Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of Skip James Skip James

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CD - Remastered

  • Release Date: 09/09/2003
  • Sales Rank: 42,084
  • Label: SHOUT FACTORY
  • UPC: 826663024524

Listener Rating: (1 ratings)

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  • Overview
  • Tracks
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Customer Reviews
  • Details & Credits
Track List
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Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of Skip James

1LISTEN22-20 Blues 2:51
2LISTENLittle Cow and Calf Is Gonna Die Blues 2:54
3LISTENSpecial Rider Blues 3:25
4LISTENVicksburg Blues 3:24
5LISTEN61 Highway 4:22
6LISTENHow Long Blues 6:17
7LISTENSickbed Blues 3:38
8LISTENI Don't Want a Woman to Stay Up All Night Long 4:44
9LISTENHard Time Killin' Floor Blues 3:26
10LISTENSkip's Worried Blues 4:21
11LISTENIllinois Blues 3:40
12LISTENCypress Grove Blues 4:07
13LISTENCherry Ball Blues 3:53
14LISTENCrow Jane 2:58
15LISTENEverybody's Leaving Here 2:39
16LISTENI'm So Glad 1:53

About this Artist

Editorial Reviews

Skip James' soft eerie falsetto and odd guitar tunings place him apart from other Delta blues players, and when he took a turn at the piano, that, too, was unique. His reputation rests on a dozen or so sides recorded in the late '20s and early '30s, but when he was rediscovered in the 1960s, his skills were still intact and he recorded for several small labels before his death in 1969. This collection is drawn from that rediscovery period and opens with five piano pieces, including James' turn at the Little Brother Montgomery tune "Vicksburg Blues." The balance of the album is given over to guitar tracks and "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues," "Illinois Blues," and "I'm So Glad" (a hit for Cream in an electric version) are particularly strong. The sequence here could have been improved by mixing the piano tracks in throughout rather than presenting them all together at the top of the set, but that is a minor complaint in what is a nice introduction to the most haunting of bluesmen. Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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  • Ratings: 1Reviews: 1

Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of Skip Jamesby Anonymous

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September 09, 2003: Skip James is a classic artist in the history of the Delta Blues. He's a phenominal guitarist, a good pianist, and a haunting singer. He is also a major inspiration on Robert Johnson. This disc is, however, a sub-par compilation, ignoring James' better 30's recordings in favor of his 60's comeback material. This is understandable because the 60's material has slightly better sound quality. The major problem is that there is no way to tell (until the disc is already bought that is) which recordings you're getting. Expecting the (in my opinion) superior earlier work I bought it, and was greatly disappointed. Also there are problems with the track sequencing, which lists the wrong songs in the wrong order on the back of the cd (a stupid mistake for a label if it wants to compete these days). Overall, although the music is still good, this was a very frustrating buy for me. Buy the complete early recordings instead.