Name: Hard Times Killin Floor
Brand: YAZOO
SKU: 63682
Price: 14.59 GBP
Availability: InStock

Hard Times Killin Floor

Rating

Album: Hard Times Killin Floor
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Cypress Grove Blues	More Info...
2)	If You Haven't Any Hay Get On Down The Road	More Info...
3)	Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues	More Info...
4)	Special Rider Blues	More Info...
5)	Devil Got My Woman	More Info...
6)	I'm So Glad	More Info...
7)	Cherry Ball Blues	More Info...
8)	22-20 Blues	More Info...
9)	Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader	More Info...
10)	Hard Luck Child	More Info...
11)	Little Calf And Cow Is Gonna Die Blues	More Info...
12)	Illinois Blues	More Info...
13)	Drunken Spree	More Info...
14)	Four O'Clock Blues	More Info...
15)	How Long Buck	More Info...
16)	Yola My Blues Away	More Info...
17)	Be Ready When He Comes	More Info...
18)	What Am I To Do Blues	More Info...
19)	Son House - My Black Mama Part I	More Info...
20)	Son House - My Black Mama Part 2	More Info...
21)	Son House - Walkin' Blues	More Info...
22)	Son House - Dry Spell Blues Part I	More Info...

Album: Hard Times Killin Floor
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Cypress Grove Blues	More Info...
2)	If You Haven't Any Hay Get On Down The Road	More Info...
3)	Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues	More Info...
4)	Special Rider Blues	More Info...
5)	Devil Got My Woman	More Info...
6)	I'm So Glad	More Info...
7)	Cherry Ball Blues	More Info...
8)	22-20 Blues	More Info...
9)	Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader	More Info...
10)	Hard Luck Child	More Info...
11)	Little Calf And Cow Is Gonna Die Blues	More Info...
12)	Illinois Blues	More Info...
13)	Drunken Spree	More Info...
14)	Four O'Clock Blues	More Info...
15)	How Long Buck	More Info...
16)	Yola My Blues Away	More Info...
17)	Be Ready When He Comes	More Info...
18)	What Am I To Do Blues	More Info...
19)	Son House - My Black Mama Part I	More Info...
20)	Son House - My Black Mama Part 2	More Info...
21)	Son House - Walkin' Blues	More Info...
22)	Son House - Dry Spell Blues Part I	More Info...

Performer Notes

Solo performer: Skip James (vocals, guitar)
Recorded in 1964. Includes liner notes by Brett J. Bonner.
Includes 4 bonus tracks by Son House.
Audio Remasterer: Richard Nevins.
Liner Note Authors: Don Kent; Stephen Calt; Stefan Grossman.
Hard Time Killin' Floor isn't the first Skip James collection, and one could bet it will not be the last. But Hard Time Killin' Floor makes a pretty good argument for itself: the hour-and-six-minute album holds all of James' early work, and it's been remastered. James' soulful vocal style, like Robert Johnson's, has often been noted, but his quick picking style is also distinctive. "I'm So Glad" is performed at an up-tempo, breakneck pace, and the finger work will leave the listener dizzy. The title cut, on the other hand, has a slow, lazy quality, with the blue notes of the guitar matching the singer's mournful cry. James was somewhat unique among blues guitarists in that he also played piano. His spunky gospel style is on full display on songs like "How Long Buck" and the bizarrely titled "Little Cow and Calf Is Gonna Die Blues." Of course Hard Time Killin' Floor wouldn't be complete without "Devil Got My Woman," the same song that would bring down the house at the Newport Folk Festival some 30 years later. The sound quality of these recordings, it should be noted, is a bit rough. This isn't a criticism; just something that should be noted for blues fans unfamiliar with the minefield of re-recording old songs from rare 78s. Yazoo and its engineers have made the best of a difficult situation, and for that, blues fans will be grateful. Interestingly, Yazoo, having extra room at the end of the CD, added four songs by another blues great, Son House. While the pairing might seem a bit odd, who'd complain about having four early Son House songs for free? Not this reviewer. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Professional Reviews

Living Blues (Sept.-Oct./92, p.65) - "..Skip James's prewar recordings will always represent the primary focus of his magnificent Delta legacy, but this disc is pretty remarkable in it own right.."