Search - Various Artists :: Angola Prison Worksongs

Mournful, soulful classic blues

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 01/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where better to find real blues music than inside a prison? Although myriad earlier folklorists had already mined a various prisonyards for their blues material, these recordings made at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola have a richness and sadness to them that isn't quite conveyed in earlier efforts. Accompanied by work sounds such as shoveling and raking, these people have the same undeniable "authenticity" as the back porch Appalachians so beloved by the Lomaxes, Seegers and other scholars, but with an added layer of misery and hopelessness that makes the music even more compelling. Included in these recordings is the great Robert Pete Williams, who went on to record several excellent albums for the Arhoolie label. Recommended."