Living Blues - 9/03, pp.94-5
"...The real treasures here are the seldom-heard opening lament 'Just Like a Bird Without a Feather' and the closing weeper 'Sat Down on My Bed and Cried'..."
Recorded in 1968. Includes liner notes by Matthew Johnson.
Recording information: 1968.
Arranger: R.L. Burnside.
At the time these tracks were cut, 1967 and 1968, R.L. Burnside was working on a plantation in Coldwater, MS, cutting silage. Folklorist George Mitchell was on a mission to record unknown blues singers down South. Mitchell heard about Burnside and paid him a visit, asking if he could record him. That night Mitchell returned to Burnside's place with a case of beer and some whiskey. Ten months later, Burnside had his first release. While these 14 tracks didn't jump start Burnside's career, they are stark, organic, and timeless, just Burnside and his acoustic guitar running down mainly traditional material that he arranged. This is an absolute treasure for Burnside aficionados and casual blues listeners alike. ~ Al Campbell
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