In the 1930’s, the amateur American music archivists, John and lan Lomax set off around the southern United States carrying a 300lb tape recorder in search of the music they loved, recording some of the finest Blues of the period. Now 60 years later, the Lomaxes recordings are enjoying a spectacular reincarnation at the hands of the platinum selling artist MOBY. The backbone of the hugely successful album "Play", the tracks where Moby has sampled from the artists Bessie Jones, Vera Hall and Boy Blue characterise the album and all are contained here in their original form. To compliment this, the 26 track album is a celebration of the best of Blues from John Lee Hookers "I’m in the mood" and Etta James "I’d rather go blind"to the likes of Muddy Waters "Mannish Boy" and Buddy Guy "The First Time I Met The Blues". REVIEWS Where Norman Cook Plunders Soul To Make Muppets Dance, Moby Ransacks Blues. Here’s The Evidence: Originals Of All The "Ooh, Lordy’s Sampled On Play, Plus Bo Diddley, BB King And John Lee Hooker .Necessary Or Evil? Righteous Mama (7) Nme 29th Apr 2000

"A Genius Idea, this, Beckon the club kids of today down the alleyway of blues wit the lure of a handful of cuts Moby sampledfor the mega - platinum "Play" album. With young Melville's album taking off both here and in the US thanks to generous advert and soundtrack exposure, this annily titled comp could do well. Wrasse have impeccable taste too. Which last minute chancers would dig up such funky gems such as Tucker'sHigh HeeledSneakers or Lowell's Reconsider baby? The Moby quotient is reduced to Vera hall's "Trouble So Hard" (Natural Blues) and Bessie James "Sometimes" (Honey) but with the bonus custs like "Mannish Boy" and "Smokestack Lightning" and pretty full sleevenotes, this is a collection To Treasure" Seven 3rd May 2000

Natural Blues **** Blues compilation including the originals sampled by Moby on his number one album Play.

Now here's a neat idea. We get Vera hall's chillingly powerful original of Trouble So Hard ( the source of Moby's hit, Natural Blues), recorded in a field by Alan John Lomax in the 1930's, the equally ancient Joe Lee's Rock by Boy Blue and Willie Jones, which Moby samples on Find My Baby and another Lomax field recording on Sometimes by Bessie Jones, which forms the basis for Honey on Moby's two-million-selling album. To complement thsese are no less than 23 other blue originals, all bonafide classics, too. No record collection should be without Howlin Wolf's Smokestack Lightning, Sonny Boy Williamson's Help Me. Uncut - August edition