Absolutely The Best

Performer: Leadbelly
Producer: Len Fico (Reissue)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Includes liner notes by Bill Dahl. Digitally remastered by Jesse Fishman (Secret Sound Studios, Los Angeles, California). Leadbelly stands like a cornerstone in modern folk music. He showed that folk songs didn't have to be 300 years old and originate from the British Isles; instead they could be born out of American experience. Absolutely the Best offers a number of Leadbelly classics including "Roberta," "Midnight Special," and "In New Orleans (House of the Rising Sun." There is a wonderful version of "The Bourgeois Blues," filled with cutting social commentary, and a haunting version of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." There is a simple, affecting version of "Goodnight, Irene" and two versions of the outlaw ballad "John Hardy." Most of the cuts feature no more than the singer and his guitar, allowing Leadbelly's powerful voice to stand front and center. "How Long" receives a fuller arrangement with Sonny Terry's harmonica giving it a down and dirty blues feel. This disc will be educational for those who have only heard Creedence Clearwater Revival's version of "Midnight Special" or Led Zeppelin's "Gallows Pole." The difference is that Leadbelly could approach "Midnight Special" with sincerity, having spent a number of years in prison himself for murder. While there is nothing to complain about concerning this collection, it is irritating to find, on the song credits, Alan Lomax's name taking co-credit on songs like "The Bourgeois Blues." Lomax was an excellent field recorder, and he deserves praise for helping Leadbelly in a number of ways, but his helping hand came with a price. Leadbelly is an American original, and one has to know him to know American folk music. Absolutely the Best offers a good place for the listener to begin the acquaintance. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Dirty Linen (4-5/01, p.71) - "...The title says it all..."

The embodiment of the link between folk and blues, Lousiana-born Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) possessed a powerful voice and the creative fervor to fashion his observations and heartfelt passions into riveting songs. An itinerant singer/guitarist, he performed in between working odd jobs and spending time in prison for his violent outbursts. Twice he gained pardon from long prison sentences with his songs. After Leadbelly's second pardon, in 1934, the recordings folklorist Alan Lomax made of him brought the singer national success. Whether conscious of his influence or not, nearly all folk and blues singers can trace their musical lineage back to him. He's responsible for many songs that have become part of America's cultural heritage.

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