Late work from RL Burnside – done in that raw, raspy style that really helped set fire to the second half of his career! The production and instrumentation show a bit of the attention that Burnside was getting from the indie rock world – but at the core of the record, the vocals and songwriting are rock-solid – and stand as a nicely earthy, almost timeless counterpart to some of the fuzzier guitar in the mix. There's a few great moments where RL speaks a bit at the start of tunes, which really grounds the proceedings – and titles include "RL's Story", "Hard Time Killing Floor", "Got Messed Up", "Nothin Man", "Too Many Ups", and "See What My Buddy Done". CD
A fantastic full length debut from Cassowary – aka Miles Shannon, an artist who's equally skilled as a jazz musician and a singer – working here in a really great style that's a strong hybrid of the two sides of his talents! The keyboard lines are wonderful – served up on a variety of instruments, plus piano as well – and maybe often the lead of the track, even when there's a bit of vocals – as the style of singing usually seems to fall in line with the warm glow of the keyboards, instead of the usual mode. Cassowary also plays a bit of tenor – as you might guess from his youthful image on the cover – and the whole thing's got this fantastic vibe that reminds us of some of the hip jazz/soul hybrids that have come from the LA scene in recent years. Titles include "114 Degrees", "Belt Notch", "Price Went Up", "Starlight", "Superhiro", "Roach", and "Cyclical". CD
Al Green's first major album, and a killer batch of Memphis soul tracks with a sound that's a bit rawer than later years. The formula for the hits is firmly in place – and Al's beautiful voice is swept up wonderfully in very sympathetic production by the great Willie Mitchell. Although Mitchell had worked fine on his own before the record, it's his work with Green that really pushes him to the top of the soul hall of fame – as it's hard to imagine how anyone could have come up with a better showcase for Al's amazing voice. Proof of this can be heard on the record's great original tunes by Green – like "All Because", "I'm A Ram", "You Say It", and the classic "Tired Of Being Alone" – as well as on covers like "Driving Wheel", "Can't Get Next To You", and "Light My Fire". LP, Vinyl record album
Warm wonderfulness from the great Al Green – a record that may have a pale-looking cover, but a set that's one of Green's most deeply soulful albums ever! There's a grace and a glow to the set right from the very first note – that really unique presentation and performance that makes these early 70s Green albums such enduring treasures – and so unlike anything else that's ever come since, no matter how many folks were influenced by Al's sound! The production is perfect – with Al helping Willie Mitchell at the helm, as they balance together the richness of the instrumentation with core elements in the rhythms – on titles that include Al's stone classic "Love & Happiness", plus "I'm Still In Love With You", "I'm Glad You're Mine", "What A Wonderful Thing Love Is", "Look What You Done For Me", and his great remake of Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times" – a country/soul classic if there ever was one! CD
Al Green —
Livin For You ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, 1973. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Hard to go wrong with Al Green at this point – 1973, when the mighty one was at the height of his secular soul powers – and when the sweetly compressed production style of Willie Mitchell just couldn't miss! There's a homey, earthy feel to the record that's really great – a sound that kicks back and lets the soul flow magically – never forcing things at all, nor taking them into the sort of easy hit territory that would have been a temptation at this point. And if anything, the album's a wonderful exercise in understatement – the kind of gently flowing soul that Green virtually invented at the time, and which few other singers could hope to match! Titles include the excellent "Let's Get Married", plus "Livin For You", "Free At Last", "Home Again", "So Good To Be Here", and "Beware" – all original tracks written by Green! CD
A great little album of southern funk from the 70s – cut by the team that provided musical backing on many of the classic Hi Records sessions from the time! The groove is a bit different than usual for Hi – not compressed, burning deep soul – but tight, funky, and flanged-out – a bit like what classic P-Funk might have been like, had it been recorded in Memphis! The group's super sharp in their playing – with great bass and electric keyboards – but they've also got kind of a trippy feel that's very surprising, given the more restrained soul quality of much of the stuff on Hi. The album's all original material, and most cuts have cool vocals slinking in and out of the funk – and titles include "On The Loose", "Skinny Dippin'", "Superstar", "Purple Raindrops", and "You Got Me Comin". LP, Vinyl record album
Willie Mitchell —
It's Dance Time ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, 1965. New Copy ...
$7.9913.99
It's Dance Time, Memphis style – thanks to a hip album of instrumentals from the great Willie Mitchell! This one's actually a bit rougher around the edges than some of Willie's other work, with strong guitar and groovy organ, very much in a Booker T & The MGs mode! The tracks groove along with a sound that's more Stax than Hi – which is ok by us, as the feel is nicely raw and raunchy! Titles include "Morning After", "Buster Browne", "Poinciana", "Twine Time", "Apple Jack", and "Wiggle Rock", "Fever", "Woodchopper's Bal" and more. CD
A solo session – just Asie Payton on vocals and guitar. CD
11
Ann Peebles —
Part Time Love ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, 1971. New Copy ...
$8.9914.99
A great litle early album from Ann Peebles – rawer than most of her more familiar stuff, with a gutbuckety soul quality that really keeps things fresh! We always love Ann's work, but in these early years she has a deep soul vibe that few other singers can touch – a level that easily rivals Aretha Franklin, but has more real southern roots – and which is handled here by the Hi Records sound. Willie Mitchell produced and arranged (of course!), and the record's got some sweet backing vocals by Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes – very much in a Sweet Inspirations mode, but again maybe a bit deeper too. Tracks include a funky remake of The Isleys' "It's Your Thing", plus "Solid Foundation", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Generation Gap Between Us". CD
Ann Peebles —
Part Time Love ... LP Hi Records/FatPossum, 1971. New Copy (reissue)...
$16.9921.99
A great litle early album from Ann Peebles – rawer than most of her more familiar stuff, with a gutbuckety soul quality that really keeps things fresh! We always love Ann's work, but in these early years she has a deep soul vibe that few other singers can touch – a level that easily rivals Aretha Franklin, but has more real southern roots – and which is handled here by the Hi Records sound. Willie Mitchell produced and arranged (of course!), and the record's got some sweet backing vocals by Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes – very much in a Sweet Inspirations mode, but again maybe a bit deeper too. Tracks include a funky remake of The Isleys' "It's Your Thing", plus "Solid Foundation", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Generation Gap Between Us". LP, Vinyl record album
An overlooked gem by the great Charlie Rich – an album recorded for Hi Records in the years before he broke big on Columbia in the late 60s – but at a level that certainly points the way towards his country fame to come! And yet, as with most of the best music by Rich – like his stunning Smash Records sides – there's a quality here that's quite far from both the mainstream, and conventional modes of expression – as Charlie almost seems to be drawing as much on soul music for inspiration as he is the sounds of Nashville – which might almost put this album in the territory of classic country soul material by singers like Ray Charles or Brook Benton. The whole thing's a perfect setting for that unique combination of talents that makes Rich so wonderful – and most tracks are Hank Williams hits, but redone completely. Titles include "I Can't Help It", "My Heart Would Know", "Take These Chains From My Heart", "Your Cheatin Heart", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Cold Cold Heart", and "Nobody's Lonesome For Me". LP, Vinyl record album
An obscure 70s album from the legendary Roosevelt Sykes – but a set that captures the singer and pianist at the height of his powers! The format here is very stripped-down – often just a focus on Sykes himself, with the occasional addition of a bit of guitar from Louisiana Red or Johnny Shines, both of whom sing slightly too. Sugar Blue also adds in harmonica on a few numbers – but the overall feel is more that of Roosevelt working by himself, almost in an after hours mode – then welcoming in some friends as they drop by to sit in on a few numbers. Titles include "Dream Woman", "Mistake In Life", "Music Is My Business", "A Good Woman", "How Long", "Funky Side", and "Leavin Chicago". LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download!)
15
Townes Van Zandt —
Far Cry From Dead ... LP Arista/FatPossum, 1999. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)...
$25.9928.99
The last album ever recorded by Townes Van Zandt – and a set that shows just how strong his talent was, right up until the end! The album came out two years after Townes passed away in 1997, and features core recordings of the legend on vocals and guitar, augmented by studio backings added to flesh out the sound of the material – yet done in a way that's very respectful to the spirit of the original tunes! The vocals are wonderful – maybe even more powerful at this point in Van Zandt's career than on some of the earlier recordings – and titles include a version of the great "Pancho & Lefty", which seems to have learned from the Merle Haggard/Willie Nelson version of Townes' classic – plus "Tower Song", "For The Sake Of The Song", "Waitin Round To Die", "Sanitarium Blues", "Greensboro Woman", "Dollar Bill Blues", and "To Live's To Fly". LP, Vinyl record album
The great debut of Townes Van Zandt! On the level of pure songwriting, it's masterful – Townes was pretty much in peak form on that front even on the debut! The record is at it's best when it's at it's most intimate – simply letting his voice and acoustic guitar carry everything. There's some fairly adventurous production by Jack Clement & Jim Malloy, though – a bit out of character for Townes at his slightly later, more stripped down and iconic – but that's actually something we appreciate a lot more than we used to. Like the big budget studio recordings of Van Zandt's songs as covered by others, it goes to show just how sturdy and adaptable his songs are in different settings. Classic! Includes "For The Sake Of The Song", "Tecumseh Valley", "Many A Fine Lady", "Quick Silver Dadreams Of Maria", "I'll Be There In The Morning", "Sad Cinderella", "All Your Young Servants", "Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download.)
17
Townes Van Zandt —
Sky Blue ... LP FatPossum, Early 70s. New Copy Gatefold ...
$16.9923.99
A fantastic love letter to the great Townes Van Zandt – a set that features unreleased material from his genius stretch in the early 70s! The songs here include two new songs, variations on five others by Townes, and some surprising remakes – all done in a very stripped-down mode, with a vibe that's in keeping with his first few classic albums. And despite the fact that these are lost recordings, the sound quality is excellent – beautifully resonant presentation of the amazing vocals and subtle guitar – on tracks that include "Rex's Blues", "All I Need", "The Hills Of Roane County", "Sky Blue", "Blue Ridge Mountains (smoky version)", "Pancho & Lefty", "Silver Ship Of Andilar", "Last Thing On My Mind", and "Dream Spider". LP, Vinyl record album
The raw and riveting mid 60s recordings of singer and guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell with blues harpist Johnny Woods! It was recorded by George Mitchell with a relaxed, press record and stay out of their way approach – and man is this some exhilarating stuff! McDowell brings a lot of soul and depth of feeling to the material, via that perfectly weathered voice and his choppy rhythm guitar – and he's accompanied very strongly by Woods' harmonica. Raucous, yet moving Mississippi acoustic blues! Includes "Shake 'Em Down", "Goin' Away", "Mama Says I'm Crazy", "Red Cross Store", "Going Down To The River", "Standing At The Back Door", "What's Going To Become Of Me", "Long Haired Doney", "I Walked All Night Long" and "John Henry". CD
Al Green, 1973 – what could be better? The king of Memphis soul is at the height of his powers here – working in a setting that yielded less chart hits than some of his other albums for Hi Records, but which is still as sublime as the rest – thanks to an undeniable studio magic guided by Willie Mitchell! The sound is full, but never slick or smooth – and Al's vocals are tremendous throughout (but honestly, did you expect anything less?) Titles include "Call Me (Come Back Home)", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "Funny How Time Slips Away", and the beautiful "Have You Been Making Out OK?" LP, Vinyl record album
Jessie Mae Hemphill —
Run Get My Shotgun ... LP FatPossum/Big Legal Mess, 1989. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Jessie Mae Hemphill might look like an 80s blues artist on the cover, but the record's got a much more vintage vibe – as the set features field recordings done on New Years Eve in 1989, with Jessie Mae singing in a style that seems geared to ring in the year with the ghosts of the past! The music has this really dark, moody vibe – guitar progressions that are cyclical and downturning – almost the sort of energy that Nick Cave was trying to put in his music at the time, but could never do this well – especially when topped with the raw, raspy vocals of Hemphill. Titles include "Holy Ghost", "DC9", "Run Get My Shotgun", "Married Man Blues", "Train Train", and "Nothing That You Say". LP, Vinyl record album
25
Junior Kimbrough —
All Night Long ... CD FatPossum/Capricorn, 1995. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Ann Peebles sings straight from the heart on this classic early set for Hi Records – a record that's to female vocals what Al Green's work of the time meant to male soul! As with Green's Hi Records of the time, Willie Mitchell is firmly in charge of production and backings – working with that warmly glowing Memphis soul style that carved whole new territory in soul music for the 70s – a maturing and mellowing of earlier southern modes, in a way that helps Peebles hit some fresh and uncliched sounds with her vocals. At a time when so many other singers were trying to copy Aretha, Ann's approach is mighty fresh – as you'll hear on tracks that include "I Take What I Want", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", "What You Laid On Me", "Trouble Heartaches & Sadness", "99 Pounds", "I've Been There Before", and "Somebody's On Your Case". CD
28
Royal Trux —
Accelerator ... CD FatPossum/Drag City, 1998. Used ...
Out Of Stock
One of the best ever records from Neil Haggerty & Jennifer Herrema's Royal Trux – one that was intended to be their third album for Virgin and ended up being a pretty triumphant return to the indie realm! As crazy as the idea of a band whose sound was often so skronky and primitively recorded, there was always an inherent classic rock vibe at their core. Accelerator is the record where they finally paired a fuzzy, greasy, messy sound and style with old school 70s rock swagger in a weirdly perfect blend. Includes "I'm Ready", "Yellow Kid", "Banana Question", "Juicy, Juicy, Juice", "Liar", "New Bones", "Follow The Winner", "Stevie (For Steven S)" and more. CD
Raw and rumbling gospel sounds from the Designer Records vaults – real and resonant southern gospel from Reverend Douglas Bell & Th Stage Cruisers! Heavy vocals & sermonizing with swirling organ and wailing keyboards along with the impassioned vocals. As with the material on the Together compilation, the material is well produced, with bluesy, gritty immediacy. Titles include "Nuclear Blast", "Bitter And The Sweet", "I Got To Make Heaven My Home", "Hard Love Affair", "I Got A Home", "I'll Fight Goliath", "How Many Miles To Heaven", "What You Need From The Lord" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
The mighty Don Bryant never got the chance to record much back in the day – save for one fantastic album and a set of singles on Hi Records – but he's really returned to form lately, and gets the chance to show the world his Memphis soul pedigree in all of its glory! Scott Bomar produced the set, plays bass, and gives the record some of those funky soul styles that made his work with the Bo-Keys so great – in a group that's heavy on organ lines and riffing guitars, and which also features backup singers behind Don on a number of the tracks. Yet the whole thing is clearly Don's showcase – with great vocals on titles that include "Your Love Is Too Late", "99 Pounds", "Is It Over", "Your Love Is To Blame", "I'll Go Crazy", "Cracked Up Over You", and "Walk All Over God's Heaven". CD
Gritty revival blues from RL Burnside – and a record that really broke his music into a wider audience! Of course, it helps that the set features guest appearances from Kid Rock and Lyrics Born – the latter we enjoy more than the former – but the overall vibe is still very much in the best spirit of Burnside's other music – on titles that include "Detroit Boogie (parts 1 & 2)", "Someday Baby", "Goin Down South", "Go To Jail", "Bird Without A Feather", "Glory Be", "Goin Away Baby", "Rollin & Tumblin", and "Stole My Check". LP, Vinyl record album
32
RL Burnside —
Come On In ... CD FatPossum/Epitaph, 1998. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Wonderful live work from RL Burnside – done in that instantly-timeless style that he brought to recordings right from the start – maybe even more so here, as the acoustics are fantastic, and really capture the spirit of the man and his guitar! As most folks know, Burnside was a bit late to the rural blues game – but because of that fact, he's also been a key bridge between the past and the present – especially with recordings like this, which bristle with a sort of honest, back to basics vibe. Titles include "Short Haired Woman", "Sweet Black Angel", "If You Don't Want Me Baby", "Long Distance Call", "Walkin Blues", "Death Bells Ringing", and "When My First Wife Left Me". LP, Vinyl record album
An album recorded in the Netherlands, but a set that hits right to the heart of RL Burnside's Mississippi roots – thanks to a beautifully spare, careful presentation of the music! Most numbers feature just Burnside on vocals and guitar – with a vibe that's similar to the field recordings that first introduced the world to his talents – those delta-raised styles that have an immediate tie back to the early years of blues on 78rpm discs, especially in this session – where RL seems to almost be reaching back further than the style of some of his other recordings of the same period. Titles include "Skinny Woman", "See What My Buddy Done", "Shake Em On Down", "Don't Care How Long You're Gone", "Jumper On The Line", "Long Haired Doney", and "Greyhound Bus Station". LP, Vinyl record album
Rare work from the legendary Honeyboy Edwards – a blues guitarist who was a key force in helping the music make the transition to an electric mode in the 40s – but an artist whose talents were eclipsed by so many others he worked with at the time! This set's got a real back-to-basics vibe – Edwards captured in a spare setting, in a series of revival recordings done by Adelphi – with a focus on his vocals and guitar that take us right back to his early years working street corners and juke joints. Titles include "Bull Cow Blues 2", "Little Boy Blue", "Love Honeyboy Slow", "Don't Mistreat A Fool", "Howlin Wind", "Meet The Mornin Train", and "Hot Springs Blues". LP, Vinyl record album
36
Blaze Foley —
Dawg Years ... LP FatPossum, Late 70s. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A straight-up incredible batch of recordings by the Austin singer-songwriter ghost of a legend that is Blaze Foley – a self-destructive character better known to the stars he influenced than he is to the masses (he is the "Drunken Angel" who Lucinda Williams wrote and sang about) – material from the mid-to-late 70s when he was billed as Deputy Dawg and put together here for one of the best compilations on FatPossum in years! What makes this set so wonderful is the cohesive flow of it. It's solo folk country material recorded in a trio of intimate sessions from February of '76, November of that same year, and September of '78. Plaintive in presentation, with a passion that both soars to the heavens and plunges the depths. Bruised and totally beautiful! Titles include "You'll Get Yours Aplenty", "I Should Have Been Home", "Let Me Ride In Your Big Cadillac", "Big Chief Hightower", "Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream", "Rudee Down In New Orleans", "New Wave Blues", "Fat Boy", "Cosmic Doo Doo", "Cold, Cold World", "Crawl Back To You" and more. 20 in all. LP, Vinyl record album
What can we say? Most of the biggest hits, and many of the very best tracks cut in the prime of Al Green's career – which is to say some of the very best Memphis soul ever recorded! 10 essential tracks in all, and it's just one of these Greatest Hits packages of pure, inarguable perfection – with "Call Me", "Let's Stay Together", "Tired Of Being Alone", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "I Can't Get Next To You", "You Ought To Be With Me", "Look What You Done For Me" and "Let's Get Married". CD
What can we say? Most of the biggest hits, and many of the very best tracks cut in the prime of Al Green's career – which is to say some of the very best Memphis soul ever recorded! 10 essential tracks in all, and it's just one of these Greatest Hits packages of pure, inarguable perfection – with "Call Me", "Let's Stay Together", "Tired Of Being Alone", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "I Can't Get Next To You", "You Ought To Be With Me", "Look What You Done For Me" and "Let's Get Married". LP, Vinyl record album
Al Green —
Call Me ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, 1972. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Al Green, 1973 – what could be better? The king of Memphis soul is at the height of his powers here – working in a setting that yielded less chart hits than some of his other albums for Hi Records, but which is still as sublime as the rest – thanks to an undeniable studio magic guided by Willie Mitchell! The sound is full, but never slick or smooth – and Al's vocals are tremendous throughout (but honestly, did you expect anything less?) Titles include "Call Me (Come Back Home)", "Here I Am (Come & Take Me)", "Funny How Time Slips Away", and the beautiful "Have You Been Making Out OK?" CD
40
Al Green —
Give Me More Love ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, Early 70s/2021. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A very cool idea for a collection – a set that takes all the classic early Al Green material for Hi Records, and adds in some larger orchestrations – all at a level that's way better than you might expect, and with a sound that's very faithful to the originals! The larger charts are dropped in with a nicely subtle touch – so that Al's vocals aren't impinged at all, and the strings are used to sweeten up the tunes in all the right ways – very much as if the original recordings might have been given a bit of an Arif Mardin touch over at Atlantic Records, while still retaining the Memphis sound at the core. Titles include "Look What You Done For Me", "Take Me To The River", "Tired Of Being Alone", "Call Me", "Let's Stay Together", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Here I Am", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "Sha La La", "I Can't Get Next To You", and "Let's Get Married". CD
Warm wonderfulness from the great Al Green – a record that may have a pale-looking cover, but a set that's one of Green's most deeply soulful albums ever! There's a grace and a glow to the set right from the very first note – that really unique presentation and performance that makes these early 70s Green albums such enduring treasures – and so unlike anything else that's ever come since, no matter how many folks were influenced by Al's sound! The production is perfect – with Al helping Willie Mitchell at the helm, as they balance together the richness of the instrumentation with core elements in the rhythms – on titles that include Al's stone classic "Love & Happiness", plus "I'm Still In Love With You", "I'm Glad You're Mine", "What A Wonderful Thing Love Is", "Look What You Done For Me", and his great remake of Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times" – a country/soul classic if there ever was one! LP, Vinyl record album
A damn great bit of work from the legendary Al Green – maybe one of his best records ever – and in fact, maybe one of greatest soul albums of all time! The set's got a style that's really genre-defining – not the previous southern soul of a few years before, but also not the modes that were happening up north either. Instead, Al lays things out with this stunningly mature style – sexy, but never overdone – confident, but never in a swaggering way – with a really special flow that comes from the great Willie Mitchell's talents in the studio, but an edge that's Green at his secular best. The album's got a lasting appeal that's made it a favorite for generations – both a key introduction to soul, but also a treasured favorite for longtime collectors – and never every track's a gem – from the classic "Let's Stay Together", through a set list that includes "I've Never Found A Girl", "La La For You", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "So You're Leaving", and "What Is This Feeling". CD
A damn great bit of work from the legendary Al Green – maybe one of his best records ever – and in fact, maybe one of greatest soul albums of all time! The set's got a style that's really genre-defining – not the previous southern soul of a few years before, but also not the modes that were happening up north either. Instead, Al lays things out with this stunningly mature style – sexy, but never overdone – confident, but never in a swaggering way – with a really special flow that comes from the great Willie Mitchell's talents in the studio, but an edge that's Green at his secular best. The album's got a lasting appeal that's made it a favorite for generations – both a key introduction to soul, but also a treasured favorite for longtime collectors – and never every track's a gem – from the classic "Let's Stay Together", through a set list that includes "I've Never Found A Girl", "La La For You", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "So You're Leaving", and "What Is This Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album
Al Green —
Livin For You ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, 1973. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Hard to go wrong with Al Green at this point – 1973, when the mighty one was at the height of his secular soul powers – and when the sweetly compressed production style of Willie Mitchell just couldn't miss! There's a homey, earthy feel to the record that's really great – a sound that kicks back and lets the soul flow magically – never forcing things at all, nor taking them into the sort of easy hit territory that would have been a temptation at this point. And if anything, the album's a wonderful exercise in understatement – the kind of gently flowing soul that Green virtually invented at the time, and which few other singers could hope to match! Titles include the excellent "Let's Get Married", plus "Livin For You", "Free At Last", "Home Again", "So Good To Be Here", and "Beware" – all original tracks written by Green! CD
A selection of earlier Al Green numbers issued originally at the end of the 70s – with new mixing by Willie Mitchell, who'd produced all the original sides. Titles include "Love Ritual", which is a nice groover with some congas in the mix giving the whole thing an earthier thump under the trademark 70s Hi Records sound – and ultimately, upon revisiting this compilation, Mitchell does a pretty great job of filtering Al's wandering muse at this point through the trademark sounds of Memphis and Hi Records! plus "Glory Glory", "Let It Shine", "Keep Me Cryin", "Oh Me Oh My", "I Tried To Tell Myself", and "Smile A Little Bit More". CD
Rare recordings of delta blues legend Mississippi John Hurt – captured solo and beautifully well on 3 dates in late 1964, recorded by Gene Rosenthal – with Hurt's distinctive way of a somehow gentle melodic acoustic blues guitar sound, coming from hard-strummed and plucked strings as unvarnished and amazing as can be – and a way with vocals that's just as unique and wonderful! It's got the intimacy of the best field recordings, but the sound quality and John's voice and guitar are in such fine form here, it feels "big" despite being as raw and real as can be. Includes "Slidin' Delta", "Louis Collins", "Staggerlee", "Monday Mornin' Blues", "Comin' Home", "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor", "You Can't Come In", "Joe Turner", "Lonesome Am I", "Trouble Blues", "Nobody's Dirty Business", "Lovin' Spoonful", "Worried Blues" and "Avalon Blues". LP, Vinyl record album
One of the most legendary bluesmen of the early 78rpm generation – heard here in a wonderfully-recorded set from 1964! The session came at a time when Skip James was hardly getting any mainstream attention, but had been rediscovered by a younger generation – which led to the fledgling Adelphi Records bringing him into the studio and really letting him do his thing! There's no attempt at commercialism here at all – as the tracks are spare, of varying length, and have James letting that amazing vocal style loose – soaring out with a heavenly sound at some moments, and hewing to the rhythms of his guitar at others – given reverent production treatment by the young John Fahey. Titles include "Broke & Hungry", "Crow Jane", "Cypress Grove Blues", "Black Gal", "Drunken Spree", "Illinois Blues", "Look Down The Road", and "Bad Whiskey". LP, Vinyl record album
Wicked early work from Junior Kimbrough – sides that are quite different than some of his better-known recordings over the years! The material was cut in Memphis in 1966 by producer Quinton Claunch – and it's got a spare, rootsy quality that's totally great – slow moving drums underneath some echoey guitar – and great flat-nosed vocals from Junior that really send the tunes home – almost with a quality that makes you feel like he's humming the lyrics instead of singing them! Titles include two versions of "Feels So Good", plus "Meet Me In The City", "Lonesome In My Home", "Done Got Old", and "Feels So Bad". Also features bonus alternates of "Feels So Bad" and "Meet Me In The City". LP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic recordings of the legendary Furry Lewis – a musician who may be pictured in a bathrobe on the front cover, but who comes across with all the sharp edges and bold tones of his classic work! The material is part of that legendary George Mitchell series of blues recordings, and may well be one of the best – as Mitchell captures both Lewis' guitar and vocals with incredible clarity – especially the instrument, which yields the kind of complex passages and subtle tones that would have been a lot harder to hear in a 78rpm environment. Furry's vocals are wonderful, too – with a stretching depth that evokes gospel inspiration, but served up with very secular subject matter – on titles that include "Why Don't You Come Home Blues", "Good Morning Judge", "Blues Around My Bed", "Furry Lewis' Careless Love", and "Old Hobo". LP, Vinyl record album
50
Bob Log III —
School Bus ... CD FatPossum/Epitaph, 1998. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Amazing stuff from the Converted Mind of Bishop Manning and his family! Manning was a former down & dirty blues singer who was changed forever byThe Good Word in the early 60s – and the lived in realness of these recordings certainly suggests a blues pedigree. It's completely wonderful, with Manning and Family singers backed perfectly with organ, guitar and drums. 28 tracks in all: "Manning Family Theme Song", "Back In St Matthews Days", "I Am A Pilgrim", "Don't Let Satan Ride", "The Jealous Man And The Jealous Woman", "The Last Step", "Back In Slavery Days", "I Want To Shout At The Meeting", "Going Off Theme", "Sit Down Servent" and many more. CD
An album that will really blow your mind if you only know Christine McVie from her famous work in Fleetwood Mac – as the set's a debut solo effort, at a time when McVie was recording under the name of Christine Perfect as a singer in the UK blues band Chicken Shack! As with early Fleetwood Mac, there's a definite blues influence going on here – maybe no surprise, as the set was done by Mike Vernon for his Blue Horizon label – yet even at the start, McVie's got an approach that's very different than some of the more slavish blues-inspired singers on the scene – much more soulful overall, and already with plenty of hints at the superstardom to come! Titles include "I'm On My Way", "Close To Me", "When You Say", "I'm Too Far Gone", "No Road Is The Right Road", "For You", and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album
Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". CD
Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". LP, Vinyl record album
55
Ann Peebles —
Tellin' It ... CD Hi Records/FatPossum, 1975. Used ...
Out Of Stock
It's the mid 70s, but Ann's still very much in classic form – with thanks to arrangements and production by Willie Mitchell and backing by Andrew Love, Wayne Jackson, and James Mitchell – and sultry, soulful vocals from Ann! There's a bit more of a groove-oriented production style here than before – but it comes off very nicely, and works wonders with Ann's deeply burning vocal approach. This album stands up stronger next to it's predecessor, the great I Can't Stand The Rain album, better than we remembered – we're glad to tell that! Titles include "Come To Mama", "I Don't Lend My Man", "Love Played A Game", "Beware", "It Was Jealosy", "Doctor Love Power", and "Put Yourself In My Place" and more. CD
An obscure 70s album from the legendary Roosevelt Sykes – but a set that captures the singer and pianist at the height of his powers! The format here is very stripped-down – often just a focus on Sykes himself, with the occasional addition of a bit of guitar from Louisiana Red or Johnny Shines, both of whom sing slightly too. Sugar Blue also adds in harmonica on a few numbers – but the overall feel is more that of Roosevelt working by himself, almost in an after hours mode – then welcoming in some friends as they drop by to sit in on a few numbers. Titles include "Dream Woman", "Mistake In Life", "Music Is My Business", "A Good Woman", "How Long", "Funky Side", and "Leavin Chicago". CD
A pretty much flawless collection of tunes from Townes Van Zandt's most loved album from the late 60s to late 70s – a different tracklist from earlier Best Ofs, and a set that really does serve up a treasure trove of achingly beautiful songs! Includes some of the best material from Our Mother The Mountain, his self-titled LP, High, Low And In Between, Delta Mama Blues, Flyin' Shoes, Delta Momma Blues, the earlier records in that run long beloved, the later just as great if not oft-mentioned or the songs as oft-covered, with 16 great songs on 2LPs: "For The Sake Of The Song", "Pancho & Lefty", "To Live Is To Fly", "I'll Be Here In The Morning", "St John The Gambler", "Black Widow Blues", "Tower Song", "Tecumseh Valley", "Lungs", "Rex's Blues" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
A heck of a discovery – early recordings Townes Van Zandt cut in mid 60s Nashville – a couple of years before his official solo debut, and a soul shakingly beautiful mix of his country folk blues storytelling and some more rollicking numbers that work exceptionally well! One of the things that's most striking about it is how wise and knowing his songs and his voice are this early in his game, with the more intimate voice and guitar numbers sounding great. The few songs with busier instumentation work, too, and that's even more surprising give the Townes loner folk ouvre. We didn't think there could be much Townes left unreleased, especially of this quality! Titles include "Black Widow Blues", "Maryetta's Song", "Hunger Child Blues", "Black Jack Mama", "When Your Dream Never Dies", "Big Country Blues", "Gypsy Friday", "Colorado Blues", "Black Crow Blues" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
A killer collection, and a very unique look at the legendary Hi Records – one that goes way past the big hits on the label, and which features the rare singles and unusual cuts that remind us what an important player Hi was on the Memphis scene during the Stax generation! The package features over 75 minutes of music, hand-selected by Japanese DJ/collector Daisuke Kuroda – a 25 track set that features rare singles by Veneice, Africano, Majik, Bobby McClure, George Jackson, Phillip Michell, Jean Plum, Iota, Odyssey, Larry Gordon, and Donna Rhodes – plus more by Al Green, Syl Johnson, OV Wright, Willie Mitchell, and Ann Peebles – including one track that has both Ann and Don Bryant! LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic little session of gospel music – contemporary work, but done in the same sort of "field trip" style of recording that takes us back to Alan Lomax and some of the great southern projects of the postwar years! In this case, the music all comes from a studio in Fountain, North Carolina – opened up for a few days in a marathon session of recording, all as a way to capture the wealth of overlooked talent on the local scene in that part of the state – a top-shelf array of gospel groups and singers who really fit the classic mode of the Bible & Tire label! The package is wonderful – a great dip into a musical world we never would have heard otherwise – all presented in a really no-nonsense way. Titles include "Tell It" and "Use Me Lord" by Big James Barrett & The Golden Jubilees, "He's Coming Again" and "Trying To Make It" by The Johnsonaires, "Stand Up" and "Shake Me" by Bishop Albert Harrison & The Gospel Tones, "I Want To Be Ready" and "Have You Tried Jesus" by Little Willie & The Fantastic Spiritualaires, "No Ways Tired" by Marvin Earl Blind Butch Cox, "Amazing Grace" by Melody Harper, "It's A Shame" by Dedicated Men Of Zion, "Glory Glory" by Johnny Ray Daniels, "Victory" by Faith & Harmony, and "Tell It All To Jesus" by The Glorifying Vines Sisters. CD
62
Courtney Marie Andrews —
Loose Future ... LP FatPossum, 2022. Sealed ...
Out Of Stock
The great Syl Johnson – doing his thing for Hi Records on a record that's more shiny diamond than it is rough – his second album for the label and a truly underappreciated gem from the Chi soul great! Diamond In The Rough is a much sweeter set of tunes than Syl's Chicago work on Twinight, with warmer production by southern soul guru Willie Mitchell to keep his sound much more in the Memphis soul camp – but still a nice album of bluesy stoked sweetness, and proof that Syl was one of the better talents on the Hi label. Titles include "Keeping Down Confusion", "Let Yourself Go", "Could I Be Falling In Love", "Stuck In Chicago", and "I Hear The Love Chimes", "Please, Don't Give Up On Me" and "Diamond In The Rough". CD
Ann Peebles sings straight from the heart on this classic early set for Hi Records – a record that's to female vocals what Al Green's work of the time meant to male soul! As with Green's Hi Records of the time, Willie Mitchell is firmly in charge of production and backings – working with that warmly glowing Memphis soul style that carved whole new territory in soul music for the 70s – a maturing and mellowing of earlier southern modes, in a way that helps Peebles hit some fresh and uncliched sounds with her vocals. At a time when so many other singers were trying to copy Aretha, Ann's approach is mighty fresh – as you'll hear on tracks that include "I Take What I Want", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", "What You Laid On Me", "Trouble Heartaches & Sadness", "99 Pounds", "I've Been There Before", and "Somebody's On Your Case". CD