The leftovers of The Reefer Songs album? (Viper Mad Blues: 25 Songs Of Dope And Depravity)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Viper Mad Blues: 25 Songs Of Dope And Depravity
Date:	06/06/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Still some excellent songs there

Disadvantages: A few filler tracks and poor recordings

Viper Mad Blues is one of two compilations that collect songs from an era where marijuana enjoyed relative relaxed laws, rap and reggae today regularly refer to drugs, just as a some 60s music did but never has it been packaged in such an entertaining way as during the 20s, 30s and 40s. It's impossible not to compare this album to the similar compilation "Reefer Songs" which covers a similar timeframe and the same topic. 2 songs are found on both albums but the material is different.

Viper Mad Blues opt for more jazzier tunes but there's still a fair amount of blues. There's some cracking tracks here from musicians from different backgrounds - wealthy and poor including big name artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway and ones who died a young death like Lil Green and Fats Waller.

It has to be said that all of these artists are impressive characters and my favourite song on the album comes from one of the toughest of the lot who would put most of your modern day rappers to shame. That of course is the temperamental genius that is Leadbelly, who graces the accordion and 12 strong guitar with as much accuracy as his punches and had numerous prison sentences incuding one in which he got stabbed in the neck badly and removed the knife and almost killed his attacker.

Despite the star studded pot smoking line-up of artists, I'd say that some of the versions of songs like "Reefer Man" on this album are not the best ones, there are also numerous filler songs that seem to be there only for the lyrical content (marijuana) rather than the quality of the track. The album cover is a bit trashy, there's little info provided and how factual the "deprivation" part of it could be questioned by "The cats and the fiddle" who make life sound like a children's game with their chirpy vocals - "Killin' Jive" - if the prohibition or downturn of the 1930s was taking its toll, they certainly didn't show it.

1 Kicking The Gong Around - Calloway, Cab & His Cotton Club Orchestra
2 Dope Head Blues - Spivey, Victoria & Lonnie Johnson
3 Cocaine Habit Blues - Memphis Jug Band
4 Pipe Dream Blues - Meyers, Hazel
5 Smoking Reefers - Adler, Larry
6 Take A Whiff On Me - Leadbelly
7 Killin' Jive - Cats & The Fiddle
8 You're A Viper - Smith, Stuff & His Onyx Club Boys
9 Reefer Man - Lee, Baron Blue Rhythm Band
10 Stuff Is Here And It's Mellow - Brown, Cleo
11 Onyx Hop - Newton, Frankie Uptown Serenaders
12 Knocking Myself Out - Green, Lil
13 Junker's Blues - Dupree, 'Champion' Jack
14 Reefer Hound Blues - Jones, Curtis
15 Reefer Song - Waller, Fats
16 I'm Feelin' High And Happy - Krupa, Gene & His Orchestra
17 When I Get Low I Get High - Fitzgerald, Ella & Chick Webb Orchestra
18 Ol' Man River - Williams, Cootie & His Rug Cutters
19 Blue Reefer Blues - Jones, Richard M. & His Jazz Wizards
20 Cocaine - Justice, Dick
21 Reefer Head Woman - Gillum, Bill 'Jazz' & His Jazz Boys
22 Willie The Weeper - Jaxon, Frankie 'Half Pint'
23 Cocaine Blues - Jordan, Luke
24 Blue Drag - Taylor, Freddy & His Swing Men
25 Viper's Moan - Bryant, Willie & His Orchestra

This review was also posted on my website http://www.musicneverdied.com

Summary: Not bad but put to shame by The Reefer Songs album