Robert Johnson

[The Reverend 48]

As well as all the myth and legend..This may give you an insight as to why he his held in such high esteem...I always see him in a similar light to Jimi Hendrix cos they both broke the moulds and their music will be "covered" forever


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsr6rn4TFbY

[The Reverend 48]

Here is another testimonial 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETELORdwmJA

[Tony]

I'm going to play the devil's advocate here
Can someone tell me more precisely what it is people like about RJ's stuff? I have listened to covers and they are nice songs but what was it about the original music that everyone raves about?
For example in the movie there was no amazing guitar work and none of the originals I have heard makes me want to listen all the way thru. Maybe it's a slide guitar lovers thing?
I realize the old recordings would not have the quality, but I can hear past that. It just sounds like any other slider to me but I'm open to learning.

I'm saying this without going back to the records so if this doesn't fit the facts then I'm happy to be wrong.  Having said that, my memory tells me that his playing managed to keep the rhythmic complexity of the blues but carry a melodic line or feel that was quite subtle and effective.  He didn't just sing over blues changes but managed to incorporate the melody line or the suggestion of a melody line or a counter melody in his guitar playing. For me, that's where the power came from. But if I listen again and it isn't there, then I'm wrong.  As I said earlier, I like to drink in the afternoon.  But then again it's 1.30 am here so I'm quite sober now.  

My hearing problem comes with Charlie Patton.  The recordings are so old and damaged that I can't hear enough to enjoy it.  It is said that he had an enormously powerful voice but I have trouble making out the lyrics on the recordings that we have left, although I believe some recent remasterings have cleared up those problems.

I think the best place to hear that subtlety in those early blues records is in the Son House recordings.  They are fantastic.

Peter Guralinick did a book on Robert Johnson but it wasn't up to the standard that he achieved with his books on Elvis and Sam Cooke.  But you might find an explanation of the style in there.

[Greeny]

Peter Guralinick did a book on Robert Johnson but it wasn't up to the standard that he achieved with his books on Elvis and Sam Cooke.  But you might find an explanation of the style in there.

There's another good mini-study of him in Greil Marcus' 'Mystery Train'. I would recommend anybody to read this book, as it takes in Charlie Patton, RJ, Elvis, The Band (in a big way), Sly and the family Stone and Randy Newman in it's study of American music. It's from the seventies I believe, but it's still one of the best music books there is in my opinion. I re-read it every few years and find something new each occasion as my ability to reference the songs and bands he's talking about expands with time / age.

And as for Son House - OH YEAH!!!!!

[Glenn Mitchell]

Thanks guys. Excellent reviews. I'm going to have a re-listen and try and find the Sun sessions to update my music history. It could be that there was no overdubbing and I would have assumed there was. Also the "power" thing stands alone. A ground breaker individual performance is often a lot more than the sum of it's parts.
I realize ground breakers often don't sound as amazing over time because history builds on and surpasses them. (Jimmi & SRV being 2 of several exceptions IMO)

[Ted]

I'm going to play the devil's advocate here

A devil's advocate is exactly what is needed when discussing Robert Johnson.  I too find the adulation of Johnson... I dunno, kind of annoying--although I've been listening to him for about 20 years. (Read this if you don't believe me.)  I get bored when musicians blather on excessively about technique.  The other day I watched a video of Steve Vai from one of the G3 concerts. (Vai is a good example because he represented the devil in Crossroads, a film that drew on Robert Johnson mythology.)  I could hardly get through the seven-minute video.  The thrill of his skill lasted about one minute, but after that it ceased to be musical for me.  Of course, it's a matter of taste, but I could imagine how bored I'd have been if I'd sat through the entire concert.  (I freely admit, Steve Vai fans, that your ability to appreciate his music is my deficiency.  Put down your flame throwers.)

Listening to Johnson is a different experience for me.  The technique seems to flow out of him spontaneously, effortlessly, and more importantly: musically.  Johnson was poor, desperate, and of course horny.  He wasn't trying to impress future generations of technique geeks.  I can listen to his music--thank goodness--without trying to imagine what his hands are doing, how difficult it must be, or how many musicians it would take to recreate it.

Eric Clapton put it very well (in the video posted by 48). To "completely copy" Robert Johnson's music "would be a life's work."  To that I would add, And what a waste it would be to devote all your musical energy to mere imitation, regardless of how technically impressive.

Finally, let me plug one of my favorite blues guitarists: Robert Lighthouse

Close your eyes and you'll hear Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, or Jimi Hendrix. Open them, and you'll see a disheveled white guy in a musical trance.

What I appreciate about Lighthouse is that he does not do note-for-note recreations.  His homages to Johnson et. al. are very personal, and full of spontaneity.  And if you are just not feeling it, you can watch his hands.

(Please forgive the two links to my blog in this post.)

[Tony]

Thanks guys. Excellent reviews. I'm going to have a re-listen and try and find the Sun sessions to update my music history.

This is just so you don't go off on a tangent, although I went off on a tangent in 1973 and never got back on line and I'm not complaining.  But when you say Sun sessions, I associate that with the brief period of recording that Elvis Presley did at Sun Records with Sam Phillips before he went to RCA and became the King of Pop.  I don't know if I've ever heard a specific name given to the sessions that Robert Johnson did.  Since the early LPs, 'The King of the Delta Blues Singers', and then the reissue/remastering on CD as 'The Complete Robert Johnson', I think 'Robert Johnson' tends to cover the lot. The albums were so totemic back in the late 60s/early 70s that I very rarely even hear people speak about individual tracks.  It was just 'Have you heard Robert Johnson?' 'Yeh, wow!'  We weren't very demanding critics back then.

So be careful looking for the Sun sessions.  You just might end up with Presley if you are not careful.

[jkevinwolfe]

Glenn,

To see Johnson in the correct light, look at the time in history. If you listen to other blues recordings at the time you'll find them very folky with little soul to them. Almost sing-songy. Johnson brought a pain to the blues in both his singing and especially his playing that felt like he really meant it. He's up there on the list of innovators with the likes of Les Paul and Hendrix.

[Tony]

Glenn,

To see Johnson in the correct light, look at the time in history. If you listen to other blues recordings at the time you'll find them very folky with little soul to them. Almost sing-songy.

I can't agree with you on this.  Listen to Son House.  The guy was one of the most sophisticated songsters I have ever heard. From then to now. On the white side, listen to Dock Boggs.  These guys knew about people in all their shitty ways and got it down into song.  Robert Johnson was great but he was one of many.

[Glenn Mitchell]

Ok, after 48's vids, I do get it. I actually love to do that cross rhythm thing without knowing he was an originator.
(My pale attempt was $10 gift at javascript:Player('../player/single_player.cfm?songid=5843654&q=hi&newref=1')
The confusing thing to me was I didn't hear the down beat behind the cross rhythms until Rogers and Clapton explained it and I thought the guy just had a terrible sense of rhythm. IOW couldn't decide if it was 2/4, 4/4, 3/4 or 6/8. He sort of jams them all in almost randomly, singing one rhythm against a separate strum/ lead one.  Kind of overwhelming without the bass and drums we usually rely on, but very cool.