60 Shades of the Deep Blues by Mercury

So for this chart I wanted to give a nice overview of some great, essential deep blues. If you want more discussion and history feel free to check out the corresponding "Genre Extravaganza: DEEP BLUES/COUNTRY BLUES" forum topic. It's really old now so it may be a challenge to uncover it. ; )

Also read books on it. I'd say the best introduction to the story of this amazing music is the book "Deep Blues" by Robert Palmer. It's what I stole the name of this chart from and it's one of my favorite books of any kind.

If you have any recommendations or questions or if you like some particular artist and want to know who/what to check out next - all those things should be made in to comments. And I promise oh get back with you.

Love you beautiful people.

Peace,
Ryan

• Chart updated: 06/12/2022 17:15
• (Created: 05/30/2014 22:56).
• Chart size: 60 albums.

There are 28 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and 60 Shades of the Deep Blues has an average rating of 95 out of 100 (from 61 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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57. (=)

Son House And The Great Delta Blues Singers - Complete Recorded Works 1928-1930 
Compilation

 Various Artists

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Included here cuz this thing contains 2 of the 3 solo recordings of the great Willie Brown. Also gems from Kid Bailey and, of course, early recordings from Son House himself. But, truly HIGHLY recommend anyone who loves blues to listen to "Future Blues" and "M&O Blues" by Willie Brown. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2014]

Year of Release:

1990

Appears in:

4 charts

Rank Score:

3

Rank in 1990:

1,323

Rank in 1990s:

15,536

Overall Rank:

100,515

Average Rating:

 76 (4 votes)

Comments:

1

58. (=)

Anthology Of American Folk Music 
Compilation

 Various Artists

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The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued from 1927 to 1932.

This is a classic box set and an important document as well. It features many forgotten sounds and traditions of American folk. It also presents some of the greatest early blues recordings you'll hear. And if it wasn't for this being lovingly compiled and released in the early 50s it's likely the folk blues revival that germinated 5 to 10 years later would not have occurred. For this reason I feel this is essential listening for anyone wanting to hear the deep blues. It's blue volume is golden. As are the other volumes here. It's also downright fascinating to hear what other veins of music were coinciding with the early blues. To see that this amazing history and musical tradition didn't happen spontaneously and in some kind of vacuum. By listening to this you can hear the spirit of all the strange, dusty, old time music and personalities wafting in and out of the various recordings. This really is the one of the essential documents of the old, weird America that Greil Marcus mentions. And if not for this most of my all time favorite music and artists would not be around today. Thanks a million, Harry Smith. You the real MVP. [First added to this chart: 03/28/2015]

Year of Release:

1952

Appears in:

80 charts

Rank Score:

570

Rank in 1952:

3

Rank in 1950s:

75

Overall Rank:

2,713

Average Rating:

 78 (78 votes)

Comments:

5

59. (=)

American Primitive, Vol. 1: Raw Pre-War Gospel (1926-36) 
Compilation

 Various Artists

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This is a similar project to Harry Smith's Anthology. It's one of the most beautiful documents of the beautiful world of the deep blues, original country, and folk. The blues here feature a lot of religious and Christian undertones. And their is certainly a haunting beauty to all the music, blues and otherwise, contained in this set.

As a great BEAer (and the man who introduced me to the 2 American Primitive sets) put it: "Compiled by John Fahey's Revenant Records with great respect and appreciation, American Primitive is a journey into the raw dusty past of American music. The music is filled with a spirit and vitality that can often be hard to find in today's world." -Meccalecca. [First added to this chart: 03/28/2015]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

4 charts

Rank in 1997:

None

Rank in 1990s:

None

Average Rating:

 75 (4 votes)

Comments:

1

60. (=)

American Primitive, Vol II: Pre-War Revenants (1897-1939) 
Compilation

 Various Artists

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Similar in texture to the other American Primitive set, this one manages to go even deeper. Listening to this is pretty mind blowing. And all that spectral, strange, haunted beauty that is attendant with The Anthology of American Folk Music and the other American Primitive set is here as well. And maybe even more so.

Isn't it just amazing that through the power of music and the primitive technology of recording we can connect with people from a 100+ years ago? Feel the same feelings, hear what they have to say, get their messages? The idea never fails to make me wax poetic and feel deeply thankful to the people who made it go right to go out and record these records, and preserve them, and find them and compile them, etc.

Anyway, this is obviously highly recommended to all you deep blues and country fanatics or fanatics-to-be. [First added to this chart: 03/28/2015]

Year of Release:

2005

Appears in:

3 charts

Rank in 2005:

None

Rank in 2000s:

None

Average Rating:

 74 (6 votes)

Comments:

0

Total albums: 4. Page 1 of 1

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60 Shades of the Deep Blues composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	2	3%
1960s	2	3%
1970s	7	12%
1980s	8	13%
1990s	34	57%
2000s	6	10%
2010s	1	2%
2020s	0	0%

Artist	Albums	%
Various Artists	4	7%
Lightnin' Hopkins	1	2%
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup	1	2%
The Mississippi Sheiks	1	2%
Tommy Johnson	1	2%
Clifford Gibson	1	2%
Bukka White	1	2%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	56	93%
	4	7%

60 Shades of the Deep Blues chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 4 from 12th to 8th Steppin' On The Blues by Lonnie Johnson
Up 3 from 8th to 5th Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker by Blind Blake (US)
Up 2 from 13th to 11th The Original 1928 Recordings by Mississippi John Hurt

Biggest fallers
Down 4 from 2nd to 6th King Of The Country Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson
Down 4 from 9th to 13th The Complete Library Of Congress Sessions 1941-1942 by Son House
Down 3 from 7th to 10th Founder Of The Delta Blues by Charley Patton

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60 Shades of the Deep Blues ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 61 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
85/100	09/02/2021 17:55	rockbluesfolkjaz	75	87/100
85/100	06/11/2021 14:38	Timestarter	114	90/100
100/100	11/08/2020 05:02	DJENNY	4,408	100/100
95/100	09/07/2020 16:38	arthurbittencour	161	90/100
100/100	03/18/2020 16:21	Jameth	48	96/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 94.9/100, a mean average of 95.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 96.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.2.

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60 Shades of the Deep Blues comments

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From Mercury 09/07/2020 16:46

@arthurbittencourt - lol I get it. I love the wild. I am not familiar with a deep delta blues album of his. Pre-war mostly acoustic blues is the center of this chart. I have another chart which I’ve not finished after years of procrastination which is about my fave post WWII mostly electric blues which howlin Wolf is high on cuz he is one of the greats.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From arthurbittencourt 09/07/2020 16:38

95 / 100 just because no Howlin' Wolf.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From Jameth 03/18/2020 16:37

Document Records cut their albums straight, which is why they’re so noisy. You can find comps for Tommy Johnson and others which have lower noise levels. Another important example of this is the more recent Centennial Collection for Robert Johnson, which contains all of the tracks found on The Complete Recordings (plus two more), but is much more listenable. Anyways, I thought I’d mention this because it might be better to steer people new to the blues or pre-war recordings towards the lower noise recordings. Or even to post-war tape recordings for those artists that are fortunate enough to have recorded to tape, such as Son House and Blind Willie McTell.

Thanks for helping the cause of the blues with this awesome chart!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From crimson 12/18/2019 03:49

Man, one of the greatest charts in this site. A loooot to be discovered by the common man in here.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

90/100

From Boltzmann 12/17/2019 22:05

Damn, my blues doesn't go that deep, but I'm glad someone is willing to take the effort to make such a chart. It wouldn't be bad for me to get educated on blues and see where it overlaps with and how it evolved into rock 'n' roll. My previous efforts have been tiresome and unfruitful (everything is hard to find), maybe your chart will be good guidance.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

90/100

From Steppenwolf666 12/17/2019 13:22

Very informative. A subject i don't know too much about.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From StefanR10 07/05/2019 07:42

This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.

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Rating:  

95/100

From arthurbittencourt 03/08/2019 05:27

How old are you my good friend? and how long have you been listening to blues?

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From boppare 01/21/2019 21:16

I thought I knew all there was to know about the Pre-war "deep blues", but this chart just made me add a few albums to my wishlist. Some excellent selections and comments.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From Jasonconfused 11/15/2018 23:57

What an undertaking! I'll have to get to work on this immediately.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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