Bleep

One of many distinctive voices to appear on Frederic Ramsay Jr’s 1955 field recordings Music Of The South, Horace Sprott’s powerful contribution to the series is celebrated by Death Is Not The End with this collection. Ain’t This A Mean World draws together Stott’s performances from three volumes of Ramsay’s extensive cultural document, from well-worn standards like ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ to the downtrodden proto-blues of ‘Smoked Like Lightning’. The grit and rawness of Stott’s unaccompanied voice is as fascinating as it is compelling – this is a beautiful snapshot of a critical crossroads in the history of western music, delivered by a man who seems to carry the weight of the world in his vocal chords.