King of the Delta Blues
The fresh-faced boy on the cover couldn't possibly be the possessor of such a fierce, scratchy baritone voice. Thick and gravelly, Patton's vocals leap out of these 23 performances. His relentless guitar attack features heavy-handed strumming, a persistent rhythmic flavor, and even drum-like slapping. Patton covers much ground in terms of his material. "Hang It on the Wall" is buoyant ragtime while "You Gonna Need Somebody When You Die" is a dark cautionary gospel complete with spoken-word preaching. Patton utilizes varied structures: Some songs feature monotonous one-chord accompaniment while others feature dynamic syncopation. Moving gospels and spirituals make up a significant portion of this collection, as Patton became concerned with his mortality. His fears were well-founded: He passed away in 1934, a few months after recording "Oh Death."--Marc Greilsamer