Skip James Hardtime Killing Floor Blues CD

Hard Time Killin' Floor isn't the first Skip James collection, and one could bet it will not be the last. But Hard Time Killin' Floor makes a pretty good argument for itself: the hour-and-six-minute album holds all of James' early work, and it's been remastered. James' soulful vocal style, like Robert Johnson's, has often been noted, but his quick picking style is also distinctive. "I'm So Glad" is performed at an up-tempo, breakneck pace, and the finger work will leave the listener dizzy. The title cut, on the other hand, has a slow, lazy quality, with the blue notes of the guitar matching the singer's mournful cry. James was somewhat unique among blues guitarists in that he also played piano. His spunky gospel style is on full display on songs like "How Long Buck" and the bizarrely titled "Little Cow and Calf Is Gonna Die Blues." Of course Hard Time Killin' Floor wouldn't be complete without "Devil Got My Woman," the same song that would bring down the house at the Newport Folk Festival some 30 years later. The sound quality of these recordings, it should be noted, is a bit rough. This isn't a criticism; just something that should be noted for blues fans unfamiliar with the minefield of re-recording old songs from rare 78s. Yazoo and its engineers have made the best of a difficult situation, and for that, blues fans will be grateful. Interestingly, Yazoo, having extra room at the end of the CD, added four songs by another blues great, Son House. While the pairing might seem a bit odd, who'd complain about having four early Son House songs for free? Not this reviewer. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Hard Time Killing Floor Blues was the first session Skip James recorded following his rediscovery by John Fahey and Henry Vestine in the mid-'60s. Though he had not played the blues for more than 20 years, his skills were largely undiminished, and he turns in a fantastic set here. James was the pinnacle of the Bentonia (Mississippi) sound, which combines complex fingerpicking with falsetto vocals, resulting in somewhat spooky-sounding strain of blues. James reprises several of his 1931 Paramount sides on this session, as well as a couple new tunes that chronicle the illnesses of James' latter days. Anyone with a passing interest in acoustic blues should own some James. This set would make a great starting point, especially for those who don't take well to the surface noise that can accompany his '30s sessions. The new mastering here sounds rich and warm. Highly recommended. [This set was previously released as Biograph 122, with a different running order.] ~ Sean Westergaard

Recorded in 1964. Includes liner notes by Brett J. Bonner.

Solo performer: Skip James (vocals, guitar)

Personnel: Skip James (vocals, acoustic guitar).

Liner Note Author: Brett J. Bonner.

Photographer: Michael Ochs.Living Blues (Sept.-Oct./92, p.65) - "..Skip James's prewar recordings will always represent the primary focus of his magnificent Delta legacy, but this disc is pretty remarkable in it own right.."