That's All Right Mama

If Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup had never made another fan in the course of his career than a certain young kid in Memphis, TN, his place in music history would still have been assured — Elvis Presley often cited Crudup as one of his favorite blues artists, and the future "King of Rock & Roll" recorded three of Crudup's songs ("That's All Right, Mama," "My Baby Left Me," and "So Glad You're Mine"), bringing them to a far wider audience then their original author would ever enjoy on his own. Anyone expecting to hear Elvis' primal influence on That's All Right, Mama, a compilation of 22 songs Crudup recorded for the RCA-affiliated Bluebird label between 1941 and 1954, might be a bit disappointed — for the most part, this is rough-and-ready rural blues, dominated by Crudup's big, boomy voice and simple but efficient guitar runs, though by the end of the disc, drums, electric guitars, and even saxophone have begun to creep into the mix, suggesting a stripped-down but high-powered Chicago blues combo. In short, this isn't rock & roll, or even rhythm & blues, but pure blues stuff, and it certainly makes clear that Presley's influences were a lot rawer and deeper than most folks would lead you to believe. That's All Right, Mama also reveals that Crudup deserves to be known as more than just the guy who Elvis liked — this is a tough but good-grooving blues collection that should please those who like their blues straight with no chaser.