Not a songwriter of note himself, Doc Watson was a folk musician in the broadest sense of the term, and a wonderful interpreter of early Americana equally adept at singing and playing George Gershwin's ''Summertime'' and the traditional blues ''Mama Don't Allow No Music'' as he was at another traditional song often associated with Louis Armstrong, ''St. James Infirmary Blues,'' as well as the ageless ''Wabash Cannonball.'' Though it sounds like hyperbole, there isn't such thing as a bad Doc Watson record, but this boxed set may be the most extraordinary Doc Watson ever captured on tape. Ever.
From the very first notes of the first of the seven different shows presented here, it's clear that Doc, his son, Merle, and bassist T. Michael Coleman are locked in and having fun. They wanna be there, and it shows. The musicianship is sparkling and flawless throughout, and their joie de vivre bubbles through all seven discs. There's a bounce to these performances on no other Doc record, live or from the studio. From the incredibly fast ''Nancy Rowland/Old Joe Clark'' to the impassioned ''South Coast,'' the song sung in John Ford's film, ''Grapes of Wrath'' (both on chapter 4, disc 1), to the unexpected Elvis medley at the end of chapter 2, disc 1, these are Watson performances for the ages. The slide-guitar work of Merle, who died in a tragic tractor accident on the family farm in 1985, is utterly sublime. Two guests, Ken Lauber on piano, and Billy Roberts on harmonica, appear in two different shows each. Owsley ''Bear'' Stanley [the Grateful Dead's legendary soundman & sound system architect] certainly did know how to record in this room. The audience is audible, as are the between-tune exchanges among the three men, and most of Doc's jokes are funny. The tapes were processed using the Plangent system, to correct any wow and flutter and to recover lost frequencies. The result is exceptional sound, intimate yet three-dimensional.
Chapter 1: May 1, 1974 - One disc
- Salty Dog Blues
- Doc’s Talking Blues
- Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)
- Miss The Mississippi & You
- Wabash Cannonball
- Nancy Rowland
- Solid Gone
- Tennessee Stud
- Frosty Morn
- Matchbox Blues
- Mama Don’t Allow No Music
- Deep Elem Blues
Chapter 2: May 2, 1974 – Two discs
- Introduction
- Good Ole Mountain Dew
- Travellin’ Man
- Miss The Mississippi & You
- Wabash Cannonball
- Leather Britches/Cotton Eyed Joe
- A Rovin’ on a Winter’s Night
- Tennessee Stud
- Black Mountain Rag
- St. James Infirmary
- Love Me
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Sweet Georgia Brown
- Lonesome Moan
- The Clouds Gwine Roll Away
- Three Times Seven
- Peach Pickin’ Time In Georgia
- Poor Boy Blues
- Nancy Rowland/Salt Creek
- Alberta
- Movin’ On
- Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!
- Walk on Boy
- Nothin’ To It
- Blue Railroad Train
- Brown’s Ferry Blues
- Beaumont Rag
Chapter 3: May 3, 1974 – Two discs
- New River Train
- Doggone My Time
- Peach Pickin’ Time in Georgia
- Poor Boy Blues
- Nancy Rowland/Salt Creek
- Alberta
- Natural Born Gamblin’ Man
- Doc’s Guitar
- Matchbox Blues
- Streamlined Cannonball
- Summertime
- Love Me
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Mama Don’t Allow No Music
- Freight Train Boogie
- Life Gets Teejus Don’t It
- Miss the Mississippi & You
- Wabash Cannonball
- Leather Britches/Cotton-Eyed Joe
- Bye Bye Bluebell
- Tennessee Stud
- South Coast
- Sweet Georgia Brown
- St. James Infirmary
- Step It Up & Go
- Jailhouse Rock
Chapter 4: May 4, 1974 – Two discs
- Introduction
- Way Down Town
- Billboard Song
- Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)
- Miss the Mississippi & You
- Poor Boy Blues
- Nancy Rowland/Old Joe Clark
- Chicken Road
- The Last Thing on My Mind
- Solid Gone
- South Coast
- Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad
- Summertime
- Love Me
- Jailhouse Rock
- Hound Dog
- Brown’s Ferry Blues
- Gambler’s Yodel
- Peach Pickin’ Time in Georgia
- Wabash Cannonball
- Beaumont Rag
- In the Jailhouse Now
- Lovesick Blues
- Black Mountain Rag
- Tennessee Stud
- St. James Infirmary
- Sheik of Araby
- Step It Up & Go
- Mama Don’t Allow No Music
