I never get tired of this. I can listen to this over and over again. Indeed I have. His playing is hypnotic. His sound is irresistible. I'm so grateful for this music.
Shane Woodbury he put a little of his own southern gospel twist on things I feel. I’ve learned to play several of his songs but some of them are really hard to make sound the way he played them. He just had something special
"Hypnotic" is right. I don't suggest driving a motor vehicle while playing this recording. I almost lost control of my pickup truck on highway 118 north of Terlingua, Texas back in 1994.
Fred was a friend of mine. For real. I met him at the Ash Grove in LA, and we talked on the phone a lot, which cost me all the money I had at the time. Money well spent. I requested this song, which he played on the first of 3 sets that night. It was a double bill with the Persuasions, but I never saw them, because Fred invited me into his dressing room to talk about things. Precious memories.
Hey brother, I had that experience with Memphis slim at sweet basil in NYc 39 years ago. THANX for sharing. I was never the same after meeting him.peace.
What a sound Fred gets from one guitar! He sounds like he's got a partner playing a 2nd guitar hidden behind a curtain, but we know it's really just Fred's own talent. I don't know how he plays such a perfect , hypnotic rhythm line at the same time as he's playing all kinds of beautiful lead notes, while playing slide too! He's a magician, & his magic produces soulful music!
I had a guitar teacher tell me a great guitarist should sound like two mediocre guitarists in a trench coat. If that’s the case I dunno what you would call Mr. McDowell than a savant of a player
Fred mcdowell is one name that rarely comes up when you talk to people about blues greats, this finger picking is unbelievable and this particular song has had me stumped for months, I dont know how the fuck hes playing this.
How do some of these old school blues guys learn to keep the rhythem with the base notes so well. It never ceases to amaze me when I watch guys like this, JLH, and lightnin hopkins. They keep that base line rock solid no matter what they do. Sounds easy in theory but as I have discovered my own guitar playing its hard as hell to do.
Same here...i'm white...i think you have to be black...they seem to just have that rhythm in them. I've heard many great white guitarists play those bass lines that Fred is playing but it's just not the same
I just saw the Bruce Springstein version and he had like 20 musicians on stage. Meanwhile Fred and his guitar blow all 20 of them out of the water with perfect plucks and majestic tone. I first heard him on Ken Burns Jazz compilation almost 20 years back. best discovery of my musical life. Everyone else sounds light after FRED
@@aldito7586 Hill country blues (also known as North Mississippi hill country blues or North Mississippi blues) is a regional style of country blues. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion, steady guitar riffs, few chord changes, unconventional song structures, and heavy emphasis on the "groove", which has been characterized as the "hypnotic boogie". Wikipedia
my uncle HENRY was a sante fe RAILROAD MAN .. he taught me about the BLUES ...A GOOD MAN MY SON CARRIES THAT NAME HENRY ..... RIP UNCLE THANK YOU YOU WILL BE MISSED
He is a true master of the slide in this song!!! I found out I had been holding my breath when this finished. He kept the speed going...just like the train. Great song! Love your video. I have a new 'favorite', but I do love all the old blues I see. He is really special in this song. Thank you so much for posting this.
He is playing through the pain in his soul...You can see it on his face!!! He sho is Praching!!! Better than most churches!!!20 Big Fat Stars for this video!!! ONE LOVE!!!
Amazing !!! I have been listening to Fred McDowell for Decades and yet I am always hearing something new or different with each listen. Perhaps it is just age , I don't know. Timeless man. Dark ,deep, hypnotic soul .
More importantly who can play like him ? I saw this in 2012 and i have never seen anyone play slide with this energy on TH-cam with an electric guitar. Anything Mississippi Fred McDowell did live on film solo is a masterpiece but also as rare as hens teeth. For most of his life he played on acoustic archtop guitars only switching to electric later on. Some of the acoustic tracks he did for Alan Lomax are absolute gems. It's sad to think about how many people back then who weren't discovered or rediscovered by folk archivists like Alan Lomax and others.
Es la primera piesa que escuche del señor Macdowell yo tenia como 10 años hoy tengo 56 y no hay quién le llege o se compare , gracias Mississippi Fred macdowell.
Considering the average person on the street knows who Madonna, Britney Spears & Justin Bieber are,but likely doesn't know who Fred McDowell is (a far greater musical talent than any of those 3 pop tarts) - let's say a rare talent like Fred's deserves much more recognition! On the other hand, 440,951 views (as of this writing) of this video's welcome proof Fred's not forgotten! To me, Fred's the perfect bluesman, 'cause his playing & singing are both so compelling, even soothing. Fred's the man!
Towards the end of his career, when the Delta blues had been suffering in its marketability at the hands of rock n' roll, Mississippi Fred was asked if he would play some of the new rock n' roll at one of his final shows. He replied "Mississippi Fred don't play no rock n' roll, son" and went on to dish up some of this atomic caliber slidin. One of the GREATS.
Yes, Fred is one of my all time faves! On a number of his tunes he very very gradually increases the tempo; what a great effect! He drove a tractor most of his life. He is "all in" one hundred percent! God I love this guy!
My uncle was a screaming eagle 101 he always listen to this man as i got older i grew to love him too we are from Massachusetts he told me a brother of his got him listening to Fred over in Nam
Oh Lord...I just Love this guy.....Play my Fred records a Lot. The recordings from his home - in the kitchen - are Too F***** Much!...you can hear kids and family noises in the background. Would love to've been his next-door neighbor!!!
@gogoreddz I have made carrying on this music my number one goal in life, im 16 years old nd i listen to nothing but music from the 1920s to the 1970s. i play mandolin, harmonica, guitar, autoharp, banjo, tenor banjo, nd i sing, I will be sure to make sure this wonderful nd truly one of a kind music gets passed on to future generations.
I don't see the reason to complain.. I was damn happy R.L received some recognition and I'm happy any time somebody young copies a little off of a good old bluesman helps to keep it alive and maybe have some kid ask; hey where does that come from??
evilbone: there is no "why;" it's the blues, the greatest music ever given to the world. If it bypasses the intellect and hits you in the viscera, then it's doing it's job. This is the people's music, as the great Son House said. I'm white, from New York City--far removed from the black experience in the Mississippi Delta--and it cuts to the core of my being. If you've suffered; been mistreated; been punched in the face, literally or figuratively, you'll understand this sublime art form.
well i was lucky i heard from fred mcdowell when i was ten years old so that was 34 yars ago in that same line was sonny terrry my dad had albums of them and played them a lot
Fred McDowell is never listed among the greatest guitar players, and I don't understand why. His technique is amazing; he puts many other so-called "guitar" players to shame.
I never get tired of this. I can listen to this over and over again. Indeed I have. His playing is hypnotic. His sound is irresistible. I'm so grateful for this music.
Shane Woodbury he put a little of his own southern gospel twist on things I feel. I’ve learned to play several of his songs but some of them are really hard to make sound the way he played them. He just had something special
"Hypnotic" is right. I don't suggest driving a motor vehicle while playing this recording. I almost lost control of my pickup truck on highway 118 north of Terlingua, Texas back in 1994.
@@randyraeder2333NJ Turnpike northbound Aug. 21, 2023. Yes, us northern folk get down with this man as well.
Fred was a friend of mine. For real. I met him at the Ash Grove in LA, and we talked on the phone a lot, which cost me all the money I had at the time. Money well spent. I requested this song, which he played on the first of 3 sets that night. It was a double bill with the Persuasions, but I never saw them, because Fred invited me into his dressing room to talk about things. Precious memories.
Ed Boswell if that's true, that's amazing. You knew a legend.
i dont believe it.
@@jeffbuckley4453 Based on what evidence?
Hey brother, I had that experience with Memphis slim at sweet basil in NYc 39 years ago. THANX for sharing. I was never the same after meeting him.peace.
Nothing more said.
This man is a legend. Everyone should know his name.
Fred McDowell is like a voice from the mountaintop. Just incredible.
My favorite blues musiscian. This guy changes my musical life. Thank you for Mississippi Fred McDowell...
This is so damn good; One of the most under appreciated blues pickers ever, such a shame
Equally adept on acoustic and a slide master. Father of North Mississippi Hill blues and a true legend.
truly haunting. i've never heard something so raw.
Give a listen to Robert Pete Williams' music. Different style but at times he could make Fred sound smooth!
Dude are you still alive?
What a sound Fred gets from one guitar! He sounds like he's got a partner playing a 2nd guitar hidden behind a curtain, but we know it's really just Fred's own talent. I don't know how he plays such a perfect , hypnotic rhythm line at the same time as he's playing all kinds of beautiful lead notes, while playing slide too! He's a magician, & his magic produces soulful music!
I had a guitar teacher tell me a great guitarist should sound like two mediocre guitarists in a trench coat. If that’s the case I dunno what you would call Mr. McDowell than a savant of a player
Fred mcdowell is one name that rarely comes up when you talk to people about blues greats, this finger picking is unbelievable and this particular song has had me stumped for months, I dont know how the fuck hes playing this.
When I die, PLEASE Lord send me to Blues HEAVEN!
How do some of these old school blues guys learn to keep the rhythem with the base notes so well. It never ceases to amaze me when I watch guys like this, JLH, and lightnin hopkins. They keep that base line rock solid no matter what they do. Sounds easy in theory but as I have discovered my own guitar playing its hard as hell to do.
Same here...i'm white...i think you have to be black...they seem to just have that rhythm in them. I've heard many great white guitarists play those bass lines that Fred is playing but it's just not the same
@@davenorman6717 Well Bonnie Raitt comes pretty damn close. He taught her everthing he knew. She is about as close as you'll get.
no one else to this day can play like that man. damn.
I just saw the Bruce Springstein version and he had like 20 musicians on stage. Meanwhile Fred and his guitar blow all 20 of them out of the water with perfect plucks and majestic tone.
I first heard him on Ken Burns Jazz compilation almost 20 years back. best discovery of my musical life. Everyone else sounds light after FRED
A classic Mississippi Fred album was titled I Do Not Play No Rock n Roll. His words.
He played something a LOT better !!!
Correct! It was his first record featuring him on electric. Malaco Records 1969.
@@aldito7586 Hill country blues (also known as North Mississippi hill country blues or North Mississippi blues) is a regional style of country blues. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion, steady guitar riffs, few chord changes, unconventional song structures, and heavy emphasis on the "groove", which has been characterized as the "hypnotic boogie". Wikipedia
Mississippi hill country at it's best! Brother McDowell!
Solid alternating bass with independent lead lines, you gotta love this stuff. Thanks to the poster.
Wow, I've listened to this man for a long time now, but I never have been able to see him play. Just pure awesome!
my uncle HENRY was a sante fe RAILROAD MAN .. he taught me about the BLUES ...A GOOD MAN
MY SON CARRIES THAT NAME HENRY .....
RIP UNCLE
THANK YOU YOU WILL BE MISSED
He is a true master of the slide in this song!!! I found out I had been holding my breath when this finished. He kept the speed going...just like the train. Great song! Love your video. I have a new 'favorite', but I do love all the old blues I see. He is really special in this song. Thank you so much for posting this.
Talent beyond words... and for my money, the greatest blues guitarist .
Love them Delta Blues Just the sound of that guitar GodBlessLovePeaceToAllNations
That's hill country, not delta.🎸
@@douglaspaterson5269hill country is delta blues' kid.
@@tdb517 I'm sixty years old (definitely not a kid) and there is a difference between Delta and Hill county, my grandfather was from Mississippi.😉
This is real masterwork brilliant touch my soul.
This guy was amazing.
His sense of rythmn is amazing! All hail these kings..keep them coming...
magnificent guitar pickin'
Great sound. Legend.
This man is pure blues super genius class...
He is playing through the pain in his soul...You can see it on his face!!! He sho is Praching!!! Better than most churches!!!20 Big Fat Stars for this video!!! ONE LOVE!!!
Mississippi Fred, it doesn't get any better, absolute pure GOLD.....!!!!
speechless, thank god for this !
Amazing !!! I have been listening to Fred McDowell for Decades and yet I am always hearing something new or different with each listen. Perhaps it is just age , I don't know. Timeless man. Dark ,deep, hypnotic soul .
reaches in, grabs you by the soul, never lets go. absolutely spellbinding.
Who else listens to this masterpiece in 2020
More importantly who can play like him ? I saw this in 2012 and i have never seen anyone play slide with this energy on TH-cam with an electric guitar. Anything Mississippi Fred McDowell did live on film solo is a masterpiece but also as rare as hens teeth. For most of his life he played on acoustic archtop guitars only switching to electric later on. Some of the acoustic tracks he did for Alan Lomax are absolute gems. It's sad to think about how many people back then who weren't discovered or rediscovered by folk archivists like Alan Lomax and others.
2021 here i'm 👍🇺🇾
Me too,love this,is great,grettings from Germany
Absolutely Dynamite!!!!
The Best "Authentic" Version!
Thanx For Posting!!!
Good ol John Henry. These brothers had all the talent in the world an plus
This guy was beyond beyond man !!!
Es la primera piesa que escuche del señor Macdowell yo tenia como 10 años hoy tengo 56 y no hay quién le llege o se compare , gracias Mississippi Fred macdowell.
This is rare video footage of a true master of the Delta Blues style...
It's Hill Country brother, not Delta...VERY different. 🎵
One of my favorite Blues Musicians!!! AMAZING!
never knew ... thx for posting... remembering what great musicians we had
Grandissimo
I Love this I come here regulally
we'll never be lost with guys like these and performances like these.
Considering the average person on the street knows who Madonna, Britney Spears & Justin Bieber are,but likely doesn't know who Fred McDowell is (a far greater musical talent than any of those 3 pop tarts) - let's say a rare talent like Fred's deserves much more recognition! On the other hand, 440,951 views (as of this writing) of this video's welcome proof Fred's not forgotten!
To me, Fred's the perfect bluesman, 'cause his playing & singing are both so compelling, even soothing. Fred's the man!
Brilliant !!! Singer Bonnie Raitt referred to him as her ideal blues stylist and inspiration. He died 3rd July, 1972.
this guy can PLAY....fantastic
Fred was the best.
My only regret is that I was 35 before I ever heard Fred M. !! Making up for lost time now !!!!
I just love Fred,s music,he was so Damm good!!!😁😁😁
My favorite blues...the "Singing Guitar" style. Amazing!
Absolutely amazing!!!
You're absolutely right ... he goes on to list a number of John's writings through the song.
Please, someone post more Fred McDowell!
Towards the end of his career, when the Delta blues had been suffering in its marketability at the hands of rock n' roll, Mississippi Fred was asked if he would play some of the new rock n' roll at one of his final shows. He replied "Mississippi Fred don't play no rock n' roll, son" and went on to dish up some of this atomic caliber slidin. One of the GREATS.
Fred Mcdowell est le meilleur... Il est le BLUES! Tout simplement sublime!
Yes, Fred is one of my all time faves! On a number of his tunes he very very gradually increases the tempo; what a great effect! He drove a tractor most of his life. He is "all in" one hundred percent! God I love this guy!
My uncle was a screaming eagle 101 he always listen to this man as i got older i grew to love him too we are from Massachusetts he told me a brother of his got him listening to Fred over in Nam
this is, without a doubt, the best version of this tune i have ever seen.
Oh Lord...I just Love this guy.....Play my Fred records a Lot. The recordings from his home - in the kitchen - are Too F***** Much!...you can hear kids and family noises in the background. Would love to've been his next-door neighbor!!!
THIS IS THE ORIGINS OF ROCK....THE YOUTH NOWADAYS DONT HAVE ANYONE 2 CARRYON THIS MUSIC..THX 4 TH-cam...
Mississippi Fred McDowell plays like he's afraid not to play - i love it!
This guy rocks !
One word: SlideTASTIC!!
That is a nice looking guitar . . . .. brilliantly played of course .. . . :) .
aaaah god. thanks so much for posting this. it's unbelievable. I love Mississippi Fred.
Got me a resonator guitar today.Nothin like Fred Mcdowell.Straight to the soul
Excellent
A classic song made even better by Fred!! MC
He makes what is so difficult look so easy!
Wow blues forever. Eternal like the spirit.
I stumbled across him at age 22 and was certainly happy to.
Incredible musician.
@gogoreddz I have made carrying on this music my number one goal in life, im 16 years old nd i listen to nothing but music from the 1920s to the 1970s. i play mandolin, harmonica, guitar, autoharp, banjo, tenor banjo, nd i sing, I will be sure to make sure this wonderful nd truly one of a kind music gets passed on to future generations.
So raw,brutal and beautiful!
2021 still playing here.. 🎸🎶💯
I don't see the reason to complain.. I was damn happy R.L received some recognition and I'm happy any time somebody young copies a little off of a good old bluesman helps to keep it alive and maybe have some kid ask; hey where does that come from??
Awesome
The Magic is in its soul, The magis in its simolicity
Love this blast from the 20th century.
Totally addicted to this song. McDowell does a live version of this (with a bass backup). The crowd goes wild; with that verson was on TH-cam.
A W S O M E, very awsome, - fantastic song, and such a great singer.
A Real Treasure This Is!
Would Love to Hear More of These Originals!
Thanx!
Absolutely amazing - love it- gonna shake to it all night
evilbone: there is no "why;" it's the blues, the greatest music ever given to the world. If it bypasses the intellect and hits you in the viscera, then it's doing it's job. This is the people's music, as the great Son House said. I'm white, from New York City--far removed from the black experience in the Mississippi Delta--and it cuts to the core of my being. If you've suffered; been mistreated; been punched in the face, literally or figuratively, you'll understand this sublime art form.
That's awesome, man...anybody that doesn't dig this is a fool
the first time i saw him, i thought like you. but later i changed up my mind cause his music is real good.
Absolutely wonderful!
this always get me on my feet
@TheSlickAndroid I agree, thank goodness all these wonderful old clips stil exist and are available to watch on the internet.
brilliant!
Mind blowing
well i was lucky i heard from fred mcdowell when i was ten years old so that was 34 yars ago in that same line was sonny terrry my dad had albums of them and played them a lot
Haven't heard this guy before. Wow. I'll be hearing more that's for sure. Thanks for the post.
Whew! I needed that! Thanks for posting this Blues gem
roots & rock at its best.
this is the real shit crazy
This is so bad ass!!!
5 Stars
Fred McDowell is never listed among the greatest guitar players, and I don't understand why. His technique is amazing; he puts many other so-called "guitar" players to shame.
he does not play no rock n roll..just straight nat'ul blues ;) love it!
Holy shit indeed! It's a beautiful world!