"The most powerful vocalist," it says on the cover of this compilation, part of the same series as my Charley Patton and Sonny Boy Williamson CDs. It was someone being interviewed on BBC 6 Music — John Prine, I think, back in the days when they featured people like him on daytime radio instead of just landfill indie — who said that he thought Howlin' Wolf was the greatest singer he'd ever heard. That was enough of a recommendation for me.
Though the recording quality is significantly better than on the Patton CD, I'm still in need of help here. What's my block? Why can I appreciate this music, and Patton's, and Robert Johnson, while still feeling that its full force is not reaching me? Is it just because I is white?!
Another way of putting this, to adapt Jonathan Richman, is that I'm thinking too much. When your instinctive approach to any challenge is to analyse and reflect, you're not going to find it easy to meet the challenge of thinking less, listening less intently with your head, and more with your hips.
Evidently Captain Beefheart paid close attention to this voice.
 MusicBrainz entry for this albumWikipedia entry for this album Rate Your Music entry for this album |
Comments