Jack Owens & Bud Spires - It Must Have Been The Devil (1971/2020)

Although this album is credited to Owens and Bud Spires, it's really Owens' show; Spires adds some harmonica accompaniment to Jack's playing and singing. Although David Evans (who produced these recordings) intimates that Owens is better than Skip James in his liner notes, it's really not that hard to figure out why James is better known; James' songs are simply better written, more gripping, and more memorable, and Owens tends to ramble pleasantly. If you're looking for the Bentonia sound, though, this is certainly a down-home, well-recorded representation, and has an advantage over those vintage James (or any vintage blues) sides in that the fidelity is much, much clearer. Recorded in 1970, the 1995 CD reissue adds five previously unreleased tracks.