This is another in the wonderful remaster/reissue series bringing back to life some classic Sixties albums from musicians who were massively influential back in the day but are now often forgotten and overlooked. Furry Lewis started playing the blues at a young age, and was exposed to the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson and others, but in 1916 he lost a leg while trying to jump a freight train which led to him giving up his travelling lifestyle and instead he based himself in Memphis, releasing some very successful singles in the Twenties. Like many others, he was rediscovered in the Blues Boom, and recorded his first album in 1959, this one being his second, in 1961.
Given the recording conditions, the sound on this release is very good indeed, with straight stereo with the picked acoustic guitar in one channel and vocals in the other. There is a reverb on the vocals which adds to the overall feeling of space, allowing us to fully appreciate the recording of the time, with a nice, dated feel, but with a very powerful performance indeed. There is something about this style of blues which contains an honesty which no-one has ever been able to produce since then, with “John Henry” being a song he originally recorded more than 30 years earlier. This is folk blues, mixing the genres together, and there was something about him which resonated within the music scene and many years after he had been forgotten he was again praised with Joni Mitchell even writing a song about him (“Furry Sings the Blues”).
This is the first time I have come across Furry, although I have often come across his friend and sometime recording companion Bukka White, and this is a delight. For anyone interested in the blues, or the history of popular music (it is possible he was the first guitarist to have popularised playing behind his head), then this is essential not just for the rarity or historical value, but just because it is honest all day long.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://craftrecordings.com/