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Album Details

• Artist: Blind Willie McTell
• Album: Statesboro Blues
• Label: Bluebird
• Year of Release: 2003
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-02-11

I'm not going to get into the history of Blind Willie McTell because I don't even know it that well. Plenty of blues sites online will be able to point you to some of the classic stories of Willie. Instead, let's look at this album for the music it contains and what kind of influence we are still seeing on today's music. Throw Statesboro Blues on and compare it to what the White Stripes are doing and you will see that even Jack White, one of today's purveyors of fine rock music, has embraced this type of blues. In the liner notes of this album Bob Dylan states that "Nobody Sings The Blues like Blind Willie McTell" and this 17 track compilation of McTell's Victor recordings really showcases that. The mix between Blind Willie's inventive guitar playing and his story telling is really a first. One of McTell's best attributes that sets him apart from some of his contemporaries is his strong enunciation. Apparently this is due to his education that he got from being blind. The tracks on Statesboro Blues were recorded between 1927 and 1932 for Victor with even a couple songs he recorded under the alias Hot Shot Willie with his wife. These tracks are especially important and show how people even today are still playing off of his cue. Statesboro Blues is a fine example of the "Secret History of Rock and Roll" as the series dictates. Blind Willie McTell is an important subject in acoustic blues.

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