Trouble in Mind: Doc Watson Country Blues Collection

1	Country Blues 3:32
2	Sitting on Top of the World 2:38
3	Little Sadie 1:59
4	Gambler's Yodel 2:54
5	Rain Crow Bill 1:46
6	My Little Woman, You're So Sweet 2:21
7	Lost John 3:26
8	Deep River Blues Live 3:38
9	Georgie Buck 2:18
10	Anniversary Blue Yodel Blue Yodel No. 7 2:10
11	Memphis Blues 1:35
12	Stackolee 3:54
13	Worried Blues 2:52
14	Spike Driver Blues 2:58
15	Never No Mo' Blues 3:13
16	Honey Babe Blues 2:58
17	White House Blues 1:55

Barnes & Noble

Doc Watson is a brilliant guitarist and singer who knows his way around so much American music that his comfort with blues material should come as little surprise. Anyone needing further proof should turn to this entertaining collection, which assembles just a small proportion of the many blues and blues-related songs that Watson has recorded over the past five decades. Collected from Vanguard and Sugar Hill recordings that include Watson’s earliest albums under his own name, this set finds the roots music patriarch covering traditional tunes, Jimmie Rodgers and Delmore Brothers classics, and Deep South blues by the likes of Mississippi John Hurt. Watson’s gorgeous guitar, banjo, and harmonica work, as well as his always expressive vocalizing, turn each performance into a mini-masterwork. Although it makes no claim of representing Watson’s full range as an artist, this worthy collection is a fine starting place for anyone unfamiliar with the riches of Watson’s majestic art. Steve Futterman

All Music Guide

Trouble in Mind makes an interesting argument: Doc Watson, long deified in bluegrass and traditional folk circles, is also a fine country blues player. Perhaps the misunderstanding comes from the long tradition of dividing blues and folk players into different genres, or the mistaken assumption that black musicians (who often played the blues) didn't influence white musicians (who usually played folk). Watson, as this collection shows, included pieces like "Country Blues" at the very beginning of his career in 1964. For the next 34 years he repeatedly returned to the blues well, drawing on favorites like "Worried Blues," "Never No More Blues," and "Memphis Blues." Watson's eclectic approach uses a variety of instruments to render these traditional and public domain pieces fresh. On "Rain Crow Bill" he plays solo harmonica; on "White House Blues" he plays banjo. Most of the arrangements are simple, often augmented by his son Merle Watson on a second guitar or banjo. Another reason that many have never identified Watson as a blues player also has something to do with his guitar style. His fingerpicking method has more in common with the Piedmont style of John Hurt than the more familiar Delta style of Robert Johnson. The less-bluesy Piedmont style, in fact, seems much closer to folk. Trouble in Mind makes a convincing argument for Watson's ability as a purveyor of the blues. In its fine selection of songs and well-executed performances, though, the collection is no different than other Watson collections: good music, regardless of genre, is good music. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide