Belly Full Of Blues

When you hear the word greatest musician of all time a lot of things has be be taken into consideration. One is songwriting, they can't just play a instrument well and be called the greatest musician. Another is controversy, there has gotta be mystery and suspense surrounding the musician. There's enough mystery surrounded Huddie Leadbetter to write a whole series of novels. Hes been called the king of the twelve string for his guitar playing and in regards of songwriting no one can be beat.

Leadbetter or better know as Leadbelly was not a giant man, maybe standing 6 feet tall, but he was a ox. Growing up working in the cotton feilds he didn't scare away from work. Leadbelly's first story of mystery was when he was sentence to prison in 1915 for concealing a pistol. He was sentence to a chain gang. It was bitter sweet because on the chain gangs was where Leadbelly learned most of his traditional songs. After seven years he won a pardon from Governor Pat Morris Neff by writing him a song. He got out of prison and started drifting around singing songs along with Woody Guthrie, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Josh White, Pete Seeger, etc. But in 1930 he was back in jail on counts of attempted homicide. 3 years later folklorist John Lomax discovered Leadbelly in Angola Prison. There Lomax was very impressed by Leadbelly and recorded hundreds of his songs. By request Lomax gave Governor Oscar Allen a recording of Leadbelly singing his signature song Goodnight Irene, impressed with the song another pardon was on its way for Leadbelly.

After prison Leadbelly was starting to write children songs and it didn't go over very well with the public after they discovered that a black man who is an ex con was singing to their children. But still he sung many children songs such as Skip To My Lou, Ha Ha This A Way, Sally Walker,  and Polly Wee.

Again in 1939 Leadbelly was back in prison for assault. Stabbing a man during a fight. John Lomax's son Alan came to his rescue and raised money for a lawyer to get him out of jail. He succeed and started a whole new relationship between the two. Alan recorded him many times and even had Leadbelly on his show Back Where I Came From.

In 1949 Leadbelly would die from a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. He was buried at the Shilo Baptist Church in Mooringsport . A life size statue of him stands tall across from the Caddo Parish Courthouse in
Shreveport. The town where Leadbelly would have been found roaming the streets singing for dimes and nickles.

The music library of Leadbelly is enormous. Songs such as Midnight Special, Goodnight Irene, Cotton Feilds, Gallows Pole, Take This hammer, House Of The Rising Sun, Rock Island Line, John Henry, Matchbox Blues, Where Did You Sleep Last Night, and so many more were covered by such bands as   The Animals, Nirvana, CCR, Led Zepplin, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Ram Jam, Van Morrison, Pete Seeger, ABBA and hundreds more. Huddie Ledbetter was considered till this day one of the most important figures in music history. He was idolized by bands that we idol today. He was feared, respected and loved. He had a hard life and that is what makes his music so great, he put every inch of his soul into what he sung and played.

Boomer's Story is worth reading

This is by far one of my favorite albums to just sit back and enjoy with a cup of coffee. Its one of those morning albums that takes you back to a time where everything was so simple and sweet. Its a happy album and Ry's guitar work is at its peak greatness on this album. Alongside Into The Purple Valley this album put the name Ry Cooder on the turntables of many. 1972 was a good year for Cooder, there must of been something he was drinking to put out both albums alongside each other and both to just blow peoples minds.

The first track is the title track Boomer's Story. Traditional songs have always interested me. Be it gospel, hollars, blues, folk, etc. I can never get enough of them, they just make me feel comfortable and warm. As soon as you hear the first few guitar licks on Boomers story you feel that this album is going to be good. Then as Ry's soothing voice starts singing you can just sit back on enjoy. The song like alot of tradtional songs is about heartach of a lost love and the life of a hobo. Its sad but sweet as you get more and more into the song you feel so bad for Boomer but somehow it makes you feel good. Great song.

As Cherry Ball Blues rolls in you can really hear Ry's beautiful guitar work. Written by Skip James (Devils got my woman, I'm so glad) it really say's it all without saying anything at all. Its just a wonderful instrumental and the blues really shows through in the guitar work.

Crow Black Chicken is a comedic song. It seems like Ry had a blast while recording it in the studio. There's beautiful slide work scattered throughout the song that truely makes the song work.

Ax Sweet Mama is a true blues song. Written by Sleepy John Estes it was recorded a number of times sometimes as a different name (drop down mama). The blues is and always will be Ry's forte. He really shines on this song between his slide work and yelling those blues out like a true down and out 50s blues hero.

Maria Elena. The name Leo Kottke comes to mind as I listen to this. Its such a slow beautiful song. I can just see myself somewhere in Italy dancing the night away with my sweetheart in my arms. It just shows how different of a style Ry has. Going from a deep blues song as Ax Sweet Mama to this wonderful soft spanish style melody. Its wonderful to me when I find an album that has so many styles from the same musician. Beautiful is all i can say for this song and it lives up to it greatly.

The Dark End of the Street starts off side two of Boomer's Story. The sound of so sad. I can hear a little bit of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven in there. This song can bring a teary eye to a lonely heart. Even as an instrumental, Ry does not have to say a word in this song. The story is sadly told by his guitar.

Rally Round the Flag climbs in next. With Randy Newman playing piano on this war song. Its just Ry's voice and Randy's piano that starts off this song. Slowly but surely Ry's acoustic starts making its way into it. You can barely hear it but it pairs beautifully with the piano. Again another sad song as is most songs of war. But even though it is sad it is still beautiful.

Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer shows up next. Again its a very old tune that Ry seems to love. His soft voice go well with the simplicity of these old tunes. They may sound simple but as you listen closely to his guitar twang and twist in and out of note to note you can see how not so simple these are.

President Kennedy is the only tune that Ry does not sing on. Actually its the old dark voice of blues legend Sleepy John Estes. The pain in this mans voice truly shows on this tune. I'm a huge fan of the blues and Estes holds his own in this packed full of talent genre. Listen to this song and see why.

Last but not least is another tradtional train song. Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man sounds alot like a Woody Guthrie song that mated with gospel song. Its a great ending to an album that i can listen every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of.

I couldn't help but write a long blog for this album. There are so many great things to say about it. Every track on this album is just simply amazing and I fell in love with it after I first droped that needle to that last crackle at the end.