RCA Continues ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ Series

By I Jun. 9, 2003

On May 6, RCA Victor / Bluebird continued its blues reissue series, “When the Sun Goes Down,” with the release of Vol.5: Take This Hammer: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings Of Leadbelly and Vol.6: Poor Man’s Heaven: Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression.

“When the Sun Goes Down” started in August 2002 with a four volume set of digitally remastered music from America’s roots. With all the music recorded and released in or before 1940, volumes 5 and 6 continue the tradition.

Take This Hammer contains 26 tracks, three previously unissued, from Huddie Ledbetter, better know as Leadbelly. Recorded in 1940, the songs are split between solo performances and collaborations with the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet.

According to Colin Escott’s liner notes, the album spoke to middle-class liberals and progressives, which challenged the standard blues album marketed to rural and working-class African Americans. Escott calls it one of the first “blues concept albums.”

The stock market crash in 1929 and the depression that followed affected everything in America. Poor Man’s Heaven looks at the effects on music with 24 tracks, by as many different artists, all recorded between 1929 and 1940. Themes of hardship and hope are apparent.

Artists include Eddie Cantor, Sonny Boy Williamson, Blind Alfred Reed, and Fiddlin’ John Carson. The album contains original versions of Ry Cooder recordings “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times” and “Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All,” and a 1932 version of the classic “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?” later covered by Brubeck and Pavarotti among others.