After being rediscovered by the folk-blues community in the early '60s,
Son House rose to the occasion and recorded this magnificent set of performances. Allowed to stretch out past the shorter running time of the original 78s,
House turns in wonderful, steaming performances of some of his best-known material. On some tracks,
House is supplemented by folk-blues researcher/musician
Alan Wilson, who would later become a member of the blues-rock group
Canned Heat and here plays some nice second guitar and harmonica on several cuts. This two-disc set features alternate takes, some unissued material and some studio chatter from producer
John Hammond, Sr. that ocassionally hints at the chaotic nature inherent to some of these '60s "rediscovery" sessions. While not as overpowering as his earlier work (what could be?), all of these sides are so power packed with sheer emotional involvement from
House, they're an indispensable part of his canonade.~ Cub Koda
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