Country music began life as the white man's version of the blues. Termed "hillbilly music" until the early '50s, country embraced blues' form and themes, a template it continues to follow today, albeit dressed up in slicker clothes. It's still all about the hazards of love and the struggle to survive and find a good time in a world growing increasingly difficult. Hillbilly Blues kicks off with the classic Jimmie Rodgers recording of "Blue Yodel" and continues on through some two-dozen early blues tracks, including the gently swinging "That's All" by Merle Travis, a not-yet-quite-bluegrass "Blue Yodel # 4" by Bill Monroe and the odd-sounding vocal and guitar combination of Darby & Tarlton. An early Chet Atkins instrumental, "Guitar Blues," reveals the accomplished style and skill that defined his whole career as a guitarist. Remastered from old 78s, the sound quality is surprisingly good. This is recommended for those interested in the roots of country. (Steve Leggett, Allmusic)trax CD 1:
1. Blue Yodel - Jimmie Rodgers 2. Heavy Hearted Blues - Darby & Tarlton 3. Freight Train Ramble - Darby & Tarlton 4. Arabella Blues - Jimmie Davis 5. Sewing Machine Blues - Jimmie Davis 6. Lonesome Jailhouse Blues - The Delmore Brothers 7. Chain Gang Blues - Riley Puckett 8. Easy Rider Blues - Jimmie Davis 9. New Deal Blues - The Allen Brothers 10. Somebody's Been Using That Thing - Milton Brown 11. Texas Hambone Blues - Milton Brown 12. No Huggin' Or Kissin' - Hartman's Heartbreakers 13. Grandma and Grandpa - Hartman's Heartbreakers 14. Swing Blues #1 - Bob Wills 15. Mean Old Lonesome Blues - Buddy Jones 16. Married Man Blues - Helen Hunt 17. I'll Keep My Old Guitar - Adolph Hofner 18. Gettin' Tired - The Rambling Rangers
trax CD 2:
1. Someday Baby - Shelton Brothers 2. Worried Man's Blues - The Sunshine Boys 3. Honey What You Gonna Do? - Bob Wills 4. Mean Mama Blues - Ernest Tubb 5. What's The Matter With Deep Elm - The Sunshine Boys 6. Lay Me Down Beside My Darling - Moon Mullican 7. Midnight Special - Les Paul 8. Milk Cow Blues - Johnnie Lee Wills 9. Fort Worth Jail - Ernest Tubb 10. That's All - Merle Travis 11. T. Texas' Blues - T.Texas Tyler 12. Driftin' Texas Sand - Buster Coward 13. Going Back To The Blue Ridge Mountain - The Delmore Brothers 14. The Clouds Rained Trouble Down - Jack Guthrie 15. Guitar Blues - Chet Atkins 16. Blue Yodel #4 - Bill Monroe 17. Kansas City Blues - Gene Sullivan 18. You Better Do It Now - Spade Cooley
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