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Fred Mc Dowell“This Ain't No Rock & Roll”CD 441
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Buy It Now!
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For most of his life he played in the countryside near his home in Como, Mississippi. By the time he was discovered by folklorist Alan Lomax in 1959, McDowell was very much his own man and, in fact, one of the most significant masters of country blues to have emerged since the mid-1930s.
At the time this album was recorded in 1969 (and 1968) it represented a significant departure for Fred, for here he was heard for the first time in an entire program of performances with electric guitar and sometimes with the support of a small group. It should be pointed out that Fred had been playing the amplified instrument heard here for several years, both at the country parties and dances he then played around Como and at the Sunday morning church services at which he and the Hunter's Chapel Singers performed weekly.
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Listen to some of the tracks!! (uses RealAudio®) 1. My Baby 2. Levee Camp Blues 3. When The Saints Go Marching In 4. Diamond Ring 5. Dankin's Farm 6. You Ain't Treatin' Me Right 7. Ethel Mae Blues 8. Meet Me Down In Froggy Bottom 9. Mama Said I'm Crazy 10. I Heard Somebody Calling Me 11. Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning 12. I Wonder What Have I Done Wrong 13. I Worked Out Old Lu And I Worked Out Old Bess 14. Jim, Steam Killed Lula 15. Worried Now, Won't Be Worried Long 16. Going Away, Won't Be Gone Long 17. Going Down That Gravel Bottom 18. Bye, Bye Little Girl |
REVIEWS “To quote the liner notes, "One can never have enough of Fred McDowell in his record collection." That sums it up for me. Tracks #18 were recorded in 1969 and were previously released as Arhoolie LP 1046. Tracks #918 were recorded in 1968 at Chris Strachwitz' house, and were previously unissued. Fred McDowell is a genuine icon of traditional country blues. There's no doubt that blues has a soul when you listen to this man and his guitar. Just go out and get this one!”(Michael “Wolf” Spicer — Music City Bluesletter) |
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“Arhoolie has made available an essential blues album, a masterpiece of electric bottleneck guitar playing, an historic recording of Mississippi Fred McDowell, and an 18 track CD with a heap of terrific previously unissued material- all in one release: Fred McDowell's This Ain't No Rock N' Roll.
Along with the previously released recordings of McDowell on theArhoolie label, including "You Got To Move" (CD304) and "Good Morning Little School Girl" (CD 424), this latest collection is just as stellar. But, what differentiates this one is that Fred is heard playing an electric guitar and is joined, at times, by a small, sympathetic rhythm section. "This Aint No Rock N' Roll" takes the originally issued Arhoolie LP 1046 Fred McDowell and his Blues Boys (although I can't find "Big Stars Falling" from the original Arhoolie LP), and adds 10 previously unissued cuts for 77 minutes of prime amplified bottleneck blues.The first 8 cuts (from the LP) were recorded in 1969 with Fred accompanied by second guitar, bass and drums, while the 10 unissued tracks were recorded in 1968 with Fred playing solo, except with drums on "I Heard Somebody Calling Me,""Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning," and "Mama Said I'm Crazy" (which also has added harmonica). The music ranges from slow, lurking, moody cuts like the excellent "Levee Camp Blues" and "I Wonder What I Have Done Wrong" to the driving, pulsing songs like "Dankin's Farm" and "My Baby." An additional bonus is the recording of"new" and "rekindled" songs that Fred added to his later repertoire, such as "I Worked Old Lu and I Worked Old Bess," "Diamond Ring,""Meet Me Down in Froggy Bottom" and "Jim, Steam Killed Lula " Either with or without electric amplification, McDowell's dark vocals intertwined with his spellbinding bottleneck playing is truly sublime. And "This Ain't No Rock N' Roll" can strongly attest to the power of Mississippi Fred's electric work.” (Dennis Rozans — Blues Rag) |
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“When confronted by a microphone, Fred McDowell never gave less than his best. His good nature and skill are evidenced in his every recorded performanceand yet some are still superior to others. Maybe it was a matter of moodor of that oft-quoted factor 'ambience.' Whatever, Fred always seemed to respond most positively when he was being recorded by Chris Strachwitz and the LPs and CDs that appeared under Fred's name on the Arhoolie label proved to be some of his very best efforts. Arhoolie LP 1046 was cut in 1969 and rang the changes by having Fred play electric guitar in the company of Mike Russo, 2nd guitar, John Kahn, bass, and Bob Jones, drums. The resulting tightened-up sound on these disciplined recordings holds a faint quality of menace and forebodinga sinister threat behind Fred's singing on songs such as his tale of the happenings down on "Dankin's Farm" and even his adaptation of Little Walter's/ Willie Dixon's "My Baby." Even "The Saints" march with bags more swank than usual. The tracks which made up the LP, minus, according to 'Blues Records,' "Big Stars Falling," appear as the first eight titles on this CD which has its considerable playing time made up by previously unreleased material cut in Chris' house during March 1968 on which Fred plays electric guitar along with a drummer and, on "Mama Said I'm Crazy," a harp-player. The feeling here is much lighter with Fred laughing and taking time to explain his songs (not too clearly in the case of "Jim Steam Killed Lula," possibly due to the effects of Old Crow and Gordon's 'square-face,' if the photo reproduced in the notes supplies any clues at all). There is background noise and conversation supplementing the affects of the hooch to induce a loose, laid-back feeling that is a highly enjoyable release after the more intense and formal opening cuts. In effect what you get here is two Fred McDowells for the price of one. In his notes Pete Welding makes two statements: 1) ‘Most of this album consists of material that was then newly added to Fred's quiver of songs’ (Which might be arguable). And, 2) ‘One can never have enough Fred McDowell in (one's) record collection’ (Which is irrefutable.)”
(Keith Briggs — Blues & Rhythm) |
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“The Arhoolie, from 1968-9, is thoughtlessly titled - there's a well known 1969 Capitol LP with an almost identical title due for CD reissue any day now. Even worse, both highlight Fred as an electric guitar player with a small group. Confusing or what!
As I wrote in a profile of Fred in RR.131, his acoustic playing and vibrant slide was so strong and dominant that electricity seemed superfluous. Yet he was already electric on his home ground for dances and parties and it was more a mistaken perception of what he should be doing rqther than his own inclination that kept his early recordings unplugged (didn't young Dylan have the same problem around the same time?) This CD includes all but one of the tracks on Arhoolie LP 1046 in which Fred was given unobtrusive and remarkably effective support by Mike Russo on second guitar John Kahn, bass, and Bob Jones, drums. Together with his own amplified guitar, it gave him a much fuller, rhythmically varied foundation while reducing the complexity of his own solo playing because there was no longer a need to provide melody and rhythm himself. Much as I love the acoustic Fred, this is one electric set I rate very highly indeed. There are ten previously unheard tracks recorded in Chris Strachwitz's home the previous year which are comparatively low key and a bit tentative, rather as if Fred was still unsure about what to do with the extra power available. A year or so later when the LP was recorded, he was confident and assertive, fully in control of the beast and able to expand his acoustic technique to generate new dynamics and express the potential of the instrument. It's like Muddy Waters moving away from his Library of Congress sides to the electric sound of the early Chess sides, where the music scarcely changed while the way it was shaped did. Those extra ten tracks are valuable for songs Fred never recorded commercially and a trifle surprising because of the comparatively seldom use of slide. Another side of Fred and a I valuable addition to his recorded repertoire.” (David Harrison — Folk Roots) |
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“No, this ain't rock `n' rollfar from itbut it is electric, and there is a band behind Fred McDowell on some tracks, which may come as a surprise to those accustomed to his solo acoustic bottleneck recordings.
Born in 1904 McDowell was one of those traditional southern bluesman whose performances were limited to fish fries and front porches until he was discovered by Alan Lomax in 1959 and recorded in earnest through the 1960s by Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz. Tracks nine through eighteen on this CD, all previously unreleased, were recorded at Strachwitz's house in 1968. McDowell is joined by a harmonica player and drummer on "Mama Said I'm Crazy." The drummer stays for two more tunes, and the remainder are McDowell alone with his electric guitar. Tracks one through eight previously released on Arhoolie LP 1046 were recorded in the studio in 1969 with the quite tasteful accompaniment of second guitarist Mike Russo plus bass and drums. Most of the tunes are adaptations of traditional pieces such as "Levee Camp Blues." McDowell also offers a cover of "My Babe" that sounds like it's being played by a hillbilly lounge act. Whatever folk authenticity is lost through amplification, much is gained, as well. On some tunes you can hear the "silvery high harmonics that sometimes sound like a ghostly second guitar," as Robert Palmer wrote about another country slide player gone electric (Muddy Waters). McDowell can also pull off the occasional wild effect, such as the piercing run of high-pitched hyper-notes at the end of "Ethel Mae Blues," notes intended for the ears of Martian dogs that some-how we are allowed to overhear. His rhythmic chordings and single string slide riffs sound, if anything, more eerie and hypnotic electrified. Fans of McDowell and enthusiasts of traditional blues in general will find much to appreciate on this CD. Those who favor more modern-style blues may find the procession of one-chord tunes a bit monotonous, however, and may want to save their dollars for something with a bit more kick to it.” (Mark Buechler — Blues Review) |
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“Fans have rediscovered the Mississippi Delta sound thanks to tiny, local labels putting out work by seasoned players like R.L. Burnside, who have updated the 1930s sound with electric guitars, drawling vocals and danceable beats.
Those looking for a link between the 1930s Delta heyday and the unique, modern sounds of Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and Big Jack Johnson may find it with Mississippi Fred McDowell (1904?-1972). If the revival of modern Mississippi artists continues, McDowell's importance may loom large. His electric period is crisply captured on "This Ain't No Rock n' Roll," a generous 77 minutes of McDowell's final recordings done in 1969, half of which were never previously released. Like Lightin' Hopkins and Furry Lewis, McDowell musically did not leave the deep South during the 1950s and '60s. But unlike his Southem contemporaries, McDowell did take to electricity readily, playing guitar with delicacy and intuitive drive. McDowell's work here has an eerily contemporary sound. Many tracks fit neatly into what the hot Mississippi labels are recording right now. My Baby," the first track, is a mix of steady dance rhythm, rich vocals and a loose blues feel. "Levee Camp Blues" sounds modern because of complex layers of acoustic and electric guitar. McDowell's vocals are exceptional, and his mournful guitar play on "I Heard Somebody Call Me" is memorable.” (Ralph Siegel — Associated Press) |
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