This is it, if you have to buy one Son House record, stop looking. This is the ONLY recording available, that puts the best of Son House career in one CD. From his first recording to the last, spannng different labels for the first time. Some of the early tracks are not easy to listen, lots of surface noise, but its not that bad in perspective.

A really fine attempt at making a career-spanning compilation, this installment in the "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues"-series is a bit too short to be truly magnificent, but the song selection is very, very good, virtually perfect.

Son House was one of the most important figures ever in popular music, a frighteningly intense performer and an awesome slide guitarist, and the main source of inspiration to men like Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson.
This CD includes songs from his 1930 session for Columbia Records, songs from his 1941-42 Library of Congress recordings, and songs from his mid-sixties comeback.
The fidelity on the three 1930 cuts is less than stellar, but the power of those old and scratchy recordings is incredible, and the Library of Congress recordings are the only known waxings of Son House playing with a band, although he is backed (subtly and very sympathetically) by a harp-playing Alan Wilson on the 1965 recording of the epic, 9-minute "Levee Camp Moan".

Also included is the awesome "Death Letter Blues", the a capella numbers "John The Revelator" and "Grinnin' In Your Face", and one of the most impressive acoustic slide guitar-numbers I've ever heard, the slashing "Pearline".
These fourteen songs are not the definitive word on Son House, of course, but if you just want one disc in your collection, or if you're looking for a sampler to get you started, this CD is a great choice, and probably the best installment in the "Martin Scorsese Presents"-series.

This Cd is actually really good. however a good chunk of it is from his Father of the Delta Blues Cd set, and the recording quality of the other tracks is extreamly poor, so you would probable be a little better off with The Father of the Delta Blues. Even though some of the tracks are really badly recorded, it is entirly worth buying and is my favorite out of all the Martin scorsese individual artist Cds.