Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. You Do Me Any Old Way
2. You Do Me Any Old Way [Take 2]
3. Down in the Alley [Take 1]
4. Down in the Alley [Take 2]
5. Stuff They Call Money
6. Louise, Louise Blues [Take 1]
7. Louise, Louise Blues [Take 2]
8. Let Me Be Your Winder
9. Hattie Blues [Take 1]
10. Hattie Blues [Take 2]
11. My Old Lizzie
12. Come Home Early
13. Come Home Early [Take 2]
14. Come Home Early [Take 3]
15. Come Home Early [Take 4]
16. My Gal Is Gone
17. Evil Hearted Me
18. I Want My Hands on It [Take 1]
19. I Want My Hands on It [Take 2]
20. It's Too Late Now [Take 1]
21. It's Too Late Now [Take 2]
22. Make a Date with an Angel (Got No Walking Shoes) [Take 1]
23. Make a Date with an Angel (Got No Walking Shoes) [Take 2]
24. Play Your Hand
25. Hattie Blues [Take 3]
26. Somebody's Go to Go

Disc 2:

1. Good Boy
2. I Want You by My Side
3. Border Blues
4. Sweetheart Land
5. It's a Low Down Dirty Shame
6. Got to Get Ready Tonight
7. Trucking Little Woman
8. Unemployment Stomp
9. Why Do You Do That to Me
10. It's Your Time Now
11. I'll Start Cutting on You
12. Sad Letter Blues
13. Mill Man Blues
14. I'll Do Anything for You
15. Sad Pencil Blues
16. New Shake-Em on Down
17. Night Time Is the Right Time No. 2
18. Let Me Dig It
19. W.P.A. Rag
20. Going Back to Arkansas
21. Rider Rider Blues
22. Living on Easy Street
23. Good Time Tonight
24. Trouble and Lying Woman
25. I'll Believe I'll Go Back Home

Disc 3:

1. Flat Foot Susie with Her Flat Yes Yes
2. Trucking Little Woman
3. Hell Ain't But a Mile and a Quarter
4. Don't You Lay It on Me
5. Done Got Wise
6. Louise, Louise
7. Spreadin' Snake Blues
8. Baby Don't You Remember
9. Whiskey and Good Time Blues
10. Baby I Done Got Wise
11. Preachin' the Blues
12. Just a Dream (On My Mind)
13. Fightin' Little Rooster
14. Mary Blues
15. You Can't Sell 'Em in Here
16. Just Got to Hold You Tight [Take 1]
17. Just Got to Hold You Tight [Take 2]
18. Just Wondering
19. Keep on A-Smilin'
20. She Never
21. Woodie Woodie
22. Too Many Drivers
23. You Can't Win
24. Ride, Alberta, Ride
25. That's All Right, Baby

Disc 4:

1. Please Be My So and So
2. I.C. Blues
3. Cotton Choppin' Blues
4. Hot Dog Mama
5. Dreamy Eyed Baby
6. My Last Goodbye to You
7. Don't You Want to Ride
8. Don't You Be No Fool
9. Just a Dream No. 2
10. Tell Me What I Done
11. Oh Yes
12. I'm Still You Sweetheart, Baby
13. Down and Lost in Mind
14. Let's Have a Little Fun
15. Messed Up in Love
16. Plow Hand Blues
17. Jivin' Mr. Fuller Blues
18. Make My Getaway
19. Looking for My Baby
20. I've Got to Dig You
21. Leap Year Blues
22. When I Had Money
23. You Got to Hit the Right Lick
24. What Is That She Got
25. Merry Go Round Blues [Take 1]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #203747 in Music
• Released on: 2005-07-12
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .85 pounds

Customer Reviews

Big Bill Is In The House
I am in the process of reading and re-reading many of the books of oral history interviews collected by the recently departed Studs Terkel. As part of that process I have read his last work (published in 2007), a memoir of sorts but really a series of connected vignettes, that goes a long way to putting the pieces of Studs' eclectic life together. A fact that I did not know is that Studs' had radio and television music shows in the Chicago of the 1950's. On one of those shows he performed with the blues/jazz folk artist under review here, Big Bill Broonzy. That long ago reference was enough for this reviewer to scamper back to give a listen to the melodious voice of one of the best in these traditions. But that begs the question where to start?

That is not merely a rhetorical question here. My first exposure to Big Bill, back in the mists of times, was as a performer on a Sunday night folk program here in Boston. In that format he was presented as a folk singer in the style of a black Pete Seeger, including his singing of many leftist political songs dealing with the pressing questions of race and class. Later I found some more jazzy works by him and some more raucous material in the old country blues tradition. So I hope you can see my dilemma.

The hard fact is that certain musicians, certain very talented musicians, can work more than one milieu or can transform themselves (for commercial or other reasons) into more than one genre. Moreover, in Big Bill's case, the confluence of folk, blues and jazz at some points is fairly close. That surely is the case here on this CD compilation. So give a listen to that voice, that guitar and those wonderful songs. I might add that, although it seemed to be a given at the time, some of Big Bill lyrics are on point on racial segregation and other social issues. Think of the songs like "Brown, Black and White" or his version of "This Train" (that whipsaws Jim Crow). That is the real connection with old Studs, that is for sure.