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Thread: Happy Birthday Joe Bussard, King of the Record Collectors

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Happy Birthday Joe Bussard, King of the Record Collectors

    80 years young today July 11.

  2. #2
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    I disagree with Joe on oh so many things regarding music but I'd give anything to sit in his basement and listen to records.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

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    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Anything Joe says is bad, I pay no attention to.

    Anything Joe says is good, has my full attention!

    Happy Birthday, Joe! You are responsible for me (and many others) knowing about music that would have completely disappeared otherwise and I am grateful.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

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    Progga mogrooves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    I'd give anything to sit in his basement and listen to records.
    I did just this, in the 80s. He'd make cassettes for you.
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    I did just this, in the 80s. He'd make cassettes for you.
    Reportedly still will, for 50 cents a song.

  6. #6
    Progga mogrooves's Avatar
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    Joe gets a mention in this article, but where he searched for records, these guys searched for the people who recorded them. Really fascinating:

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...lbias%3Ar&_r=0
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

  7. #7
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Thanks Mo, fascinating article. Neither "Motherless Child Blues" nor "Last Kind Words Blues" were included on the "Down In The Basement" compilation CD I recently bought (compiled from Bussard's collection) but they're both readily available on YouTube.



    In the "Desperate Man Blues" documentary Joe mentions that he thinks one reason all this music from 1927-1935 is so distinctive is that these artists never heard one another. There wasn't a lot of traveling around during the depths of the Depression, and the records made weren't widely circulated and few could afford them. All these singers developed in total isolation.

    But even well-known performers, like Blind Willie McTell, ended up singing for nickels in parking lots, and dying destitute. There wasn't any sustained effort to market these records, nor any living to be made by recording them. A lot of music of that era just disappeared from the face of the earth.

    I'm glad people collect it, and are passionate about it, but I have a hard time getting as excited about it as Joe Bussard. Most of it's pretty primitive, and a little bit goes a long way IMO.
    Last edited by rcarlberg; 07-19-2016 at 09:01 PM.

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    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    There's a chapter about Joe in the book Do Not Sell at Any Price, which is all about the obsessive nature of collectors of 78s. It's fascinating reading even if the author gets full of herself now and then. But it did make me seek out stuff like Charlie Patton and the Folkways Anthology.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

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    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    ^ ^ ^

    I read that book last month.

    I liked it, sort of, but she made it too much about herself, which killed it for me.

    There's lots of great pre 1939 music out there; I'm hardly an expert, but I am a big fan of some of it and have about 50 albums' worth, NOT including jazz, which I have much more of.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  10. #10
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    There's lots of great pre 1939 music out there; I'm hardly an expert
    Well I trust your opinions, you've had some history I can get behind (shall we say). What's good?

    BTW, here's one of my favorites:
    Last edited by rcarlberg; 07-13-2016 at 11:48 AM.

  11. #11
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    I dunno what you are looking for. I mean, hillbilly? blues? jazz?

    If you want to think of it as 'primitive', it certainly is, but that's not the point (at least not for me and other fans).

    In terms of 'old time music', this is a lovely compilation:
    https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Blue...mountain+blues

    Used to be about $25.00.

    As is this one:

    https://www.amazon.com/Roots-N-Blues...tive+1925-1950

    Both of them are basically early jazz free.

    If you are looking for early jazz, that's another discussion.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  12. #12
    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Thanks Steve, these links give a good picture.

  13. #13
    Progga mogrooves's Avatar
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    Blind Willie Johnson is a personal fave, and I dig that this tune was included on the "golden record" stowed on the Voyager spacecraft, now approaching the edge of the solar system:



    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    What's good?
    If you're interested in pre-war blues, jazz, & country, the two Paramount box sets Jack White(!?!) curated are a good starting point.
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

  14. #14
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    Blind Willie Johnson is a personal fave, and I dig that this tune was included on the "golden record" stowed on the Voyager spacecraft, now approaching the edge of the solar system.
    One of the absolute masterpieces of the genre, although the rest of his stuff isn't generally up to that level. That particular piece is truly inspired. IMO

    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    If you're interested in pre-war blues, jazz, & country, the two Paramount box sets Jack White(!?!) curated are a good starting point.
    They are fine, but if we are speaking of the same thing, these are two HUGE and HUGELY expensive boxes that give you everything that one label released. With no curation in terms of how good that output is. It is just everything.

    Overkill for a starting point and most definitely not curated. It's a giant data dump of a release.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  15. #15
    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    I dunno what you are looking for. I mean, hillbilly? blues? jazz?

    If you want to think of it as 'primitive', it certainly is, but that's not the point (at least not for me and other fans).

    In terms of 'old time music', this is a lovely compilation:
    https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Blue...mountain+blues

    Used to be about $25.00.

    As is this one:

    https://www.amazon.com/Roots-N-Blues...tive+1925-1950

    Both of them are basically early jazz free.

    If you are looking for early jazz, that's another discussion.
    Ah, a new journey. I am eager to begin.
    I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart

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