Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. White House Blues - Charlie Poole & the North Carolina Ramblers
2. High Sheriff - Aiken Country String Band
3. Last Scene of the Titanic - Frank Hutchison
4. Suitcase Blues - Hersal Thomas
5. Death's Black Train Is Coming - Reverend J.M. Gates
6. Cow Cow Blues - Dora Carr
7. Washington County Fox Chase - Vance's Tennessee Breakdowners
8. I'm Going to Take the Train to Charlotte - Fiddlin' John Carson
9. Low Down Blues - Whistler & His Jug Band
10. Paul and Silas in Jail - George Washington Phillips
11. Blind Pig Blues - Barbecue Bob
12. Chattanooga Blues - Austin Allen
13. Hokum Blues - Dallas String Band, Coley Jones
14. Worried Blues - Gladys Bentley
15. Empty Bed Blues, Pt. 1 - Elizabeth Johnson
16. Empty Bed Blues, Pt. 2 - Elizabeth Johnson
17. Blue Grass Twist - South Georgia Highballers
18. Moonshiner and His Money - Charlie Bowman
19. Johnson City Blues [#] - Clarence Green
20. Warming by the Devil's Fire - Rev. Johnny Blakey
21. (Honey) It's Tight Like That - Harry Jones, Papa Too Sweet
22. Big Leg Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
23. Hallelujah - Daniels-Deason Sacred Harp Singers

Disc 2:

1. Liberty - Herschel Brown
2. My Sportin' Man - Mamie Smith
3. Mean Low Blues - Blues Birdhead
4. C.C. & O. Blues - Pink Anderson, Simmie Dooley
5. Ortonville - Okeh Atlanta Sacred Harp Singers
6. Dear Black Eyes (Chere Yeux Noirs) - Slim Doucet
7. Roosevelt's Blues - Roosevelt Sykes
8. Gin Mill Blues - The Hokum Boys
9. Osson - Joseph Falcon
10. Sweet Milk and Peaches (Breakdown) - W.T. Narmour, S.W. Smith
11. Soldier's Joy - Clayton McMichen, Riley Puckett, Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers, Gid Tanner
12. They May Not Be My Toes - Whistlin' Alex Moore
13. Jazz Fiddler - Mississippi Sheiks
14. I Have to Do My Time - Lonnie Johnson
15. Lonesome Frisco Line - Tom Darby, Jimmie Tarlton
16. Back to the Blue Ridge - Leonard Copeland, Roy Harvey
17. Darn Good Girl - Buster Carter, Preston Young
18. West Jackson Blues - Bo Carter
19. You Had Too Much - Lonnie Johnson, Clara Smith
20. Oh! Glory Glory - Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk
21. Don't You Remember the Time - Freeny's Barn Dance Band
22. Walkin' Georgia Rose - Pelican Wildcats
23. Police Station Blues - Peetie Wheatstraw
24. Hallelujah Side - Tindley Quaker City Gospel Singers
25. Highway 61 Blues - Will Batts

Disc 3:

1. Doughboys Theme Song No. 1 - W.Lee O'Daniel & his Light Crust Doughboys
2. Ida! Sweet as Apple Cider - W.Lee O'Daniel & his Light Crust Doughboys
3. Doughboys Theme Song No. 2 - W.Lee O'Daniel & his Light Crust Doughboys
4. Bell Street Lightnin' - Blind Willie McTell
5. Jersey Bull Blues - Charley Patton
6. Every Morning Blues [#] - Walter Roland
7. D Blues - H.M. Barnes' Blue Ridge Ramblers
8. Valse des Yeux Bleu (Blue Eyes Waltz) - The Breaux Fr�res
9. Skin Game Blues - Lucille Bogan
10. Good Woman Blues - Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr
11. Sissy Man - Josh White
12. My Lovin' Gal Lucille [Blue Yodel No. 2] - The Rhythm Wreckers
13. Just Inside the Pearly Gates - Jack Anglin
14. Hard Rocks in My Bed - Bumble Bee Slim
15. Tired Feelin' Blues - The Two Charlies
16. One Eyed Sam - Eldon Baker
17. Poor Naomi Wise - A'nt Idy Harper
18. South Bound Blues - Prince Moore
19. C & A Blues - Big Bill Broonzy
20. My Last Five Dollars - George Curry
21. Memphis Blues - The Nite Owls
22. Pourquoi Tu M'Aime Pas - Alley Boys of Abbeville
23. Have Mercy on Me - Rev. Benny Campbell
24. Shout for Joy [#] - Albert Ammons
25. Flower Blues - Jack Kelly
26. Onion Eating Mama [#] - Cliff Carlisle
27. Brown's Ferry Blues [#2] - The Callahan Brothers
28. Slick Capers Blues - Little Buddy Doyle
29. Poor Boy Blues - Jazz Gillum

Disc 4:

1. We Got to Get Together - Frank Edwards
2. You've Got to See Mamma Ev'ry Night (Or You Can't See Mamma at All) - Sweet Violet Boys
3. I'll Fly Away [#] - Humbard Family
4. Cross Cut Saw Blues - Tony Hollins
5. Black Snake Blues - Peter J. Clayton
6. Step It up and Go - Black Cats and the Kitten
7. Papa's Going Crazy, Mama's Going Mad - Bob Atcher
8. Cotton Eyed Joe - Adolph Hofner
9. Old Vets Blues - Poor Boy Burke
10. Black Rat Swing - Little Son Joe
11. Macy Special - Big Maceo Merriweather
12. It's Funny What Love Will Make You Do - J.B. Brinkley, The Light Crust Doughboys
13. Army Blues - Hank Penny & His Radio Cowboys
14. Who But You - James Clark, James Clark
15. Tomorrow May Be Too Late [#] - Homer Harris
16. Burying Ground Blues [#] - Muddy Waters
17. Goodbye Old Pal [#] - Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys
18. Dixie Cannonball - Gene Autry
19. Run on for a Long Time - Bill Landford & The Landfordaires
20. Baby, Please Don't Go [#] - Joe Williams
21. I'm Toiling - Sister Myrtle Fields
22. Two by Four Blues - Willie Right
23. You Can't Go Halfway (And Get In) - The Bailes Brothers
24. Heaven's Radio - Molly O'Day & The Cumberland Mountain Folks
25. Plow Hand Blues - Rosetta Howard
26. Grunt Meat Blues - Memphis Seven
27. Until I Found the Lord - Deep South Boys
28. I Know My Jesus Won't Deny Me - Brother Cook, Brother Porter

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104211 in Music
• Released on: 1992-06-30
• Number of discs: 4
• Format: Box set

Customer Reviews

Loads of fun
This set begs comparison with the venerable Anthology of American Folk Music - both sets feature "songs, ballads and social music." Retrospective is longer (by 30 or 40 minutes) and covers a broader span of history (25 years compared with the AAFM's 5-6 years...). It's more eclectic than the AAFM, both topically and temporally (since the songs, ballads and social music are intermingled on each disc). Now that Smithsonian/Folkways has reissued the AAFM on CD, I'd recommend that set to listeners before this one - song for song, it's of higher quality, with brilliant performances and little or no dross. Retrospective is nothing to scoff at, however; it's actually easier to listen to and enjoy than the AAFM, with something of a "pop" feel, and some of the obscure and previously unissued tracks (47 of 107 are issued here for the first time) are excellent. Most of these performers are Southerners - white, black, and in between, all coexisting as harmoniously as can be. If a hillbilly fiddle breakdown, followed by a slow piano/vocal blues, followed by a Baptist preacher's sermon accompanied by his Sanctified Singers, etc., sounds like a good time, then you won't regret picking up this collection. It's monumental in its own way, and the book that comes with the set is colorful, nicely illustrated with "race record" ads and group portraits, and rather informative. The producer(s) of Retrospective dedicated the collection to Harry Smith - "folklorist, filmmaker, anthropologist, and visionary" - and compiler of the Anthology of American Music: "Harry, you taught us all!"

Terrific roots
In 1992, when this came out, there was nothing like it. Now, with the success of such items as the "Oh Brother..." soundtrack and the reissued "Anthology of American Folk Music," this set may get lost in the shuffle. I have most of the similar reissues, and I still think this is the best.

First, it covers a wider timespan than the Smith "Anthology." This means it has both a few older songs, and several newer ones. Thus, this set has an early Bill Monroe song. This set also includes some things which weren't released on 78, so one of Muddy Water's first professional recordings is on here. (Don't believe the note that this was never released before, however. It came out on an Okeh Chicago blues record in the 1980s.) Though this set has only 4 cds to the Anthology's 6, the amount of music is about the same, because these four are filled, and the Anthology's 6 only have the equivalent of Smith's original 6 lps, and are therefore rather short by cd standards.

One thing I find in reissue sets like this one is that some artists and some songs get rereleased over and over. This set does not fall into that trap. Rather, it has many little known artists, some of whom recorded only a handful of sides. Nevertheless, the songs here are almost universally wonderful, covering a wide (but not TOO wide) range of styles with wonderful performances.

You won't find many of these records anywhere else, and the set has a terrific bunch of blues, gospel, string band, Cajun and other vernacular styles. Don't miss it!

A Fantastic Value and Greatly Diverse
I'm really quite suprised to not find a hundred five-star reviews of this set from all the blues fans out there. Truly, this is a great set, better than I expected, this is NOT a patched together hodge-podge of marginal stuff as you often find in these compilations. This is top drawer all the way through; it's American history to which you can sip scotch. The songs are very diverse: some are classic blues cuts, other have almost a Vaudeville feel to them, others burlesque, others bluegrass.

The main point I wanted to make, however, is that I feel this set is MUCH better than the Anthology of Amercan Folk Music. (A previous reviewer likewise made the comparison between the two sets and I completely agree that they are comparable in concept, although he preferred the Anthology set.) That set disappointed me: all the songs sound the same,and the recording quality on most of the cuts is poor. This set is actually exactly what I expected and hoped that set to be: foot tappin' music which evocatively brings to mind fond thoughts of a simpler and more visceral era in American life. The Anthology of Amercian Folk Music may have some profound academic significance which escapes me, but if you want great music with a lot of mood and attitude, I don't think you can do much better than this Retrospective set. A final point: these four CD's are filled up with good stuff: 75+ minutes on each one. A great value!