On Son House . . .
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Artist:
Son House really woke me up to the delta blues. I have been listening to Robert Johnson for many, many moons courtesy of Led Zeppelin and Cream / Clapton covers. However, somehow, I committed the heinous crime in not waking up to the incredible diversity of sounds that the 1920s - 1940s delta blues truly offers.
Son House is one of the most powerful representations of this genre, with his soulful belted out vocals and a heavy slide resonator guitar backing it. Between him and Fred McDowell, the sounds I heard drove me to try and figure out these 'new' haunting blues sounds that taunted my ears.
From Son's open tuning and his slide use to the resonator guitar, itself, I am thoroughly hooked on these incredible sounds. The diverse delta blues sounds with now forever influence my own guitar technique and sound. The heavy, hard hitting and raw sounds from these vintage blues musicians, truly represent the blues to me, unlike many of the too-casual, too mellow, too happy, almost cheesy 'blues' you so often hear people play on the radio, etc.
Check out Eddy 'Son' House's early recordings with Alan Lomax from 1941-42. Although I appreciate Son's later 'rediscovery' works in the '60s, he had 'found god' by that time and gospel sounds run through his work ad nauseum - somewhat tainting it for me. I know, I know, how heretical - its still incredible music . . . its just that I find it hard to fully appreciate ANY music that I don't agree with such an strong message, therein.
Son House is one of the icons of the 'real' blues, Mississippi Delta blues - of which the sounds will forever influence my guitar playing as well as my soul. ...
Son House is one of the most powerful representations of this genre, with his soulful belted out vocals and a heavy slide resonator guitar backing it. Between him and Fred McDowell, the sounds I heard drove me to try and figure out these 'new' haunting blues sounds that taunted my ears.
From Son's open tuning and his slide use to the resonator guitar, itself, I am thoroughly hooked on these incredible sounds. The diverse delta blues sounds with now forever influence my own guitar technique and sound. The heavy, hard hitting and raw sounds from these vintage blues musicians, truly represent the blues to me, unlike many of the too-casual, too mellow, too happy, almost cheesy 'blues' you so often hear people play on the radio, etc.
Check out Eddy 'Son' House's early recordings with Alan Lomax from 1941-42. Although I appreciate Son's later 'rediscovery' works in the '60s, he had 'found god' by that time and gospel sounds run through his work ad nauseum - somewhat tainting it for me. I know, I know, how heretical - its still incredible music . . . its just that I find it hard to fully appreciate ANY music that I don't agree with such an strong message, therein.
Son House is one of the icons of the 'real' blues, Mississippi Delta blues - of which the sounds will forever influence my guitar playing as well as my soul. ...
Comments (3)
Sad to see so much great music lost to history and the idiocy of lack of foresight. .. .never know what might still turn up, though, there was that 'new' Robert Johnson tune found like 10 years ago. . .