Ah, yes, "Spike Driver Blues". One of the songs from the 1928 sessions that made the "pre-discovery" John Hurt a legend. Doc Watson and his son, Merle, considered MJH one of the more phenomenal guitarist they had heard, and they referred to "Spike Driver Blues" when they said it.

Yes, John's ability to stay in one chord throughout a song and keep it interesting is fascinating. "Spike Driver Blues", "Shake That Thing", "Pay Day", all one-chord songs and all maintain interest throughout. It just blows my brain around!

John's variations are incredible. So subtle, one could easily miss them, but they are beautifully placed and they add those special embellishments (I think PoppaGator calls then "wrinkles") that makes John John!

PoppaGator, looking forward to meeting you at the MJH Fest this year!

Ken