The Rough Guide to Unsung Heroes of Country Blues Vol 2

Rough Guides always take a certain pleasure in making sure their CD compilations don’t mimic other albums out there. And they maintain their high standards here. Here is the music of many African Americans in the US South from before World War II, long before the development of electric blues. There's a wide variety of artists – some well-known but most obscure – and high-quality recordings of each. The compilation never opts for an obvious number, so providing much buried treasure that would previously only have been known to serious blues anoraks. There is gospel blues here from Blind Joe Taggart, female blues vocalists such as Mattie Delaney, songsters like Papa Charlie Jackson and the guitar virtuoso Ramblin’ Thomas. The album is well sequenced and has a lyrical joy to it that suggests just how much good humour and droll social commentary went on in blues songs. For both country blues fans and listeners interested in checking out what African American music sounded like at the dawn of the 20th century, this album is a great purchase.