Blues & Gospel - Various Artists - Pre War

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Various Artists Collections - Pre War - Sex, Booze, Drugs & Hokum

VARIOUS ARTISTS Document DOCD 5392 Hokum, Blues & Rags ● CD $15.98

22 tracks, 69 min., recommended This venture into the heyday of hokum's popularity (1929-1931) focuses on the commercially successful but musically unexceptional sound of Rufus & Ben Quillian who also performed as the Blue Harmony Boys. Sixteen of the twenty-two tracks here belong to them, including the none too subtle Take It Out Too Deep, It's Dirty But Good, Holy Roll, Workin' It Fast, and Shove It Up In There. You get the idea. The program also features two tracks each by Joe Linthecome, Pratt and George, and The Three Stripped Gears. From the standpoint of musical virtuosity the two numbers by the Gears - 1931 Depression Blues and Black Bottom Strut are certainly the high points. From a sound quality point of view, several of the six Paramount sides by the Quillian brothers are pretty rough, but the rest of the program is less taxing. Solid notes by the Smithsonian's Kip Lornell. (DH)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Yazoo 1043 Please Warm My Weiner - Old Time Hokum Blues ● CD $15.98

Subtitled "Old Time Hokum Blues," this CD reissue of the earlier Yazoo LP offers a mixture of good time, suggestive numbers recorded originally recorded between 1928 and 1935. Artists and titles include Rufus and Ben Quillian doing Satisfaction Blues, Memphis Minnie singing Banana Man Blues, Butterbeans & Susie performing Elevator Papa, Switchboard Mama, The Hokum Boys with I Had To Give Up Gym, and Papa Charlie Jackson on You Put It In, I'll Take It Out. Fun stuff, 14 cuts in all. The sound quality varies, with most numbers pretty heavy on hiss and others dubbed from well-worn, rare originals, but even they might help you chase some prudish relatives out of the house some late evening. Who knows? (DH)
TOMMY BRADLEY & JAMES COLE: Adam & Eve/ BUDDIE BURTON: Ham Fatchet Blues, Part 1/ BUTTERBEANS & SUSIE: Elevator Papa/Switchboard Mama/ You Put It In, I'll Take It Out/ BO CARTER: Please Warm My Weiner/ GEORGIA TOM & TAMPA RED: The Alley Crap Game/ ROBERT & CHARLIE HICKS: Darktown Gambling-The Crap Game/ THE HOKUM BOYS: I Had To Give Up Gym/ WHISTLING BOB HOWE & FRANKIE GRIGGS: Coldest Stuff In Town/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Bananaman Blues/ RUFUS & BEN QUILLIAN: Satisfaction Blues/ LEOLA B. & KID WESLEY WILSON: Uncle Joe/ YAZOO ALL STARS: Hometown Skiffle, Part 1/ Hometown Skiffle, Part 2

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VARIOUS ARTISTS	Document DOCD 5392	Hokum, Blues & Rags	● CD $15.98
22 tracks, 69 min., recommended This venture into the heyday of hokum's popularity (1929-1931) focuses on the commercially successful but musically unexceptional sound of Rufus & Ben Quillian who also performed as the Blue Harmony Boys. Sixteen of the twenty-two tracks here belong to them, including the none too subtle Take It Out Too Deep, It's Dirty But Good, Holy Roll, Workin' It Fast, and Shove It Up In There. You get the idea. The program also features two tracks each by Joe Linthecome, Pratt and George, and The Three Stripped Gears. From the standpoint of musical virtuosity the two numbers by the Gears - 1931 Depression Blues and Black Bottom Strut are certainly the high points. From a sound quality point of view, several of the six Paramount sides by the Quillian brothers are pretty rough, but the rest of the program is less taxing. Solid notes by the Smithsonian's Kip Lornell. (DH)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Yazoo 1043	Please Warm My Weiner - Old Time Hokum Blues	● CD $15.98
Subtitled "Old Time Hokum Blues," this CD reissue of the earlier Yazoo LP offers a mixture of good time, suggestive numbers recorded originally recorded between 1928 and 1935. Artists and titles include Rufus and Ben Quillian doing Satisfaction Blues, Memphis Minnie singing Banana Man Blues, Butterbeans & Susie performing Elevator Papa, Switchboard Mama, The Hokum Boys with I Had To Give Up Gym, and Papa Charlie Jackson on You Put It In, I'll Take It Out. Fun stuff, 14 cuts in all. The sound quality varies, with most numbers pretty heavy on hiss and others dubbed from well-worn, rare originals, but even they might help you chase some prudish relatives out of the house some late evening. Who knows? (DH) TOMMY BRADLEY & JAMES COLE: Adam & Eve/ BUDDIE BURTON: Ham Fatchet Blues, Part 1/ BUTTERBEANS & SUSIE: Elevator Papa/Switchboard Mama/ You Put It In, I'll Take It Out/ BO CARTER: Please Warm My Weiner/ GEORGIA TOM & TAMPA RED: The Alley Crap Game/ ROBERT & CHARLIE HICKS: Darktown Gambling-The Crap Game/ THE HOKUM BOYS: I Had To Give Up Gym/ WHISTLING BOB HOWE & FRANKIE GRIGGS: Coldest Stuff In Town/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Bananaman Blues/ RUFUS & BEN QUILLIAN: Satisfaction Blues/ LEOLA B. & KID WESLEY WILSON: Uncle Joe/ YAZOO ALL STARS: Hometown Skiffle, Part 1/ Hometown Skiffle, Part 2