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AMG AllMusic Review by Eugene Chadbourne  [-]

Of the handful of blues artists who were rediscovered and recorded anew in the '60s, this particular fellow was the least prolific, but perhaps the most consistent. In the course of only a few recording opportunities, he completely captured the intensity of his recording output of the late '20s and '30s as well as that of any of his contemporaries, and he did it all effortlessly. On some of the tracks, it is just a matter of setting a mood or keeping the rhythm consistently engaging as he strums his guitar. Playing the guitar flat on his lap, he gets a slightly different sound from some of the same licks that other country blues or slide players come up with, but also works in his own non-slide fingerpicking, including extremely intelligent use of the ringing overtones that can be created by doubling up bass notes. Most blues listeners found out about Wilkins because the Rolling Stones somehow thought they could get away with completely ripping off his song "Prodigal Son." Early pressings of their cover version can be identified by the fact that it is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as songwriters, a scam that was corrected later due to legal action. Many blues artists had trouble squaring up such treachery, but perhaps Wilkins had God on his side: He was devoutly religious, devoting each of the songs on this set to a gospel theme. Listeners who may feel unholy should not let this scare them off, as it is solid blues playing all the way and in fact even branches out into other areas of acoustic playing. The long instrumental section of "Thank You, Jesus," with its ringing chords and interesting repeating patterns, is something John Fahey would have been proud of playing. The ten-minute version of "Prodigal Son" is the centerpiece of the set, one of the few examples of an extended country blues performance and one of the best. Although this is the album's longest track, others are stretched out to nearly five minutes, Wilkins never flagging in his momentum or involvement with each piece. His interpretation of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" is extremely beautiful. The album benefits from an extremely clear and vivid recorded sound.

Rev. Robert Wilkins* ?– Memphis Gospel Singer

TracklistHide Credits

Companies etc

• Recorded At – Wynwood Recording Studio
• Produced For – Music Research, Inc.

Credits

• Design – G.L. Moore, Tom Hoskins
• Liner Notes – Dick Spottswood
• Mastered By – Peter Bartok
• Photography [Cover Photo] – G.L. Moore
• Photography [Liner Photo] – Pete Grant
• Recorded By – Peter V. Kuykendall*

Notes

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (Matrix Side A): RI3925A
• Matrix / Runout (Matrix Side B): RI3925B
• Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A): PLP-13162-A
• Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B): PLP-13162-B

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GOLDMINE GRADING

MINT ---- It should appear to be perfect. No scuffs or scratches, blotches or stains, labels or writing, tears or splits. Mint means perfect.

NEAR MINT ---- Otherwise mint but has one or two tiny inconsequential flaws that do not affect play. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ring-wear, minor denting to a corner, or writing on the cover should all be noted properly.

VERY GOOD PLUS ---- The record has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. Not too far from perfect. On a disc, there may be light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl or some of the original luster may be lost. A slight scratch that did not affect play would be acceptably VG+ for most collectors.

VERY GOOD ---- Record displays visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, light surface scratches, groove wear and spindle trails. Some audible surface noise, but should not overwhelm the musical experience. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc.

GOOD ---- Well played with little luster and significant surface noise. Despite defects, record should still play all the way through without skipping. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork.

POOR ---- Any record or cover that does not qualify for the above "Good" grading should be seen as Poor. Several cover flaws.