tracks