Beginner’s Guide to: The Blues

In our ‘Beginner’s Guide’ series, Boar Music takes a look at the definitive albums from a musical genre. This week, our writers assess three of the finest Blues works of the last century…

Howlin’ Wolf – Moanin’ in the Moonlight

With the signature slide guitar twangs and vocal smorgasbord, the Delta Blues were not only a major influence on the genre, but the entire music industry. One of the best things about the genre is undoubtedly the names of the artists, and acts like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf were at the centre of the movement.

While both were giants in their field, Howlin’ Wolf captures in my mind the true spirit of the delta blues. With his vocal range going from tar-coated growls to truly soulful highs, it’s easy to fall in love with his music. Just one listen to Smokestack Lightnin’ and I promise you’ll be hooked.

Download: ‘Smokestack Lightnin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqI2YStPK3E

Dan Mountain

Skip James – Greatest of the Delta Blues Singers

Skip James is now widely recognized as one of the greatest of the Delta Blues artists, yet he was basically unheard of until his rediscovery in the 1960s during the US blues revival. Skip, having been hospitalised for many years after largely retiring from the music industry, was brought back to prominence and began recording again, despite his poor health.

This album, released in 1965, best displays his iconic skittery playing in a mix of old and new material, while the passing of time has only made his voice that much more haunting. ​

Download: ‘Sickbed Blues’

Miranda Wilkie

The Gun Club – Fire of Love

Fire of Love is perhaps one of the most interesting albums of the 1980s, fusing two genres together to create an entirely new sonic experience. Lead singer Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s gothic southern punk blues is chaotic, grimy, violent, and – essential to all blues music – full of soul.

It reflected the incredibly turbulent life of it’s writer, who’s use of opiates and heavy drinking lead to an early and tragic death at the age of 37. However, he leaves a musical legacy behind him unlike any other- and whilst he utilized different genres, his music is the definition of late-20th-century blues.

Download: ‘Sex Beat’

Andrew Sztehlo