365 Days of Album Recommendations -Feb 9

There are a LOT of great Fred McDowell recordings out there. This is one tied for being my favorite. Both my favorites are #DesertIslandDiscs.

With this album, it’s largely to do with the songs themselves. The poetry of them-lyrically, musically, vocally-is extraordinary.

The production quality is worth noting as well. This was recorded by Pete Welding in 1968 for the Testament label-the label Welding founded-and it’s really exceedingly well done. There is a clarity here, and an intimacy, that is so natural, so present, and so real.

I can’t recommend just one track, you simply must listen to the whole thing.

There are a handful of records out there that indisputably stand as evidence of the true high art that is country blues music. This is one of them.

Originally published at http://preacherboyblog.com on February 10, 2017.