Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1935-1936)

by Thom OwensFor completists, specialists, and academics, Document's Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1936-1937) is invaluable, offering an exhaustive overview of Kokomo Arnold's early recordings. For less-dedicated listeners, the disc is a mixed blessing. There are some absolutely wonderful, classic performances on the collection -- "Policy Wheel Blues" and "'Cause You're Dirty" to name just two -- but the long running time, exacting chronological sequencing, and poor fidelity (all cuts are transferred from original acetates and 78s) are hard to digest. The serious blues listener will find all these factors to be positive, but casual listeners will find the collection of marginal interest for the very same reasons.