I am quite aware that when I sing the praises of this collection of now ancient recordings as one of the most important collections of music ever released, most of our listeners – even those who listen to music seriously – probably roll their eyes and maybe smirk a bit. I will readily admit that 98% of Americans (maybe even more) will find this collection to be at best, irrelevant, and at worst, unlistenable.

That is a very difficult opinion for me to overcome, and I am doing my level best to at least crack the surface to explain…well, how music changed. There are roots here that are undeniable, and I know that most people are only interested in music from our own times, but I’d like to make one point, if I may. How many once “contemporary” albums have grown hopelessly outdated, and now seem almost embarrassing?

We all know that relying on pop culture for providing fodder to feed the masses is a fool’s game, and we all have old albums and CDs that are now transparently awful. The songs on the Anthology may sound weird and ancient, but there is a spark in them that ignited the vast breadth of America’s music culture, including the blues, country, folk, rock and roll, Cajun/zydeco, and all the offshoots that subsequently followed. So, to summarize, no, this series isn’t for everyone, but it is manna for the 2 or 3% who treasure the history of American music culture.

Featured tracks include:

Bob Lee Junior Blues - Memphis Jug Band

Single Girl, Married Girl – Carter Family

Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme – Clemo Breaux and Joseph Falcon

Rabbit Foot Blues – Blind Lemon Jefferson

Expressman Blues – John Estes

Poor Boy Blues – Ramblin’ Thomas

Feather Bed – Cannon’s Jug Stompers

Country Blues – Dock Boggs

Ninety-Nine Year Blues – Julius Daniels

Prison Cell Blues – Blind Lemon Jefferson