popification pop-'f--׀kā-sh'n n: the refinement of an art form so as to make it more apt to
consumption by the public.
Popification in the world of music is ubiquitous. We've all seen it, when "roots" artists release revolutionary and rough pieces of work that are celebrated by a few for their genius and novelty but ignored by the masses. Then, over time, new artists emerge and sanitize the "roots music" with perhaps more melody, better instrumentation, or improved production and suddenly it becomes a phenomenon. This notion occurs in all musical genres and thanks to the Mississippi Sheiks, the Delta Blues were no different.
The Sheiks, a 1930s outfit, took the solemn, haunting meanderings of blues icons, Son House and Robert Johnson, and infused them with charismatic, carnival-caller vocals and a merry fiddle section. The advent of this refinement found the band playing to festival and dancehall crowds in New York and Chicago and sharing bills with the Louis Armstrong Orchestra. The band wrote their own pop songs while also giving
treatments to folk standards. This collection, The Best of the Mississippi Sheiks, assembles all of the band's 20 "hits" onto a 65-minute string-blues extravaganza. Simple division reveals that, even in the '30s, there existed a savvy for writing the three minute pop song. What we're treated to in that span is nothing short of sweet, ear candy.
To call their music 'pop' or ear candy is not to belittle the Sheiks' artistic talents. The instrumentation found here (particularly the fiddle work) is superb. More impressively, we can hear the tonal and key complexities of House and Johnson as well as Charlie Patton who, for a time, was a member of the group. "Still I'm Traveling On" and "Please Don't Wake it Up" introduce us to the Mississippi Sheik sound with their standard blues bass-strum-trot used for rhythm, fused with a fiddle that successfully parlays the bands' attempts at melody and mood. Sometimes humming above occasional guitar breaks, the fiddle charms the listener with its drama. "Sitting on Top of the World" is triumphant in this vain. The pace of the collection changes with "Stop and Listen Blues," slower guitar harmonics. This, however, is one of the only true deviations from the Sheiks formula. While they demonstrate their versatility at times, the Sheiks calling card remains their blues trots which are both merry and danceable. The listener too will find that these pieces dominate this record. To the modern listener (including this reviewer) this collection begins to feel redundant about halfway through. What's important to remember, however, is that versatility is only a contemporary musical virtue. In the 1930s, when blues was in its formative stages, more weight had been placed on finding a sound and perfecting it.
Many Sheiks numbers have been covered by the likes of Howlin' Wolf, the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan; this aids the music in finding context within the information age. The fact that the band pooled structural notions from the budding Delta Blues scene and refined it to create music for mass consumption showcases their ability to innovate and perform. While many music purists celebrate 'roots art' and place stigma on creating pop music from it, The Mississippi Sheiks demonstrate that structure is only half the battle.
The Sheiks, a 1930s outfit, took the solemn, haunting meanderings of blues icons, Son House and Robert Johnson, and infused them with charismatic, carnival-caller vocals and a merry fiddle section. The advent of this refinement found the band playing to festival and dancehall crowds in New York and Chicago and sharing bills with the Louis Armstrong Orchestra. The band wrote their own pop songs while also giving
treatments to folk standards. This collection, The Best of the Mississippi Sheiks, assembles all of the band's 20 "hits" onto a 65-minute string-blues extravaganza. Simple division reveals that, even in the '30s, there existed a savvy for writing the three minute pop song. What we're treated to in that span is nothing short of sweet, ear candy.
To call their music 'pop' or ear candy is not to belittle the Sheiks' artistic talents. The instrumentation found here (particularly the fiddle work) is superb. More impressively, we can hear the tonal and key complexities of House and Johnson as well as Charlie Patton who, for a time, was a member of the group. "Still I'm Traveling On" and "Please Don't Wake it Up" introduce us to the Mississippi Sheik sound with their standard blues bass-strum-trot used for rhythm, fused with a fiddle that successfully parlays the bands' attempts at melody and mood. Sometimes humming above occasional guitar breaks, the fiddle charms the listener with its drama. "Sitting on Top of the World" is triumphant in this vain. The pace of the collection changes with "Stop and Listen Blues," slower guitar harmonics. This, however, is one of the only true deviations from the Sheiks formula. While they demonstrate their versatility at times, the Sheiks calling card remains their blues trots which are
both merry and danceable. The listener too will find that these pieces dominate this record. To the modern listener (including this reviewer) this collection begins to feel redundant about halfway through. What's important to remember, however, is that versatility is only a contemporary musical virtue. In the 1930s, when blues was in its formative stages, more weight had been placed on finding a sound and perfecting it.
Many Sheiks numbers have been covered by the likes of Howlin' Wolf, the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan; this aids the music in finding context within the information age. The fact that the band pooled structural notions from the budding Delta Blues scene and refined it to create music for mass consumption showcases their ability to innovate and perform. While many music purists celebrate 'roots art' and place stigma on creating pop music from it, The Mississippi Sheiks demonstrate that structure is only half the battle.
1. Still I'm Traveling On
2. Please Don't Wake it Up
3. Stop and Listen Blues #2
4. Sitting on Top of the World
5. The Jazz Fiddler
6. Seen Better Days
7. Driving That Thing
8. Bed Spring Poker
9. When You're Sick With the Blues
10. I've Got Blood in My Eyes for You
11. Things About Comin' My Way
12. Livin' in a Strain
13. Last Stage Blues
14. Frost Texas Tornado Blues
15. Your Good Man Caught the Train and Gone
16. Unhappy Blues
17. Honey Babe Let the Deal Go Down
18. Ramrod Blues
19. West Jackson Blues
20. Bootlegger's Blues