hey mike,

I too am a huge bottleneck fan and have been trying to play for about two years. Also I am a fan of the gutwrenching style!! I would definitely suggest Blind Willie Johnson for that esp. the song "Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground" which in my experience is the king of the gutwrenching erie slide guitar pieces. Also in the same vein (because it's mostly based on that song) is Ry Cooder's Paris Texas. (It's actually the soundtrack to a movie of the same title). Also try Ry Cooder's Vigilante Man which is found on his "Into The Purple Valley" album(the rest of the album isn't great but that's just my opinion) Some BEAUTIFUL gutwrenching bottleneck is down by Johnny Winter in the songs "Bladie Mae" and "Dallas" both of which can be found on "Scorchin' Blues" which is a best of Johnny Winter put out on the Roots and Blues series by Columbia Records. In that same Roots and Blues series there is "Slide Guitar:Bottles Knives and Steel" vol. 1 and 2. I recommend them both with the following word of advice:Be Patient. That stuff is old and therefore BADLY recorded. At first I thought, 'that doesn't matter, the good stuff'll shine through'. In some cases that's true but for the most part I didn't realize how much good stuff was there until I had listened to it several times and even more when I tried to play it and heard (sort of) what it was supposed to sound like and appreciated it's complexity. My God am I rambling. Sorry it's just that this is the first thread I've felt qualified to respond to. You see Mike...I was once in your shoes...starting out looking for accoustic slide recordings and thinking, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE MAN!! THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE!!! There is and frankly two or three years later I'm further but not much further ahead then you are now but if you want some help e-mail me anytime at pcbrown@interlog.com with questions and advice(remember we're still pretty much on the same level I'm just a little bit cooler than you--just kiding) and search the web for sites. One site I recommend, not only because it is knowledgeable but also sympathetic to our dilema is Brian 'King Bee' Robertson's, The Slide Players. Try browsing a Web searcher for it. If you get stuck the e-mail adress is slideguitar@usa.net. I'm shutting up now HAVE FUN!!