Pony Blues: His 23 Greatest Songs

by Charley Patton

Overview

The story of Delta blues starts with Charley Patton's slashing slide style, hoarse and gruff vocals, and unerring ability to personalize even the most mundane blues lyric. Patton's 78s have been collected in several fine packages, including the JSP box called Complete Recordings, Catfish's three-disc budget box called Definitive Charley Patton, and the last word in all this, the impressive (and expensive) seven-disc Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues from Revenant Records. This single-disc selection from Proper works as an inexpensive single-disc introduction to Patton, and it contains his best-known songs like "Pony Blues," the two-part "High Water Everywhere," "Down the Dirt Road Blues," "High Sheriff Blues," and "Revenue Man Blues." Since Patton's rhythms and overall approach can be repetitive at times, casual listeners wondering what all the fuss is about might be better served with a single disc like this one that hones things down a bit, but Patton's work is both the Big Bang and the epicenter of country blues, so going a little deeper and springing for one of the box sets is well worth the time and expense. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	02/09/1999
Label:	Wolf
UPC:	0799582600226
Rank:	112802

Tracks

1. Mississippi Boweavil Blues
2. Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues
3. Down the Dirt Road Blues
4. Pony Blues
5. Banty Rooster Blues
6. Pea Vine Blues
7. A Spoonful Blues
8. Prayer of Death, Pt. 1
9. Elder Greene Blues
10. Mean Black Cat Blues
11. Green River Blues
12. Hammer Blues
13. Heart Like Railroad Steel
14. High Water Everywhere, Pt. 1
15. Rattlesnake Blues
16. Mean Black Moan
17. Dry Well Blues
18. Bird Nest Bound
19. Jersey Bull Blues
20. High Sheriff Blues
21. Stone Pony Blues
22. 34 Blues
23. Hang It on the Wall

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Charley Patton   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Charley Patton   Composer
Traditional   Composer
J. White   Composer