Review: Mance Lipscomb - American Folk Song Traditionalist Sings Trouble In Mind

Technology is a many splendor thing. We have computers to keep us company, traffic lights to help us know when to stop & go, and electric toothbrushes to better stave off gingivitis. These are all wonderful and necessary items, and the list goes on (don’t even get me started on escalators). One area where technology has definitely made a lasting mark is in the field of music. The invention of the microphone rendered shouting obsolete and ushered in the age of the crooner. Multi-track recording allowed artists to paint sonic portraits never before imagined in the history of recorded sound. Even today, with home recording systems like Pro Tools, you can go from work-a-day slob to the next Phil Spector in a New York minute. Yet, there are days when I yearn for the simpler things in life: long walks on the freeway, a good sandwich, and the sound of a man and his guitar. I’ve usually got the first two covered, and now with the release of Rhino Handmade’s Mance Lipscomb- American Folk Song Traditionalist Sings Trouble In Mind, I’m going for the trifecta.

Mance Lipscomb was a highly influential folk/blues artist from early part of the 20th century. He went on to become an icon of the 1960s blues boom, and had his songs covered by luminaries such as The Byrds and Eric Clapton. With tracks like “Captain, Captain,” “Johnnie Take A One On Me,” and “Motherless Children,” Mance erected a sound that typified the rhythms and character of rural America. A skilled musician who was well versed in several different styles of guitar picking, he eschewed the touring circuit and concentrated on playing marathon shows in and around his hometown of Navasota, Texas. By the time selections from his reputed 350-song catalog were committed to tape, it was the early ‘60’s. Mance was now playing to large & appreciative audiences at folk & blues festivals around the U.S. He retired from touring in the early ‘70’s and passed away in January of 1976. His criminally overlooked legacy survived for years on vinyl relics circulated amongst blues aficionados. And now with the Rhino Handmade release of American Folk Song Traditionalist Sings Trouble In Mind, the songs of Mance Lipscomb will continue to resonate in the hearts of music fans for years to come.

So, the kids can have their blips & bleeps, flashy threads, and Ecstacy. Lord knows the Professor has sweated off a pound or two raving on the dance floor, but when I have a hankering for a heady dose authentic American folk songs, I reach for Mance Lipscomb- American Folk Song Traditionalist Sings Trouble In Mind. It’s pure, it’s simple, and it’s got more depth than the Grand Canyon.