Mirroring many of the other blues players rediscovered during the '60s, Son House had basically retired from music by the time that he was found in New York State during the middle of the decade. He worked for a rail road company. And for whatever reason, the guitarist and blues screamer was completely unaware of his musics resurgence. Based in part on the popularity of The Anthology of American Folk Music and Bob Dylan, the Mississippi native had been elevated to a revered status amongst the '60s music cognoscenti. It wasn't without good reason, but just like many of the rediscovered players, Son House in the '60s was a bit removed from Son House of the '30s or '40s.

Initially recording a scant nine songs for release on 78 rpm singles during the '30s and less than 20 tracks for Folkways in the '40s, the catalog of Son House wasn't the broadest. But then again, he didn't necessarily record every song that he knew. In the songbook stored in his mind, the guitarist included as many spirituals as work songs and straight blues numbers. But regardless of his set list, Son House was known for his performances as much as his musical acumen.

Reportedly, while performing, amidst any show Son House would leap into fits of screaming out his lyrics while the eyes that formerly focused upon the audience rolled to the back of his head. He lurched and hollered reporting on the short comings of man as much as the pleasures of the flesh and the damnation that awaits all of us. But while he expanded the works from which blues players could or should pull from, during the reemergence of his career during the '60s, he was apparently pretty vocal about his conformation of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil.

Seeking to continue his career in the studio after making the rounds to various folk festivals here and in Europe, Son House hit the recording studio a few times to various results. As with age, the body changes and while Son House wasn't known to be the best guitarist, his style had morphed into a shambolic dance of slide guitar riffs and simplistic single note solos. Alan 'Owl' Wilson, who would later front Canned Heat, at some point was asked to sit down with the elder bluesman and re-teach him his own style.

With the second leg of his career coming to a close by the late '60s, Son House sat down in his home and reeled off some classic tracks. The resultant At Home: The Legendary Rochester 1969 Sessions cobbles together some a capella tracks with a few Son House juke style numbers. His voice is shaky at the head of the twenty plus minute "Son's Blues." But part way through that extended workout, he seems to get his footing. And while the rest of the disc has it's up and downs, the more comfortable Son House became, the more easily he was able to feel his blues groove.

This disc isn't for everyone - although the recording actually sounds pretty good. A quick survey of the original recordings from Folkways and the like would probably serve new listeners a bit better.