« Back to Top Level | Memphis Minnie

Memphis Minnie - Queen of the Country Blues (1937)

Track listing:
CD1
  1. Goin' Back To Texas 2:59
  2. Frisco Town 2:49
  3. Bumble Bee 2:45
  4. I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuits 2:50
  5. Mister Tango Blues 3:34
  6. She Wouldn't Give Me None 2:56
  7. What Fault You Find Of Me (Par 2:41
  8. What Fault You Find Of Me (Par 2:47
  9. I'm Talking About You 2:38
  10. Bumble Bee 3:14
  11. Can I Do It For You (Part 1) 3:07
  12. Can I Do It For You (Part 2) 3:09
  13. I'm Going Back Home 2:45
  14. Bumble Bee Blues 2:50
  15. Meningitis Blues 3:14
  16. I Never Told A Lie 2:40
  17. Don't Want No Woman 3:11
  18. Georgia Skin 2:57
  19. I Don't Want No Woman I Have T 3:22
  20. Memphis Minnie-Jitis Blues: Ta 3:20
  21. Memphis Minnie-Jitis Blues: Ta 3:15
  22. Good Girl Blues 2:55
  23. Plymouth Rock Blues 2:48
  24. Bumble Bee No. 2 2:49
  25. Georgia Skin Blues 3:23
CD2
  1. New Dirty Dozen 2:57
  2. New Bumble Bee 2:49
  3. Frankie Jean (That Trottin' Fo 2:48
  4. I'm Talking 'Bout You - No. 2 3:12
  5. She Put Me Outdoors 2:46
  6. I Called You This Morning 2:56
  7. Grandpa And Grandma Blues 3:22
  8. Garage Fire Blues 3:04
  9. Dirt Dauber Blues 2:57
  10. You Dirty Mistreater 2:45
  11. What's The Matter With The Mil 2:47
  12. North Memphis Blues 2:33
  13. I Don't Want That Junk Outa Yo 2:21
  14. Crazy Cryin' Blues 3:26
  15. Tricks Ain't Walking No More 3:04
  16. Don't Bother It 3:09
  17. Today Today Blues 2:47
  18. Lay My Money Down (If You Run 2:55
  19. Hard Down Lie 2:41
  20. Somebody's Got To Help You 3:18
  21. Pickin' The Blues 3:01
  22. Let's Go To Town 3:06
  23. Soo Cow Soo 2:36
  24. After While Blues 2:51
  25. Fishin' Blues 2:54
CD3
  1. Jailhouse Trouble Blues 3:12
  2. Outdoor Blues 3:00
  3. Where Is My Good Man 2:58
  4. You Stole My Cake 2:56
  5. Kind Treatment Blues 2:46
  6. Socket Blues 2:55
  7. My Butcher Man 2:56
  8. Too Late 2:55
  9. Ain't No Use Trying To Tell On 3:11
  10. Stinging Snake Blues 3:01
  11. Drunken Barrel House Blues 2:49
  12. You Got To Move Pt. 1 3:00
  13. Keep It To Yourself 2:45
  14. Keep It To Yourself - (alterna 2:53
  15. Chickasaw Train Blues (Low Dow 3:14
  16. Banana Man Blues (I Don't Want 2:59
  17. You Got To Move Pt. 2 2:46
  18. Hole In The Wall 3:11
  19. Give It To Me In My Hand (Can 3:23
  20. Squat It 2:46
  21. Moaning The Blues 3:03
  22. Dirty Mother For You 2:45
  23. Sylvester And His Mule Blues 3:01
  24. When You're Asleep 2:49
  25. You Can't Give It Away 3:01
CD4
  1. Let Me Ride 2:56
  2. When The Saints Go Marching Ho 3:03
  3. Jockey Man Blues 3:00
  4. Weary Woman's Blues 2:54
  5. Reachin' Pete - (take A) 3:15
  6. Reachin' Pete - (take B) 3:11
  7. Down In New Orleans 2:55
  8. You Wrecked My Happy Home 2:37
  9. I'm Waiting On You 2:22
  10. Keep On Goin' 2:26
  11. Ball And Chain Blues 3:27
  12. He's In The Ring (Doin' That S 3:07
  13. He's In The Ring (Doin' That S 2:48
  14. Joe Louis Strut 2:48
  15. When The Sun Goes Down Part 2 3:35
  16. Hustlin' Woman Blues 2:50
  17. Selling My Pork Chops 2:51
  18. Doctor, Doctor Blues 3:16
  19. Biting Bug Blues 3:19
  20. Minnie's Lonesome Song 2:57
  21. You Ain't Done Nothing To Me 2:51
  22. Ain't Nobody Home But Me - (ta 3:08
  23. Ain't Nobody Home But Me - (ta 3:17
  24. New Orleans Stop Time 2:59
CD5
  1. Ice Man (Come On Up) 2:58
  2. Hoodoo Lady 3:01
  3. My Strange Man 2:56
  4. I'm A Gamblin' Woman 3:08
  5. I'm A Bad Luck Woman 3:00
  6. Caught Me Wrong Again 2:54
  7. Black Cat Blues - (take 1) 2:54
  8. Black Cat Blues - (take 2) 2:53
  9. Good Morning 2:56
  10. Man You Won't Give Me No Money 2:56
  11. If You See My Rooster (Please 3:13
  12. I Don't Want You No More 3:04
  13. Out In The Cold 3:00
  14. Dragging My Heart Around 3:04
  15. Moonshine 2:45
  16. It's Hard To Be Mistreated 3:05
  17. Haunted Blues - (take 1) 2:52
  18. Haunted Blues - (take 2) 2:52
  19. Hot Stuff - (take 1) 2:56
  20. Hot Stuff - (take 2) 3:03
  21. Living The Best I Can 2:44
  22. You Can't Rule Me 3:03
  23. No Need You Doggin' Me 2:49
  24. Look What You Got - (take 1) 2:45
  25. Look What You Got - (take 2) 2:52

Notes


This five-disc set from JSP includes all the surviving sides Memphis Minnie cut for the Vocalion, Decca, and Bluebird labels between 1929 and 1937 in chronological order. Among the highlights on disc one are the four takes of one of her best songs, "Bumble Bee," including one with the Memphis Jug Band. Disc two gathers a number of duets with her then-husband, Kansas Joe McCoy, and their twin guitars coupled with her contralto singing and Kansas Joe's tenor made for a signature sound. Disc three contains another of her best songs, "My Butcher Man," and features increased use of piano backing. The fourth disc contains her last sessions for Decca, as well as her complete body of work on the Bluebird label. The final disc, which spotlights the occasional use of horns and other urban trappings, includes versions of "Ice Man," "Hoodoo Woman," and "Black Cat Blues." Minnie's best-known song, "When the Levee Breaks," is not included in this set, which also does not include her last sessions from 1940 and 1941. Truthfully, there is probably more Memphis Minnie here than the casual listener would ever need, and a single-disc collection that spans her career (and includes "Levee") would suffice. Liner notes are so-so, although the session annotation is decent.