King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II
Introduction '''''King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II''''' is a compilation album by American blues musician Robert Johnson, released in 1970 by Columbia Records. In 2003, the album was ranked number 424 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Music The album compiles sixteen recordings, ten of which were previously available as 78 rpm records on the Vocalion label, originally recorded during five sessions in 1936 and 1937.Through the course of the 1960s, blues music had become more visible in the popular music landscape of the day. Songs from Johnson's first album had been covered by popular rock artists in the late sixties, including Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones.Columbia decided it was time to issue another Johnson album, scoured the vaults again and came up with nine additional Vocalion masters, three unreleased alternate takes and two unreleased tracks (a matrix was made for "Drunken Hearted Man" in 1937 but it seems it was never released). Likely finding no further acceptable recordings, to bring the number of tracks to the same sixteen as on Volume I, "Ramblin' On My Mind" and "Preachin' Blues" from the earlier LP were issued again.Although not quite as popular or influential as its predecessor, it includes recordings of two Johnson songs that have become blues standards, "Sweet Home Chicago" and "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom." In contrast to the deeply emotive songs released on the 1961 album, many of the tracks on Volume II display Johnson's lighter side. ''King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II'' was reissued on August 10, 2004 by the Legacy Records subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, with the master version of "Ramblin' On My Mind" appended as a bonus track.
Track listing ===Side one=== Track  Song Title  Recorded  Catalogue  Released  Time 1. "Kind Hearted Woman Blues"  November 23, 1936  Vocalion 3416  1937  2:28 2. "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom"  November 23, 1936  Vocalion 3475  1937  2:57 3. "Sweet Home Chicago"  November 23, 1936  Vocalion 3601  1937  2:57 4. "Ramblin' On My Mind"  November 23, 1936  Columbia LP-1654  1961  2:50 5. "Phonograph Blues"  November 23, 1936  previously unreleased  1970  2:38 6. "They're Red Hot"  November 27, 1936  Vocalion 3563  1937  2:56 7. "Dead Shrimp Blues"  November 27, 1936  Vocalion 3475  1937  2:29 8. "Preaching Blues"  November 27, 1936  Vocalion 4630  1939  2:49===Side two=== Track  Song Title  Recorded  Catalogue  Released  Time 1. "I'm a Steady Rollin' Man"  June 19, 1937  Vocalion 3723  1937  2:35 2. "From Four Till Late"  June 19, 1937  Vocalion 3623  1937  2:20 3. "Little Queen of Spades"  June 20, 1937  unreleased alternate take  1970  2:16 4. "Malted Milk"  June 20, 1937  Vocalion 3665  1937  2:20 5. "Drunken Hearted Man"  June 20, 1937  previously unreleased  1970  2:26 6. "Stop Breakin' Down Blues"  June 20, 1937  unreleased alternate take  1970  2:21 7. "Honeymoon Blues"  June 20, 1937  Vocalion 4002  1938  2:16 8. "Love in Vain"  June 20, 1937  unreleased alternate take  1970  2:20===2004 reissue bonus track=== Track  Song Title  Recorded  Catalogue  Released  Time 17. "Ramblin' on My Mind"  November 23, 1936  Vocalion 3519  1937  2:23
Notes
References *
External links * '' King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II'' at Discogs