Topic: Furry Lewis Guitar Keys and Positions, prewar recordings

[Mr.OMuck]

And there I went. I know I'm gonna regret this but, I actually do find this particular aesthetic backwater (recording "enhancements") to contain some interesting issues, concerning perceptions of reality, ideas about fidelity and a listeners ideas of responsibility to same. I used to berate myself for digging the reverb on exactly those two records while knowing that it violated not only the "truth in Blues" mandate but also the never foul the source mandate issued by the recording and stereopheliac geekazoid council with whom I've also had some dealings. Interestingly it was a Glenn Gould record of Sebelius Piano pieces that helped me to embrace my secret depravity. I figured if as great an artist as Glenn Gould thought it was OK to artificially fuck around with the sound and soundspace of his performances then it was all fair game. Arguably him doing it for his own aesthetic reasons on his own recordings is a horse of a different color than imposing it on someone else's work, but did they object? There is a quality that the reverb lends to the performances on those two records which I would describe as heroic and mythologizing. The music seems to emanate out of some supra-normal oracular Blues Dephi. Part of this is a result of the time delay, echo-ish quality by which we hear the music in effect twice in the same instant. Rather than distancing me from the experience it seems to make it almost more urgent and haunting. Has anyone had similar feelings or should I go hide now.

[Rivers]

The music seems to emanate out of some supra-normal oracular Blues Dephi

...or a rather large bathroom.  I started to think there was something good about it when I heard Scotty Moore was responsible! Call me superficial.

[Mr.OMuck]

..or a rather large bathroom. 

HEEyaaawwwk!

[uncle bud]

Rivers beat me to it.

I was once at an event in a private club (not a regular haunt of mine, they undoubtedly wouldn't let me in normally - it was a work event) with one of those very large gents' rooms done up in marble and tile and mirror. There was some distant Scots connection to the event and so they were going to have a bagpiper piping people into the dinner hall. After my third complimentary cocktail, I decided to pay the marble emporium a visit. Turns out bagpipes really need to be warmed up for awhile before they are "in tune" (hah) and the musician had chosen the bathroom to do so. Wow. Talk about supra-normal Delphic reverb experiences.

[Johnm]

Hi O'Muck,
I think I know what you were talking about.  I remember hearing a Stanley Brothers recording of "The water rolls by, on the river at midnight" from the '50s with really dire "Help! We've fallen in a well!" reverb, and there was something about the whole soundscape, with their tense harmonies and the banjo and fiddle rolling along and seemingly unending echo that just sort of nailed, not only the sound of the recording, but where I was when I heard it, whose house I was in, who else was there, the interior decor of the room where I heard it, et al into my mind forever, I think.  And this was over thirty-five years ago.  Something about that crappy sound went a long ways toward establishing the particularity and "thing-ness" of that piece of music for me. 

For better or for worse, I find that for me, such responses diminish with age.  It helps to be young when you first hear it and to have a vivid imagination and not to have heard as much music.  If I heard the same recording for the first time now, I expect my response would be, "Oh man, that reverb is brutal.  What were they thinking?"
All best,
Johnm

[Chezztone]

I have the feeling that Furry played some things in Spanish in the '60s that he had played in Vestapol on the early recordings. "Turn Your Money Green," for one.
And while we're on this timely topic -- make sure to celebrate the birthdays of Furry Lewis and Steve Cheseborough this Thursday (March 6)! Honor to share a birthday with the great Mr. Lewis. Cheers, Chezz

[Johnm]

Hi Chezz,
The original of "I will Turn Your Money Green" was in Spanish too.  Have a happy birthday.
all best,
Johnm

[Chezztone]

I don't think so. Try listening to the original and playing along with it both ways. Thanks for the birthday wish! I did play a couple Furry songs at my restaurant gig that day, in case anyone cared (it didn't seem like they did). SC

[Deaf Steever]

I'm two years late joining this message thread, but better late than never, eh?  For what it's worth (admittedly, not a whole heckuva lot), I love the reverb on Shake Em On Down. To me, it gives the album a sacred, bigger-than-life sound, like Furry's performing in a cathedral. SEOD is one of my favourite blues albums of all-time -- definitely one of my stranded-on-a-deserted-island albums. In fact, SEOD was one of the primary catalysts for my getting into country blues one year ago. I realize that the reverb makes the album kinda anomalous as far as country blues recordings go (although I find Skip James' 1960's albums kinda "verby" too!), but whatever. I like it. I love unreverberated country blues, too. (sounds more earthy and front porch-y). But the ethereal quality of SEOD really strikes a chord with me.

Is "unreverberated" even a real word? No? Well, gosh darn it, it should be! 

[uncle bud]

and the reverb on those is just godawful, really a shame.  It could so easily have been avoided.

Well maybe I ain't  gots no couth but I LOVE THE FREAKIN' REVERB ON MEMPHIS WILLIE B & FURRY"S RECORDS!

As a mater of fact I'm starting my own reissue company whose goal it will be to put reverb on every single blues 78 ever recorded! It will be a subsidiary of my Muck-O-Phone label called "Reverb'll Fix It" records

Maybe I'm losing my couth, but I was kind of digging the Furry reverb tonight.

[banjochris]

I keep waiting for WW and the Dixie Dance Kings to show on late night television, so I can see it. My expectations are not high. 

I know this quote is old, but...

I taped this off cable quite a few years ago -- I should transfer the Furry part and upload it to YouTube. It is, indeed, a terrible movie, but the part with Furry is great.

[Rivers]

I listened to the reverberated Furry album a dozen or so times back-to-back once. I can report that after a while you tend to adjust and don't notice the reverb so much. It's a class piece of work from Furry, if you can get past the 'steely sided slabs of sound', snuck in later by the studio guys playing with new toys no doubt.

Still, they (who are they, anyway?) would be doing the planet a great service if they found the masters and kind of, um, slightly remixed it. Still a great record though.