Search - Leadbelly :: Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1943-1944)

A Great Leabelly Collection...

Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 01/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
I have all Leadbelly's works, and amongst them, this is a favorite disc because it features a nice collection of some of his most standard songs, plus some unusual and unique cuts.



The great standards include: Roberta; Where Did You Sleep Last Night?; Yellow Gal; In New Orleans [sometimes called House of the Rising Sun]; John Hardy; and Ha Ha Thisaway.



The special tracks include: the trilogy, Noted Rider/Big Fat Woman/Bottle-Up and Go [sometimes called Borrow Love and Go]--on Big Fat Woman, Leadbelly plays the piano; the version of John Hardy werein Leadbelly plays the concertina [small octagonal accordion]; the definitive version of the trilogy Fiddler's Dram [sometimes called Fiddler's Dream]/Yellow Gal/Green Corn; and the tetrology Bring Me a Lil' Water Silvy/Julie Ann Johnson/Line 'Em/Whoa Back Buck.



Note: in Leadbelly's parlance, a "yellow gal" refers to a "high brown" or a mulatto woman; "green corn" refers to home-brewed corn liquor; a "noted rider" would be a notorious female prostitute, etc.



Of all the Leadbelly discs around, those on Document label are the best!"