208: Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, by Skip James

Skip James (USA)
Hard Time Killing Floor Blues (2003)
12 tracks, 51 minutes
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Recorded in 1964, the session that this album collects was the first time Skip James had recorded in 33 years. After only very mild success pre-war, James had become basically unknown until the big blues revival of the 60s, when young fans were eagerly digging through old record collections, tracking down the names the found there and persuading them out of retirement.

For me, of all the old guard of pre-war delta blues, Skip James is among the very top of them. He’s not as recognised outside blues circles as others such as Robert Johnson or even Son House, but his songs really touch the soul. The song that names this album, ‘Hard Time Killing Floor Blues’ is a low-down rumination on despair and a hard life lived, real stereotypical blues stuff, but delivered with such voice-cracking emotion that every word is gut-wrenching, and the worksong-like hummed chorus is utterly transcendent.

Considering that James was 62, very ill and (presumably) a little out-of-practice at the time of this recording, his quality is simply stunning. His voice, high-pitched in his earlier recordings, is lower but just as sweet. His fingers are slightly less nimble on his guitar but still capture the same magic. His age also lends another aspect to his music, particularly in the songs ‘Washington DC Hospital Blues’ and ‘Sickbed Blues’, which are sad and subdued blueses written of his illness that would eventually get the better of him five years later.

I can’t really be drawn as to which are the better recordings for music fans – besides, the correct answer is obviously ‘go listen to both’! Being recorded so far apart, they really are different listening prospects, even though much of the repertoire is the same. The older recordings are very noisy due to their age and recording methods, which may not suit everyone’s ears, but you do get to hear James’ piano playing, giving an interesting twist on the delta blues. So really, whether you decide to come at Skip James as his 29-year-old self or his 62-year-old self, you will be approaching the work of a true master not just of finger-picked guitar or of blues songwriting, but also of emotional evocation.