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Track Listings
| 1. Walkin' Dog Blues |
| 2. Cincinnati Flow Rag |
| 3. She's Funny That Way |
| 4. Whoopin' Blues |
| 5. Twelve Sticks |
| 6. Children Of Zion |
| 7. Buck Rag |
| 8. Hesitation Blues |
| 9. C-Rag |
| 10. Baby, Let Me Lay It On You |
| 11. Cocaine Blues |
| 12. Buck Dance |
| 13. Candyman |
| 14. Wall Hollow Blues |
| 15. Little Boy, Little Boy Who Made Your Britches |
| 16. Whistlin' Blues |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
As soon as the first track (an instrumental) begins you sense that the notes are almost being punched out of that big Gibson jumbo acoustic guitar, an emphatic rhythm supporting a strutting melody line. Rev Davis was essentially a street performer who was used to making himself heard!
Many of his recordings are under-appreciated largely because of their predominantly gospel material. This CD focuses almost entirely on the Rev's secular blues and, as such, is an ideal introduction to the Reverend. Don't let the rough-edged sound of the music deceive you, this is playing of the highest calibre, with numerous tricks and improvisations along the way.
Highlights are "Hesitation blues" (though a little long at nearly twelve minutes!), "Cincinnati Flow Rag" and, if you can cope with the vocals, "Candyman," one of Rev Davis' trademark tunes. Another favourite of mine is "Cocaine blues" with the guitar loping and warbling behind the spoken lyrics. "Whistling blues is a remarkable piece of playing in imitation of a piano, apparently achieved by surreptitiously re-tuning one guitar string part way through the tune!
I suspect that Rev Davis appeals particularly to guitarists or would-be players, and listening to him makes you realise why his playing inspired a host of players and would-be's. Frankly, though, this album deserves a wider audience than that. It is blues unpolished but powerful, and that, surely is what blues is all about.
By PaulC
Format:Audio CD
I've been listening to and trying to play Rev Davis' music for many years (I met him on his last tour of UK, drove him to Heathrow when he left). This collection is as good as any of the albums released in his active career IMHO. I've already learnt a couple of numbers from it and intend to perform them best as I can (Buck Rag, Little Boy...). Don't hesitate!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars
5 reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cincinnati Pickin'
17 Dec 1998
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
Rev. Gary Davis influenced many guitarists of different generations. This album is a fine sampling of his talents. The album is a mixture of songs and instrumentals on 6 string and 12 string guitar, plus one song with a banjo accompaniment. Some songs are performed before a live audience.
The outstanding track is "Cincinnati Flow Rag", surely one of the best recorded examples of ragtime blues guitar. It's full of invention and demonstrates Davis' stunning technique to the full. Anyone who plays the guitar should listen to this. There are other virtuoso guitar instrumental solos ""Walkin' Dog Blues", Twelve Sticks", "Buck Rag", and "C-Rag". "Buck Dance" and "Wall Hollow Blues" have some spoken vocals. "Whoopin' Blues" is an unusual instrumental - I think there are 2 guitars on this, but I could be underestimating the great man. "She's Funny That Way" is a song with banjo accompaniment.
The other tracks are songs with guitar backing. "Hesitation Blues" is a well covered song, but this version is somewhat spoiled by the over-load crowd noises that sometimes drown out Davis. It's also rather over-long at 11 minutes plus. "Whistlin' Blues" begins as a story, followed by a bottleneck guitar solo, using an unusual tuning. For guitarists, my copy of this album came with a tab book, with transcriptions of "Walkin' Dog Blues", "Buck Rag", "Cocaine Blues", "Hesitation Blues" and "Baby Let Me Lay It on You".
This is a fine album to hear how the guitar can be played by a master of the instrument. The sound quality is good, apart from over-loud audience noises in places, and tape hiss on a couple of tracks. 71 minutes playing time in all. It's worth buying for "Cincinnati Flow Rag" alone.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow - What a pleasant surprise!
17 Sep 2004
By MidWest Phil
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
.
As a guitar player I'm a huge fan of Reverand Gary Davis's unique guitar talents. However, I find most of the collections have emphasis on gospel and religious tunes, and for that reason most of his recordings are primarily of historical and instructional interest to me rather than actual "entertainment" value.
I bought this CD to get greater exposure to the Rev. playing ragtime. This very listenable CD truly is entertaining on a level where it can be enjoyed by guitarists as well as casual listeners. This is a great place to start for someone who wants to better understand all the excitement about Rev Davis as a guitarist - what a master virtuoso! Sounds almost like Scott Joplin music being played flawlessly on a guitar - with all of the good time feel!
Major Pleasant Surprise (for a guitar player) - The booklet that comes with the CD has tablature for 5 of the songs: "Walkin' Dog Blues", "Buck Rag", "Cocaine Blues", "Hesitation Blues" and "Baby Let Me Lay It on You" - so if your chops are up to it you can play along with the Rev!!!
A great well recorded collection of the Rev playing Ragime and Uptempo Blues at what sounds to me like various live shows. (Ok - at 11 minutes Hesitation Blues is a LITTLE long - but where else will you hear the Rev borrow and refine verses from Bo Carter's baudy masterpiece "All Around Man" and include those lyrics into one of his own performances??)The bonus inclusion of the tablature makes this CD a real treat!
As a guitar player I'm a huge fan of Reverand Gary Davis's unique guitar talents. However, I find most of the collections have emphasis on gospel and religious tunes, and for that reason most of his recordings are primarily of historical and instructional interest to me rather than actual "entertainment" value.
I bought this CD to get greater exposure to the Rev. playing ragtime. This very listenable CD truly is entertaining on a level where it can be enjoyed by guitarists as well as casual listeners. This is a great place to start for someone who wants to better understand all the excitement about Rev Davis as a guitarist - what a master virtuoso! Sounds almost like Scott Joplin music being played flawlessly on a guitar - with all of the good time feel!
Major Pleasant Surprise (for a guitar player) - The booklet that comes with the CD has tablature for 5 of the songs: "Walkin' Dog Blues", "Buck Rag", "Cocaine Blues", "Hesitation Blues" and "Baby Let Me Lay It on You" - so if your chops are up to it you can play along with the Rev!!!
A great well recorded collection of the Rev playing Ragime and Uptempo Blues at what sounds to me like various live shows. (Ok - at 11 minutes Hesitation Blues is a LITTLE long - but where else will you hear the Rev borrow and refine verses from Bo Carter's baudy masterpiece "All Around Man" and include those lyrics into one of his own performances??)The bonus inclusion of the tablature makes this CD a real treat!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
this is a great cd
10 Feb 1999
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
this is a great cd.it shows rev.davis(one of the all-time great finger pickers)in a lot of different moods.a super,wide ranging selection of songs recorded from concerts to in his living room.in short you get the whole gamut.walking dog blues,she"s funny that way just some really great songs.if you like finger style blues give this one a try.
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
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