Snooks Eaglin – Early Years: The Singles Collection 1941-50 – 2CD

Snooks Eaglin was a blind blues singer and guitarist from New Orleans who played a highly accessible brand of blues, sometimes ranging into folk or rock ‘n’ roll styles, often re-working other artists’ songs, earning himself the nickname of “The Human Jukebox” with his wide and varied repertoire in ‘live’ performances. He was active for around half a century, but this great-value 52-track 2-CD set focuses on the first decade or so of his extensive recording career. It comprises early recordings as Blind Guitar Ferd for the Wonder label, plus most of the titles from his albums as Snooks Eaglin “Possum Up A Simmon Tree” on Folk-Lyric, “Message From New Orleans” on Heritage, and “That’s All Right” on Bluesville, plus his A & B sides from these years on Imperial on which he was known as Ford Eaglin, and on which he strays very much into the pop arena. It features versions of classic songs plus equally classic recordings associated with him, including “Mean Old World”, “Bottle Up And Go”, “Down By The Riverside”, “That’s Alright”, “Country Boy”, “Mama Don’t You Tear My Clothes”, “Yours Truly”, “Travellin’ Mood” and many more. He was an artist who played the blues primarily to entertain people, and this very much comes across in these selections of his early recordings.

Track Listing:

CD1: Blind Guitar Ferd And The New Orleans Wonders: 1. Jesus Will Fix It For You -   2. Travelling On -   Snooks Eaglin: 3. This Mean Old World -   4. Six Thousand Miles From Nowhere [One Room Country Shack] -   5. Possum Up A Simmon Tree -   6. That’s Alright -   7. Veal Chop And Pork Chop -   8. I Ain't Gonna Study War No More (Down By The Riverside) -   9. The Model T And The Train -   10. Jack O'Diamonds -   11. Death Valley Blues -   12. This Train -   13. Bottle Up And Go -   14. Mardi Gras Mambo -   15. Rock Me Momma -   16. John Henry -   17. Locomotive Train -   18. I Had A Little Woman -   19. Mamma, Don't You Tear My Clothes -   20. Walkin' Blues -   21. Give Me The Good Old Box-Car -   22. Every Day -   23. I Had My Fun -   24. Blue Shadows Blues -

CD2: Snooks Eaglin: 1. She's A Black Rat -   2. Who's Been Foolin' You? -   3. I Must See Jesus -   4. Fly Right, Baby -   5. That's All Right -   6. Who Can Your Good Man Be -   7. Don't You Lie To Me -   Ford Eaglin: 8. Yours Truly -   9. Nobody Knows -   10. That Certain Door -   11. By The Water -   12. If I Could -   13. Guess Who -  14. My Head Is Spinnin' -   15. Travelin' Mood -   16. Goin' To The River -   17. I'm Slippin' In -   18. Nothing Sweet As You -   19. Don't Slam That Door -   20. People Are Talking -   21. Reality -   22. Long Gone -   23. Willy Lee -   Blind Snooks Eaglin: 24. Mailman Passed -   25. I'm A Country Boy -   26. I Got A Woman -   27. Alberta -   28. One More Drink -