Product Description A second survey of slide guitar serves as a reminder that, unlike its clichéd use by today’s guitar heroes, motivated in great part by Elmore James’ example, the technique was once as varied in style as the musicians who espoused it. Previously, it was established that slide guitarists generally worked in a number of open-chord tunings of which ‘Spanish’ (open G) and Vastopol (open D) were the most popular. The more inventive musicians came up with individual variations on tuning, which can be heard in the records of John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley. A smaller group of musicians learned how to incorporate their slide playing into standard tuning, Earl Hooker was one and latterly Sonny Landreth has proven his outstanding ability. As both these compilations show, there was by no means a standard technique to using a slide or bottleneck. Some artists used it to establish rhythm, most often when doing train imitations, as Bukka White did on a number of occasions. Others used the slide as a second voice to harmonise with their singing or to provide a counterpoint melody. While most musicians opted to play their guitars in the conventional position, some sat while performing, laying their guitars flat on their knees, thus emulating Hawaiian guitarists and dobro players in the Western Swing movement emerging in white country bands in Texas. A skilled musician like Charley Patton used the slide as a second voice, sometimes allowing the guitar to finish verse lines in his songs. Because of its approximation to a vocal tone, Robert Johnson was able to use the slide intensify the emotional content of his music. This, the second in this series, covers the early recordings of such musicians (to mention but a few) as, Tampa Red & Georgia Tom, Papa Too Sweet, Leadbelly and Robert Johnson from early recordings which span 1927-1936. They all reach such achievements in a variety of ways, all original and individual, displaying the magnetic appeal of a compulsive style. Review If you liked Volume One then you have to have this as it has some of the most memorable and enjoyable blues and hokum music ever recorded. Unequivocally recommended." -- Blues & Rhythm Blues & Rhythm
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