One DVD, 55 minute feature film, 40 minutes of bonus footage, 30 minute featurette on Joe's life, Audio commentary by Joe, Two Country Classics radio shows, 8 page booklet, Clear amaray case.
Directed by Ed Gillan, Desperate Man Blues tells the story of self-proclaimed king of record collectors Joseph E. Bussard, Jr. of Frederick Maryland. Joe has amassed probably the greatest collection of 78 rpm recordings of country, blues, jazz, cajun and gospel music in the world. He has spent most of of his waking hours in pursuit of old 78s. To call it a hobby would be an insult: It's his life.
Check out the DVD Desperate Man Blues. Joe's an eccentric record collector who's preserved all sorts of magical corners of music ' although he says things like 'There are no good jazz records made after 1927.' '? Elvis Costello
It's nice to have a DVD of this great documentary on Joe Bussard, plus another featurette, King of All Record Collectors, and other bonus stuff. Bussard is a stone gas, grooving around his basement amidst one of the finest collections of pre-war 78s ever assembled. A few nice archival shots of Fahey, too. And the stories are hilarious.
'? Byron Coley and Thurston Moore, #4 on their Top 80 of 2006