The Real Country Blues: Shake 'em on Down (1994)

About this title: A generous 22-track collection of recordings originally made for and released by Chris Strachwitz's Arhoolie Records, Shake 'Em on Down is a delightful set of modern country blues performances, and includes Mississippi Fred McDowell's elegant slide guitar playing on the title tune "Shake 'Em on Down," Booker White's chugging "Alabama Blues," Big Joe Williams' vibrant "She Left Me a Mule to Ride," Sleepy John Estes' characteristically delicate "Need More Blues," a fine acoustic version of "Poor Black Mattie" by R.L. Burnside, and a wonderful fife and drum workout by Napoleon Strickland and ... read more

Tracks:

1. Shake 'Em on Down [White]
2. Sloppy Drunk Blues [Bogan]
3. Alabama Blues [White]
4. Need More Blues [Estes/Nixon]
5. Judge Boushay Blues [Lewis]
6. Pardon Denied Again [Williams]
7. Rabbit Blues [Brown]
8. Take Me Out of the Bottom [Weaver]
9. Fred's Worried Life Blues [Estes/Nixon]
10. Poor Black Mattie [Burnside]
11. Come Home to Me Baby [Calicott]
12. Smokestack Lightning [Howlin' Wolf]
13. Write Me a Few Lines [McDowell]
14. Mississippi River [Brown]
15. Just Tippin' In [Williams]
16. She Left Me a Mule to Ride [Williamson]
17. Canned Heat [Johnson]
18. Three O'Clock in the Morning [King/Taub]
19. 'Bout a Spoonful [Beauregard]
20. You Call Yourself a Cadillac [Mason/Nighthawk]
21. Keep Your Nose Out of My Business [Young]
22. Oh Baby [Strickland]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.