Mississippi Fred McDowell - "John Henry"

Selected viewer comments from

http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments&v=54GNI2K3-ec&fromur...

BillyMacQ (3 years ago) This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing. Love it Love it Love it!!!
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miasm (3 years ago) this man has a profound command of his instrument
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mizterblack (3 years ago) anyone know what his guitar is tuned to??
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rottenhubert (3 years ago) Vastapol tuning - open D (D A D F# A D) or some transposition thereof. He used open G as well.
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xyrius (3 years ago) thx 4 adding this.awesome:D keepin the blues alive!
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tordini (3 years ago) wonderful
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cwinter (3 years ago) He makes what is so difficult look so easy!
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shiambles (3 years ago) the blues of a hard workin man
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radicle (3 years ago) I was born in the South, and spent the early years of my life listening to music like this. Only after I left, did I fully appreciate what had been imparted to me... Fred McDowell is an icon to me rivaled only by that of Booker T. Washington White (Bukka White whom you also have vids of.) The only time I ever saw that clip of Booker was at the Blues Museum in Memphis... and that was at least 20 years ago. Thank you for sharing these rich dishes of Southern Heritage- it really makes my day.
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Jeet226 (3 years ago) His sense of rythmn is amazing! All hail these kings..keep them coming...
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Elek50 (3 years ago) This is so raw..if you listen closely you can hear everyone from Bob Dylan to Bonnie Raitt to R.L Burnside.
All who have been influenced by this man together with many rock bands.
Haunting, poetic and dangerous.
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tommyau2006 (3 years ago) true bottleneck guitaring at it's best
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cheapsuitblues (3 years ago) Solid alternating bass with independent lead lines, you gotta love this stuff. Thanks to the poster.
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secretsacred (3 years ago) does anyone know how to get that tuning he has?thanks!
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secretsacred (3 years ago) I found out its D(starting from the big string)then its
A D F# A D . or DADF#AD capo on 2nd fret to get this tunning though.If anyone wants to know.
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elvis334 (3 years ago) Thanks
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elvis334 (3 years ago) Music flowed effertlessly from this man. His rhythm's were haunting.
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warmcyanide (3 years ago) not to be negative but I think John Hurt was better
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LamenameRodriguez (3 years ago) What's the point in arguing which of the blues greats was better? I happen to love Lightnin' Hopkins, but I don't think he's better than Fred, or John, or Son House or Robert Johnson or any of the fathers of the blues. They're all equally skilled and important
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pjwalsh (3 years ago) Warmcyanide,
With respect, both are giants of the country blues style, but there is no comparison between John Hurt and Fred McDowell other than the "Mississippi" tag - I don't think Ive ever heard Hurt recorded playing slide and McDowell's driving rhythm is more compelling IMO.
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grandmasterflash (3 years ago) Show Hide 0 Marked as spam Reply | Spam John hurt recorded Talking Casey with a pocket knive as a slide.. but fred and john are different kind players
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fuxgood (3 years ago) This vid is from the Library of Congress recordings I think. Does anyone know where this guitar is? We've been trying to track it down for years just to gaze at it and remember the sounds that Fred could produce from this simple instrument.
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pekoe67 (3 years ago) Fred could probably make the finest handcrafted guitar sound like the cheapest pawnshop special and vice-versa. It's in the mind heart and hands.
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oditz (2 years ago) fuxgood that guitar is in st louis. Leroy pierson plays it. hes a st louis player that worked and travelled with fred and keeps it goin. google him
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DeltaBluesProject (3 years ago) Fred can make you dance playing only with his thumb. The real deal, no doubt.
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funkybuns (3 years ago) What a treat. Many thanks to you and the other Youtube Blues afficionados for helping educate me!!!
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dalesalsa (3 years ago) Man... that was great.
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RGBIIMex (3 years ago) EPIC!!
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brazilgrass (3 years ago) That's what's not in the book, kids...
Nor in the instructional videos, either...
Takes a lot of trouble to have soul like that, I believe...
Shine on, wherever you are, McDowell!
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allweneedofhell (3 years ago) This is beautiful, this is what a real guitar player sounds like, take note all you guitar magazine reading Zak Wylde listening knuckleheads out there.
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pgk106 (2 years ago) there's no such thing as a real guitar player. I like Fred, but in listening to him, you realize he found a style that worked for him and he stuck. There is a lot of repetition in his guitar work and music. COmpare this tune and Shake em' on Down and it is basically the same song. It's nice to have the videos of all the dead bluesmen though!
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allweneedofhell (2 years ago) When i say a real guitar player i mean someone who plays with feeling and has a unique sound, not someone who can do blistering runs up and down the neck and other circus tricks! Like Fred said himself "i don't try to out play anyone, i have my own style of playing, i play by feeling". Yes there is repetition in his playing is that a bad thing? Think of all the greats Muddy, J.Kimbrough, B.Didley, L.Wray etc i'm sure all of their techbical abilities would come into question by your academic ear.
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demented20 (2 years ago) I have said this before, but first and second generation bluesmen like Fred still worked under the old system of writing a blues(story) and setting it to a tune. The same tune could be used to tell more than one story. So it would be normal for 2 diff. songs to have a very similar tune.
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hurricanematt (2 years ago) man I love hearing that slide. One of the great ones!
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SPLIMLETLET (2 years ago) There is no one to compare to Mississippi Fred McDowell.
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JosephNScott (2 years ago) "There is no one to compare to Mississippi Fred McDowell." Furry Lewis and "Mississippi" Fred McDowell both grew up and learned their style in West Tennessee, were about five years apart in age, played pretty similarly, and sang pretty similarly.
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SPLIMLETLET (2 years ago) Interesting
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wererer1 (2 years ago) Awesome slide guitar, tis one of my favorites.
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doggeds (2 years ago) does anybody know who john henry actually was or what the song's about? i gathered he was a steel driving man. what happened to him? i'm curious as many old bluesman have this song in their repertoire
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edboswell (2 years ago) John Henry was a real man, and very famous. Look him up, as it's American History!!!! Faster than a steel driver!
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JosephNScott (2 years ago) New machinery was coming in for drilling and they used to have competitions between the old method and the new mechanized method, sort of for their own entertainment. John Henry was a real man (most likely his full name was John Henry Dabney) and the competition he was in was very memorable because he beat the machine, but then fell down and died from the effort.
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jt123egypte (2 years ago) Some bluesmusicians in our time should watch this video.
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haultcoeur (2 years ago) yeah, this is definately the best version of the song i've ever heard. i'm in love w/ fred's guitar playing- u just don't get more raw
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santasxgirlfriend (2 years ago) love his voice and playing--it dont get no bluer
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weeeehaw (2 years ago) pure genius
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adamstheman (2 years ago) Fred McDowell! You are amazing...
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navisirus (2 years ago) Show Hide (2 years ago) he is a unbelievable master of the guitar
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guitardedboy (2 years ago) Mississippi Fred did not play no rock and roll. And Fred didn't play the blues. He IS the blues. A master.
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joebonham1916 (2 years ago) I love delta blues and Fred McDowell is my favorite.
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junkmandoman (2 years ago) Fred McDowell Rules...It is a real blessing to watch him play here on You Tube...
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rorygg1 (2 years ago) mississippi fred is the real deal.a delta player with the chops of john fahey, doc watson, leo kottke, peter lang and all the great technical soulful players
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pqowieur1 (2 years ago) holy crap, I forgot how much I love his sound. a little like Booker white
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psychedelichobo (2 years ago) that crispy popping guitar!
popcorn on fire with the smell of the mississippi delta!
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psychapallooza (1 year ago) oh yeahhhhh....
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sayyes2bull (2 years ago) tahe 'em to school, fred!
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RolloffDeBunk (2 years ago) Show Hide Oh yeah! Make that guitar ring!
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50sResearchCenter (1 year ago) Show Hide +8 Marked as spam Reply | Spam I think some people who commented to this video should check out a Columbia double album called Story Of The Blues from around 1969. It was compiled by blues researcher Paul Oliver. It shows the African roots of the blues, the slave work songs and the whole development of the music in all its facets. Together with the informative liner notes it gives a good impression of how the blues came to be. There was also an accompanying book released. Makes more sense than all this bickering on YouTube.
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gregzzblog (1 year ago) lug, work, worksong, blues...
roots of Mississippi delta blues!
sleep and wake with it!
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zyruemusic (1 year ago) He is playing through the pain in his soul...You can see it on his face!!! He sho is Praching!!! Better than most churches!!!20 Big Fat Stars for this video!!! ONE LOVE!!!