Watson
's arrival on the
folk
scene of the '60s was a major event in American music, due mostly to his appearance at the
1963 Newport Folk Festival
and the release of this self-titled album the following year. Not only did it revolutionize
guitar picking, but it set the standard for the rest of his career with its mix of
old-timey
numbers,
blues
,
gospel
, and adapted fiddle tunes. The album is incredibly varied, from the stark, banjo-driven
"Country Blues"
to the humorous
"Intoxicated Rat,"
and many of these songs became
standards, especially his signature song
"Black Mountain Rag."
His incredible flat-picking skills may have been what initially wowed his audiences, but it was
's complete mastery of the
idiom that assured his lasting popularity. ~ Jim Smith