If you've heard of Skip James it's probably down to you being a blues fan, or you were arrested by his haunting 'I'd Rather Be The Devil' in the movie Ghost World. 'Haunting' is an understatement - it's otherworldly, chilling and dark. That one man and a guitar could transmit create a world of anguish and isolation is astonishing. Go give it a listen if you haven't yet.
Here's some latter day Skip James, with an ostensibly more upbeat song - but that sepulchral falsetto remains, and the subject matter is horribly misogynistic. Check out James' wonderfully fluid fingerpicking in the Piedmont style as you enjoy this rather nasty murder ballad.
No comments:
Post a Comment