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The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James

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Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0081227119027
Label : Rhino / Wea
Manufacturer : Rhino / Wea
Publisher : Rhino / Wea
Release date : 1993-04-06
Title : The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James
Original release date : 1993-04-06
Studio : Rhino / Wea
MPN : 71190
Number of discs : 1

Editorial reviews

Amazon.com
Other post-WWII Chicago bluesmen are better known, but the work of Elmore James holds up as well as any of theirs. If he never had the technical accomplishment of, say, Earl Hooker, he did have as much depth of emotional expression as Muddy Waters; just listen to the sweetness of "I Need You" or the pain of "It Hurts Me, Too." The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James contains some of the most important work of a man who still reigns as the king of slide guitar; anyone who wears a bottleneck today owes a debt to James. Highlights include Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom," which James made his signature tune, as well as the title track, which contains some of the sweetest licks in blues history. --Genevieve Williams

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2009-01-06 rating:

Good work, Rhino, on this great assortment!
Rhino has done an outstanding job pulling together these 21 excellent Elmore James selections from a wide variety of labels and spanning a large part of his career, and with great sound quality.

Of course any single disc omits a lot of great songs of James. If you want to have most of Elmore's best songs, I have found that this CD, together with "Let's Cut It" does the job. I also bought downloads of 8 other songs I wanted, to get all I was after. If you are a completist, look into the box sets that others have mentioned, particularly "The Classic Early Recordings (51-56)" and "King of the Slide Guitar".

With the 18 songs on "Let's Cut It" you get some indispensable additional James hits, such as "Dust My Blues", "I Was A Fool", Blues Before Sunrise", "Goodbye Baby".

Five songs are duplicated between the two, but only Sunnyland" and "Hawaiian Boogie" are the exact same versions. The other 3 are quite different versions ("Sho Nuff I Do", "Standing At The Crossroads", and "My Best Friend"), so not really "duplication". "Sho Nuff I Do" is my personal favorite Elmore James song and IMO one of the greatest blues songs ever, so I don't mind having a couple different versions.

review by: date: 2009-01-04 rating:

A Great Start
This c.d. is a great introduction to Elmore James and his blues sound. There isn't a bad song on this album to be found. This is nitty-gritty blues not the "House of Blues" corporate water-downed stuff, which has no feeling to it and some how passes for blues these days.

This c.d. should very much be apart of any respectable blues collection. While Elmore James isn't as known as Muddy Waters he is just as good and worthy of legend status.

review by: date: 2008-11-17 rating:

Dust My Broom, Ya!
When one thinks of the classic blues tune "Dust My Broom" one tends to think of the legendary Robert Johnson who along with his "Sweet Home, Chicago" created two of the signature blues songs of the pre-World War II period. However, my first hearing of "Dust My Broom" was on a hot LP (the old days, right?) version covered and made his own by the artist under review, Elmore James. I have heard many cover versions since then, including from the likes of George Thorogood and Chris Smithers, and they all reflect on the influence of Elmore's amazing slide guitar virtuosity to provide the "heat" necessary to do the song justice. Moreover, this is only the tip of the iceberg as such blues masters and aficionados as B.B. King and The Rolling Stones have covered other parts of James' catalog.

Perhaps because Elmore died relativity young at a time when blues were just being revived in the early 1960's as part of the general trend toward "discovering" roots music by the likes of this reviewer he has been a less well-known member of the blues pantheon. However, for those who know the value of a good slide guitar to add sexiness and sauciness to a blues number James' is a hero. Hell Thorogood built a whole career out of Elmore covers (and also, to be sure, of the late legendary Bo Didderly). I never get tired of hearing these great songs. Moreover, it did not hurt to have the famous Broomdusters backing him up throughout the years. As one would expect of material done in the pre-digital age the sound quality is very dependent on the quality of the studio. But that, to my mind just makes it more authentic.

Well, what did you NEED to listen to here? Obvioulsy,"Dust My Broom". On this CD though you MUST listen to Elmore and the great Big Joe Turner on "T.V. Mama". Wow, this is a key matchup of blues legends giving their all. "Look On Yonder Wall", "It Hurts Me Too" and the classic "The Cry is Crying" round out the minimum program here. Listen on.

review by: date: 2008-10-15 rating:

The first Elmore record to own
Elmore's blues, of all the major blues, had in them the most rock & roll kind of excitement. This is the first Elmore record to own. Next, go for Charly's 3 CD compilation box set King Of The Slide Guitar: The Complete Trumpet, Chief & Fire Sessions, and finally another 3 CD compilation, The Classic Early Recordings 1951-1956 from Ace. This one though - The Sky Is Crying: The History Of Elmore James - still has several tracks, all mighty fine, unavailable on either of those other collections ("The Sun Is Shining", "T.V. Mama", "Madison Blues" and "I Can't Hold Out").

review by: date: 2008-05-17 rating:

Wow
Love the blues? This is for you. One of the early up from Mississippi to Chicago bluesmen (I think he died in '43). "Madison Blues" and "The Sky is Crying" the way 'lonesome George' heard them first.

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