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The sixteen tracks that make up this CD release, King of the 12-String Guitar, are culled from fifty-three songs Leadbelly recorded in New York City for A.R.C. from January to March 1935. It has been reported that Leadbelly’s performance was affected by the knowledge these recordings were intended for public ears. Although it is not regarded as his best performance, these are my personal favorite by Leadbelly recordings. ‘Honey, I'm All Out and Down’, ‘Kansas City Papa’, ‘You Don't Know My Mind’, these tracks rock. His guitar playing is wondrous. The guy is riffin’ on a big honkin’ 12-string acoustic. The action on the guitar must have been akin to pushing a chain-linked fence. That harmonic solo at the end of ‘Packin’ Truck’ where the “little girl jumped down comin’ to play the piano” is brilliant. Had he got in the ring with Robert Johnson, I’d put the farm on Leadbelly. The guy was that incredible. In spite of his controversial personal history, it’s interesting to note the influence Leadbelly had on the future of popular music. The guy’s legendary streetwise reputation is one that the toughest jewelry-coated hip hop thug must toil to reflect. He was the rambling blues guitar genius Eric Clapton would love to be associated with. He had a hand in authoring some of the biggest hits by The Weavers, The Animals, Led Zeppelin, and Ram Jam, to name but a few. And he was truly The King of the 12-String Guitar. The media’s growing fascination with the convict that “strummed his way to freedom” helped Leadbelly land his first major recording contact with the A.R.C. label (American Record Company). While Lomax criticized the label of producing the caliber of record that was sold for 25¢ in cheap dime stores their options were few. In 1935, when these recordings were made, blues music was in full swing and Leadbelly’s music was considered old fashioned (I guess retro wasn't in vogue). The popularity of blues didn't only narrow Leadbelly’s options but also his repertoire. The producers at A.R.C. were intent on marketing Leadbelly as a blues artist and were only interested in recording his blues oriented material. The few sides A.R.C. chose to issue didn’t gain much love from the public and the two parties went their separate ways.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
You a singer with not much talent with a shrill voice playing the two lower strings with the same beat. Hardly sounds like a 12 string at all. erible recording and very poor remastering by Sony in 1991. How did this guy get the title of 12 string King? Was it tongue in cheek? Anybody want a great album cheap?
What an addition!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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