Audio CD review:
Leadbelly - Let It Shine On Me

Leadbelly - Let It Shine On Me

Band: Leadbelly Title: Let It Shine On Me Rating: Release Date: 02 October, 1989 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Monologue on the mourner's bench 2: You must have that religion, Halleloo 3: Backslider, fare thee well 4: Must I be carried to the sky... 5: Down in the valley to pray 6: Let it shine on me 7: Run sinners 8: Ride on 9: Howard Hughes 10: When I was a cowboy 11: Leaving blues 12: The roosevelt song 13: The scottsboro boys 14: No good rider 15: Blues about new york 16: Mr. Hitler

Editoral Review Its 16 tracks embrace blues, spirituals, and folk songs culled from 1934 to 1942. Originally a box set and long out-of-print, this third single- CD volume of Leadbelly's Library of Congress recordings is the most complete representation of the great Texas singer and 12-string guitarist. We're treated to spoken discourses on everything from cattle herding to dancing ("if you're not crossing your legs, you ain't dancin'") to footwear. And we hear such rarities as "Mr. Hitler," Leadbelly's anti-Nazi ballad; and socially aware numbers like "The Roosevelt Song" and "The Scottsboro Boys. " Although Leadbelly's writing and sheer presence made him an influence on the blues scene, this collection sets him firmly in the storytelling tradition of the songster--a predecessor of later artists like Mance Lipscomb--where he belongs. --Ted Drozdowski .. You can see a complete list of all Leadbelly discography, or go back to the Leadbelly tabs