The Best of Frank Stokes

by Frank Stokes

Overview

The music -- a meld of blues and older, more satiric songster-inspired material, as well as gospel-influenced sides -- speaks for itself on this, the widest-ranging and best-sounding collection of Frank Stokes' work issued on CD. The Best of Frank Stokes, released by Yazoo, combines the highlights of such previous releases as Frank Stokes' Dream and Creator of the Memphis Blues, for a total of six solo sides by Stokes, a dozen by Stokes accompanied by Dan Sane (usually credited to the Beale Street Sheiks), and four more on which he is accompanied by Will Batts on the fiddle. The result is a brilliant showcase for the Memphis blues legend, though with some inevitable shortcomings. As producer Richard Nevins freely admits in his opening annotation, virtually every copy of most of Stokes' original records were marred by pressing flaws (even in otherwise perfect discs) that make for a certain amount of noise -- coming out as hiss -- in the background on playback. Additionally, because many of Stokes' sides were recorded in a hall that was much too large for solo- or duet-performing acoustics, and didn't have the guitars mic'ed properly, the instruments do have a slightly boomy quality, without the presence and impact that one would expect. That said, the widely varying dynamics of the vocals have been balanced out here, so that this CD does, indeed, sound significantly better than the original 78's in at least one essential respect. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	01/25/2005
Label:	Yazoo
UPC:	0016351207227
Rank:	51590

Tracks

1. Take Me Back
2. Mistreatin' Blues
3. You Shall
4. What's the Matter Blues
5. I'm Going Away Blues
6. Memphis Rounders Blues
7. It Won't Be Long Now
8. It's a Good Thing (Take 1)
9. Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do, Pt. 2 (Take 1)
10. Old Sometime Blues
11. I Got Mine
12. Sweet to Mama
13. Nehi Mama
14. Downtown Blues
15. How Long
16. South Memphis Blues
17. Frank Stokes' Dream
18. Mr. Crump Don't Like It
19. Bedtime Blues
20. Jumpin' on the Hill
21. Blues in "D"
22. Right Now Blues

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Frank Stokes   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar
Will Batts   Fiddle
Dan Sane   Guitar

Technical Credits

Richard Nevins   Audio Production,Liner Notes,Remastering,Producer
Frank Stokes   Composer,Photography
Don Kent   Liner Notes
Dan Sane   Photography,Composer