Can't be Satisfied

Do you ever think, "Man, the blues suck." I used to think the same thing until I realized that what I thought was "the blues" is actually lame electric Chicago blues. Then I discovered the country blues right off the Delta. Now, I'll do my civic duty and present you with a little introduction:

1. Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings

Song Highlight: "Hellhound on my Trail"
The man who supposedly sold his soul to the devil. For a complete history you should consult Crossroads, which details the Karate Kid's search for the place where the deal took place. Oh, yeah, and he battles Steve Vai as the devil's guitarist.

2. Mississippi John Hurt Avalon Blues

Song Highlight: "Candyman Blues"
He cut this one record back in 1928 and not another until 1962 when somebody tracked him down using clues from the title track. Oh, and the Candyman isn't selling confections if you know what I mean.

3. Blind Willie McTell The Classic Years 1927-1940

Song Highlight: "Dying Crapshooter's Blues"
He has a prolific set of recordings made by the Library of Congress. On the White Stripes cover of his "Your Southern Can is Mine" they sample an interview with him. Though I can't figure out why they wouldn't want to sample the section just prior when the interviewer (Alan Lomax?) is being extremely racist.

4. Son House Original Delta Blues

Song Highlight: "Death Letter"
Son is distinguished among blues men for having two nouns for a name instead of an adjective in front. Besides playing standard guitar blues, he also has some real haunting acapella blues.

Now that I've passed some good music your way, its time to balance out the universe. If you want to be tortured by the fiasco of my "performance" at the physics holiday party then click here.