The Blues Bloggers

"King Of The 12-String Guitar" is not the definitive Huddie Ledbetter-collection, of course...Leadbelly recorded literally hundreds of sides. And it isn't quite the best single-disc compilation of his either (that would be "The Best Of Leadbelly" from Cleopatra, or "Take This Hammer" from the "When The Sun Goes Down"-series).
But this 1991 CD offers a dozen and a half excellent early waxings, most of them alternate takes and other previously unissued sides, which makes "King Of The 12-String Guitar" a very interesting purchase for collectors, especially if their collection is lacking a little something in the "early Leadbelly"-section.

Newcomers should find these gritty 30s recordings to their liking as well, though. Huddie Ledbetter's best-known songs are largely missing, sure, but there is a lot of other great stuff on this 56-minute disc: "Packin' Trunk Blues", "Four Day Worry Blues", "Death Letter" (not the Son House-number), and many more.
Collectors who already have "Leadbelly's Last Sessions", and either Smithsonian/Folkways' "Leadbelly Legacy" series or Catfish's "The Definitive Leadbelly", will want this CD for the numerous rarities, but it can also be enjoyed as simply a good slice of Leadbelly in his prime.

Track list:

1. Packin' Trunk
2. Becky Deem, She Was A Gamblin' Girl
3. Honey, I'm All Out And Down
4. Four Day Worry Blues
5. Roberta, Part 1
6. Roberta, Part 2
7. Death Letter Blues, Part 1
8. Death Letter Blues, Part 2
9. Kansas City Papa
10. Fort Worth And Dallas Blues
11. You Don't Know My Mind
12. Ox Drivin' Blues
13. Daddy I'm Coming Back To You
14. Shorty George
15. Yellow Jacket
16. T.B. Woman Blues
17. Pig Meat Papa
18. My Baby Quit Me

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