The Big Dirty Blues Thread

Here's a question for everyone: when it comes to blues recordings from the 1930s and particularly the 1920s, do any of you compare different releases of the same recordings in order to determine which sounds more to your liking?

Some of the 78s from the 20s have an almost unforgivable amount of surface noise. I've noticed that there is a tendency for record companies to use a lot of noise reduction technology, generally too much imo.

The label that has become my go to for any and all blues records is Yazoo records. They started as one guy who transferred his own collection of 78s onto LPs, and now they transfer 78s to digital format for CD release. They always use noise reduction sparingly. There is still a lot of surface noise on many of the best records, some Charlie Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson tracks are especially bad, but you can hear the full sound of the guitar so much better.

For example, I pirated a Blind Willie Johnson collection released by Columbia, a major label, and it has so much noise reduction that you can barely hear the guitar. So I had to buy a Yazoo release, and the difference is night and day. I pirate music when I can, but when your looking for the Yazoo release of Skip James or whoever and no other label will suffice it can be difficult to find, and if I do find it they'll be nobody seeding, so I have to buy them but it's worth it.

Another good label is Document. They mostly concentrate on releases called The Complete Recordings of __________ in Chronological Order. They don't sound quite as good as the Yazoo releases, so I use them as a backup.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship to Paramount Records, the label that recorded some of these guys in the 20s. They released a lot of great music but they were known for using poor recording technology as well cheap material for the actual 78s. I read that some Charlie Patton 78s on Paramount were laid down on the same material used to make bowling balls. So any music by artists that were exclusively singed to Paramount sounds extra bad.
 
Here's a question for everyone: when it comes to blues recordings from the 1930s and particularly the 1920s, do any of you compare different releases of the same recordings in order to determine which sounds more to your liking?

Some of the 78s from the 20s have an almost unforgivable amount of surface noise. I've noticed that there is a tendency for record companies to use a lot of noise reduction technology, generally too much imo.

The label that has become my go to for any and all blues records is Yazoo records. They started as one guy who transferred his own collection of 78s onto LPs, and now they transfer 78s to digital format for CD release. They always use noise reduction sparingly. There is still a lot of surface noise on many of the best records, some Charlie Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson tracks are especially bad, but you can hear the full sound of the guitar so much better.

For example, I pirated a Blind Willie Johnson collection released by Columbia, a major label, and it has so much noise reduction that you can barely hear the guitar. So I had to buy a Yazoo release, and the difference is night and day. I pirate music when I can, but when your looking for the Yazoo release of Skip James or whoever and no other label will suffice it can be difficult to find, and if I do find it they'll be nobody seeding, so I have to buy them but it's worth it.

Another good label is Document. They mostly concentrate on releases called The Complete Recordings of __________ in Chronological Order. They don't sound quite as good as the Yazoo releases, so I use them as a backup.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship to Paramount Records, the label that recorded some of these guys in the 20s. They released a lot of great music but they were known for using poor recording technology as well cheap material for the actual 78s. I read that some Charlie Patton 78s on Paramount were laid down on the same material used to make bowling balls. So any music by artists that were exclusively singed to Paramount sounds extra bad.

I don't really, but sounds like maybe I should look into some of that Yazoo records stuff!
 


The Muddy Waters version is the first time I heard it




After the Rain is one of the best albums ever, IMO. You guys need to do yourselves a favor and have a listen if you haven't already

 
The Muddy Waters version is the first time I heard it



Muddy Waters is actually playing in that version I posted too, he was part of that 'Baby Face Leroy Trio' early in his career.

After the Rain is one of the best albums ever, IMO. You guys need to do yourselves a favor and have a listen if you haven't already



Yeah that album is fantastic, haven't listened to it in years actually. I am quite partial to Electric Mud as well.
 
Easily my favourite version of this song, no others can compete:



Seriously, please do yourselves the favour of listening to the full thing even though it is long.

Love this track as well, one of the best blues songs ever imo (the way Rory sings it anyway) and this version is class:



I was born one morning and the sun refused to shine
Born one morning and the sun refused to shine
My mother called up the doctor and said “Come on over and take a look at this son of mine.”
“He won’t eat, he won’t sleep. He won’t say a word.”
He won’t eat, he won’t sleep. He won’t say a word.”
The doctor just laughed and said “madam don’t be absurd!”
“Get that boy a six stringed steel guitar..."
 

Man it's hard to think that just a short time after this Luther passed away and that the biggest success he had was the last two albums he released after moving back to America after living in France for damn near 20 years.
 
I don't really, but sounds like maybe I should look into some of that Yazoo records stuff!
Yeah man you should. I have Yazoo releases by:

Blind Blake
Big Bill Broonzy
Mississippi John Hurt
Skip James
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie McTell
Memphis Jug Band
Cannon's Jug Stompers
Mississippi Sheiks
Charlie Patton
Henry Thomas

Some of these artists I'd given up on ever listening to, and it can still be difficult at times, the pops and scratches and all that can be extreme, but when I spend enough time listening I get to the point where I'm not even hearing the surface noise.
 


One of my all time favourite songs, easily favourite Blind Willie Johnson...
 
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