As Good As It Gets: Country Blues

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: September 05, 2000
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Blues

Review

For the most part, the Disky label's As Good As It Gets series lives up to its title, dividing early influential musical genres (gospel, cajun, hillbilly, jazz, etc.) into budget-priced two-disc samplers. As Good As It Gets: Country Blues includes 52 original classic performances from the likes of Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Willie McTell, Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson, Son House, the Memphis Jug Band, and Skip James. While collectors will more than likely already have this material, this compilation is a perfect place for curious listeners to begin. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Boodle Am Shake		The Dixieland Jug Blowers	(3:18)
Midnight Special	Leadbelly	Leadbelly	(2:03)
Long Tall Mama	Big Bill Broonzy, Arletta May	Big Bill Broonzy	(2:48)
Candy Man	Mississippi John Hurt	Mississippi John Hurt	(2:46)
Statesboro Blues (Lyrics)		Blind Willie McTell	(2:29)
Hestitation Blues	W.C. Handy	Jim Jackson	(3:20)
Walk Right In	Gus Cannon, Hosea Woods	Cannon's Jug Stompers	(2:56)
Playing With the Strings	Lonnie Johnson	Lonnie Johnson	(3:02)
Baby Please Don't Go (Lyrics)	Big Joe Williams	Big Joe Williams	(3:24)
Diddie Wa Diddie	Blind Blake	Blind Blake	(2:58)
Every Day in the Week Blues	Pink Anderson	Pink Anderson, Simmie Dooley	(2:53)
Me and My Chauffeur Blues (Lyrics)		Memphis Minnie	(2:42)
Truckin' My Blues Away	Fulton Allen	Blind Boy Fuller	(3:06)
I Believe I'll Dust My Room		Robert Johnson	(2:57)
Match Box Blues	Blind Lemon Jefferson	Blind Lemon Jefferson	(3:09)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Lyrics)	Ma Rainey	Ma Rainey	(3:10)
It Hurts Me Too	Hudson Whittaker	Tampa Red	(2:29)
Harmonica Stomp	Sonny Terry	Sonny Terry	(2:47)
Stealin' Stealin'	Will Shade	Memphis Jug Band	(2:58)
Blood Red River	Josh White	Josh White	(2:46)
Big Road Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:21)
I Will Turn Your Money Green	Furry Lewis, Traditional	Furry Lewis	(3:10)
Bottle It up and Go	Tommy McClennan	Tommy McClennan	(2:48)
Atlanta Moan	Hudson Whittaker	Barbecue Bob	(3:05)
Walking Blues	Son House	Son House	(2:58)
How Long, How Long Blues	Leroy Carr	Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr	(3:06)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Minglewood Blues	Gus Cannon	Cannon's Jug Stompers	(3:43)
Come on Boys, Let's Do That Messin' Around		Blind Blake	(2:45)
Rock Island Line	Leadbelly	Leadbelly	(2:32)
Blues in G	Lonnie Johnson	Lonnie Johnson	(2:51)
Cross Road Blues (Lyrics)	Robert Johnson	Robert Johnson	(2:40)
Untrue Blues	Fulton Allen	Blind Boy Fuller	(2:49)
Drop Down Mama	Hammie Nixon	Hammie Nixon	(3:10)
Dealing With the Devil	Brownie McGhee	Brownie McGhee	(2:35)
Cross and Evil Woman Blues	Blind Gary Davis	Blind Gary Davis	(3:03)
K.C. Moan	Tewee Blackman	Memphis Jug Band	(2:32)
Black Rat Swing	Ernest Lawlars	Memphis Minnie	(2:53)
Nobody's Dirty Business	Mississippi John Hurt	Mississippi John Hurt	(2:54)
Good Gal	Charlie Spand, Willie Walker	Josh White	(3:04)
Stomp Down Rider		Blind Willie McTell	(3:07)
Black Snake Moan	Blind Lemon Jefferson	Blind Lemon Jefferson	(3:00)
A Spoonful Blues	Charley Patton	Charley Patton	(3:11)
Keep Your Hands Off Her (Lyrics)	Big Bill Broonzy	Big Bill Broonzy	(2:53)
Night Time Is the Right Time	Leroy Carr, Roosevelt Sykes	Roosevelt Sykes	(2:48)
The Risin' Sun	Alger "Texas" Alexander	Alger "Texas" Alexander	(3:25)
Mean Mistreatin' Mama	Leroy Carr	Leroy Carr	(2:56)
Beale Street Mama (Lyrics)	Roy Turk, John Robinson	Bessie Smith	(3:36)
Devil Got My Woman	Skip James	Skip James	(2:59)
The First Time I Met the Blues	Little Brother Montgomery	Little Brother Montgomery	(2:45)
Cool Drink of Water Blues (Lyrics)	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:34)
Cross Cut Saw Blues	Tony Hollins	Tommy McClennan	(2:49)
Dry Land Blues	Furry Lewis	Furry Lewis	(3:05)

Credits

Blind Gary Davis (Performer), Bessie Smith (Performer), Tampa Red (Performer), Mississippi John Hurt (Performer), Tommy Johnson (Performer), The Dixieland Jug Blowers (Performer), Blind Boy Fuller (Performer), Leroy Carr (Performer), Brownie McGhee (Performer), Big Bill Broonzy (Performer), Alger "Texas" Alexander (Performer), Leadbelly (Performer), Pink Anderson (Performer), Little Brother Montgomery (Performer), Josh White (Performer), Ma Rainey (Performer), Charley Patton (Performer), Blind Blake (Performer), Blind Lemon Jefferson (Performer), Scrapper Blackwell (Performer), Hammie Nixon (Performer), Sonny Terry (Performer), Tommy McClennan (Performer), Furry Lewis (Performer), Memphis Minnie (Performer), Lonnie Johnson (Performer), Big Joe Williams (Performer), Cannon's Jug Stompers (Performer), Blind Willie McTell (Performer), Roosevelt Sykes (Performer), Memphis Jug Band (Performer), Barbecue Bob (Performer), Simmie Dooley (Performer), Son House (Performer), Skip James (Performer)