Elmore James has influenced every modern guitarist who has ever picked up a slide, and his hot-wired electric sound displayed an overdriven crunch long before it became the rock norm, making him the godfather of modern electric guitar. It is worth noting, as well, that his singing style, though seldom singled out as distinctive, was every bit as copied as his powerful guitar playing. Songs like "The Sky Is Crying," "It Hurts Me Too," "Rollin' and Tumblin'," and "Standing At the Crossroads" all show the kind of dynamics and phrasing, on both guitar and vocals, that would become standard by the mid- to late- '60s. This 20-song set from Snapper Records is a wonderfully varied and well-sequenced introduction to this marvelous musician.