Rating:
Genre:
Blues
Release Date: 03/24/2009
A collection of 22 mostly
blues tracks that either influenced or were covered by
the White Stripes, this set works just fine as an anthology even without
the White Stripes connection. And it isn't all
blues, either, with songs like
Patti Page's wry but definitely pop
"I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine" and
Johnny Cash's
"Get Rhythm," which features his trademark
country shuffle, also included. Most of this set, though, is comprised of darkly themed vintage
country blues 78s, and tracks like
Blind Willie McTell's cautionary tale
"Dying Crapshooter's Blues," Robert Johnson's
"If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day," and
Son House's surging, head-long
"Death Letter Blues" are classics by any definition and influenced a whole lot more folks than just
the White Stripes. But as they say, everything old is new again. The
blues has always been there, and
the White Stripes made good use of it in the 21st century without changing much of it around at all. Smart band. That template is here.
~Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
;)
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