Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Writin' Paper Blues
2. Stole Rider Blues
3. Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day
4. Mr. McTell Got the Blues
5. Mr. McTell Got the Blues
6. Three Women Blues
7. Dark Night Blues
8. Statesboro Blues
9. Loving Talking Blues
10. Atlanta Strut
11. Travelin' Blues
12. Come on Around to My House Mama
13. Kind Mama
14. Teasing Brown
15. Drive Away Blues
16. This Is Not the Stove to Brown You Bread
17. Love Changing Blues
18. Talkin' to Myself
19. Razor Ball
20. Southern Can Is Mine
21. Broke Down Engine Blues
22. Stomp Down Rider
23. Scarey Day Blues

Disc 2:

1. Rough Alley Blues
2. Experience Blues
3. Painful Blues
4. Low Rider's Blues
5. Georgia Rag
6. Low Down Blues
7. Rollin' Mama Blues
8. Lonesome Day Blues
9. Mama, Let Me Scoop for You
10. Searching the Desert for the Blues
11. Warm It Up to Me
12. It's Your Time to Worry
13. It's a Good Little Thing
14. You Was Born to Die
15. Lord Have Mercy If You Please
16. Don't You See How This World Made a Change
17. Savannah Mama
18. Broke Down Engine
19. Broke Down Engine, No. 2
20. My Baby's Gone
21. Love-Makin' Mama
22. Death Room Blues
23. Death Cell Blues
24. Lord, Send Me an Angel

Disc 3:

1. B and O Blues, No. 2
2. B and O Blues, No. 2
3. Weary Hearted Blues
4. Bell Street Lightnin'
5. Southern Can Mama
6. Runnin' Me Crazy
7. East St. Louis Blues
8. Ain't It Grand to Be a Christian
9. We Got to Meet Death One Day
10. We Got to Meet Death One Day
11. Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around
12. I Got Religion, I'm So Glad
13. Dying Gambler
14. God Don't Like It
15. Bell Street Blues
16. Let Me Play With Yo' Yo-Yo
17. Lay Some Flowers on My Grave
18. Ticket Agent Blues
19. Cold Winter Day
20. Your Time to Worry
21. Cooling Board Blues
22. Hillbilly Willie's Blues

Disc 4:

1. Just as Well Get Ready, You Got to Die/Climbing High ...
2. Monologue on Accidents
3. Boll Weevil
4. Delia
5. Drying Crapshooter's Blues
6. Will Fox
7. I Got to Cross the River Jordan
8. Monologue on Old Songs: Old Time Religion/Amen
9. Amazing Grace
10. Monologues on: The History of the Blues/Life as Maker of ...
11. King Edward Blues
12. Murderer's Home Blues
13. Kill-It-Kid Rag
14. Chainey
15. I Got to Cross the River of Jordan

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111833 in Music
• Released on: 2003-06-10
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .85 pounds

Customer Reviews

Exceptionally thorough box set
"Statesboro Blues", anyone? No, it's not an Allman Brothers original, although they've always done well by it.

Unlike the Allmans, William Samuel McTell never had a hit record, and even people who know a little bit about the blues sometimes tend to forget about him when they talk about the greatness of Robert Johnson, Son House or Big Bill Broonzy.

But he deserves better than that. Blind Willie McTell a wonderful singer, not a raspy powerhouse vocalist like Charlie (sic!) Patton, sure, but a clear, expressive tenor, and one of the finest acoustic blues guitarists you're ever likely to hear. You'll be looking for the name of the second guitarist on several of these waxings and realize that McTell is doing it all on his own.

And he was much more than just a one-trick pony, too; "Statesboro Blues" may be the best known song here, but there are plenty of other truly memorable numbers, including the beautiful slide guitar blues "Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day" and the crisp "Writin' Paper Blues".

This box set looks a bit cartoonish, sure, the kind of low-budget stuff of dubious provenance that you buy at your local Wall-mart. But it's not. It is a thoroughly assembled, well annotated set, and the asking price is exceedingly reasonable.

If you've listened to a lot of 20s blues recordings you'll know that the sound quality usually isn't all that impressive eighty-some years later. It frequenty sucks, in fact.
But these carefully selected masters are a pleasant surprise. Only a few of the mid-'30s sides and the relatively primiive non-commercial Lomax-sides have some surface noise; otherwise the sound quality is very good, the equal of any pre-war McTell compilation on the market for sure, and perhaps more than that. And all four discs are well annotated, including thorough recording information. Nice job, JSP, as always.

Unlike Catfish's otherwise excellent three-disc compilation "The Definitive Blind Willie McTell", this set includes McTell's religious sides, too, as well as several minutes of very interesting interview snippets conducted by John Lomax during the 1940 session. (Willie McTell sounds strikingly urbane, more so than the 73-year-old John Lomax, who adresses him in a condescending manner, and seemingly doesn't understand or appreciate McTell's elegant, sophisticated brand of blues.)

McTell's sides with vocalist Ruth Willis are here as well, and plenty of sides with fellow guitarist Curly Weaver, making this the definitive overview of the music of Blind Willie McTell at the height of his abilities. This is the one to go for if you want anything more than just a sampler.

A True Poet of The Blues
Blind Willie McTell was a true poet of the blues and also a master guitar player. Songs like "Statesboro Blues," "Writin' Paper Blues," "Ticket Agent Blues," "Talkin' To Myself," "Love Changin' Blues," "Lay Some Flowers On My Grave" and "Teasin' Brown" are all magnificent highlights of this 4 cd set. The only drawbacks are the lousy vocals of the female singers whom McTell backs on some of the tracks, and the extremely racist views that Lomax holds, and demonstrates on disc 4. Otherwise, this is a wonderful buy.

Brilliant,get it.
I came to this box set having heard nothing of the music of Blind Willie McTell,I just thought I'd take a chance.I do not regret it for one solitary second,the whole set is brilliant.Unlike some more famous blues artists,Mr.McTell sang in a soft voice that displays his regional accent.He sang clear and he sang sweet.His guitar playing is fantastic,it's hard to believe that there is only one player on a lot of these recordings,but's that indeed how it is,and thanks to the clarity of the vast majority of the recordings,I would recommend this set without reserve.