Hear Me Howling: Blues Ballads & Beyond / Various Hear Me Howling: Blues Ballads & Beyond / Various CD

The Arhoolie Records 50th-anniversary box squeezes 72 tracks (38 unissued) into 4 CDs. With those is a full-color, 136-page hardcover book full of photos that tells the story of Chris Strachwitz and his unquenchable thirst to record real roots music in the Bay Area in the '60s. This big beauty pairs rarities by NOW Creative Arts Ensemble, Vern & Ray and Stanley Willis with cuts by Big Mama Thornton (unreleased versions of Ball and Chain and Hound Dog), Mance Lipscomb (Sugar Babe), Skip James (22-20 Blues), Rev. Gary Davis (Courtin' Boy), Fred McDowell (Louise), Clifton Chenier (Louisiana Rock), Country Joe &the Fish (I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag), Mercy Dee (Lady Luck), Lonnie Johnson (Brenda), Sonny Terry (Changed the Lock on My Door), Lightnin' Hopkins (Tom Moore's Farm), Bukka White (Bald Eagle Train), Big Joe Williams (Highway 49), Jesse Fuller (Brother Low Down) and more!

1. Hump in My Back 2. Brother Low Down 3. Berkeley's Junko Partner 4. Tight Like That 5. Moose March 6. Highway 49 7. Oakland Blues 8. Greystone (Alameda County Jail) Blues 9. I Know You Didn't Want Me 10. Night Shirt Blues 11. Stop Time 12. Hear Me Howling 13. Stand Alone Blues 14. Brenda 15. Changed the Lock on My Door 16. Bald Eagle Train [Take 1] [Take] 17. Tom Moore's Farm 18. Up on Telegraph (Avenue) 19. Lady Luck 20. I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag 21. You Turned Your Back 22. How Could I Stand It 23. Don't Forget Me Love 24. Charles Giteau 25. Midnight Blues 26. Depression Gone from Me 27. Mr. Brakeman 28. Who's Going to Be My Man? 29. Come See 30. Lady Gay 31. Talking Protest Blues 32. Black Jack David 33. Eventually 34. Impressions of John Henry 35. Deportees 36. Big Texas (Grand Texas) 37. Jolie Blonde 38. Turtle Tail 39. The Beatles Are in Town 40. Willie Poor Boy 41. The Titanic 42. Mean Boss Man 43. Sugar Babe 44. Working on a Building 45. The Old Ship of Zion 46. I'm a Soldier 47. Floor Sweepin' Rag 48. Courtin' Boy 49. Shake 'Em on Down 50. Louise 51. Write Me a Few of Your Lines 52. Low Down Dirty Things 53. 22-20 Blues (MR. Kress) 54. Sea Walking Jesus 55. No Special Lover 56. Peace in the Valley 57. Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong 58. The Touch of God's Hand 59. Fore Day in the Mornin 60. Ball and Chain 61. Hound Dog 62. Monsieur Leonard 63. Chi Ca Nai [Slow Drag] 64. Bye Bye Rosa 65. Mr. Charlie 66. Louisiana Rock 67. What Am I Doing Here? 68. To Be a Thief 69. Pretty Good 70. In the Breeze 71. To Trane [Aka Two Trains] 72. The Beauty of Isis