Tuesday, January 1, 2008

A cool drink of water...




















...is what you need the morning after the night before, right? Especially on January 1st. So that´s exactly what you´re going to get. Tommy Johnson´s woman gave him gasoline though. Shit happens. A song covered by many (Howlin´ Wolf did a great version) but never surpassed, because the guitars here are as sharp as razorblades and Johnson´s voice is pure icewater. Probably my favourite delta blues song of all time, and that´s saying a lot. You can find it on the Document album pictured above.

Cool Drink Of Water Blues was revived in the eighties by The Gun Club on their fine Fire Of Love debut. A good choice by Gun Club head honcho Jeffrey Lee Pierce, as his voice is quite similar to Johnson´s. Sorry I can´t put up that version - got it on vinyl only. Jeffrey Lee´s home recording - from the posthumous Early Warning on Sympathy - is not too shabby either though.

Tommy Johnson - Cool Drink Of Water Blues MP3
The Gun Club - Cool Drink Of Water Blues MP3

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