Robert Johnson??

[karkus30]

Anyone recommend an album by Robert Johnson, I was looking at 'The complete recordings' and 'The best of the Delta blues singers vol 1'.

Opinions welcome (except SGs of course, who is now working some sort of double standards just kidding)

This will sound ridiculous but go to pound stretcher and have a look. I picked up Cross Road Blues (pretty much his greatest hits I reckon) for about £4!!!!

It's bloody fantastic too but don't expect a system tester.

Have a look for a film called Crossroads with Ralph Maccio (Karate Kid). I'm sure it's not out on DVD yet but it's coming allegedly.

Steve Vai kicks some major booty at the end of the film and Ry Cooder does all the rest of the guitar parts. It's a a horrid film but sort of tells you about the myth and legend of Mr. Johnson, which is interesting to say the least. Sell your soul to the devil anyone??

Hope that's of some use to you,

Richard.

[Rachael Bitchlist]

"Robert Johnson" also shows up in the film OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? I used to have RJ's The Complete recordings. It was purr-dy good. I think my brother "borrowed" it about 10 years ago. I've been meaning to get another as soon as it's released in 5.1 DVD-A or SACD. I'd buy it again...

[andyk]

The thing to be careful with with Robert Johnson is don't buy too many albums. I seem to recall that there are only about 2 CDs worth of recordings of his in existence and they tend to just get put into many different compilations of the same stuff. also the recording quality isn't great on some of it, but then it was recorded about 60 years ago!

I bought a Robert Johnson CD ages agos, i think it was a collection of his work but it has to be said that the recording is pretty dire, though probably as good as they could get it.

It was too 'rootsie' for my taste to be honest and i hardly ever play it.

He's well worth checking out I reckon.
Aren't there only 29 songs??

Or am I taking the film too seriously??

Good call re: O brother! Where art thou? I'd forgotten that.

Richard.

[cheeseywang]

I think that you're right and he did only ever record 29 or so songs.

Bear in mind that these recordings were made in the late twenties and early thirties so recording quality is poor by todays standards. But don't pass them up because of that - when you listen to them, you can hear where every blues song ever written came from. Clapton owes his entire career to RJ.

[karkus30]

Thanx for the replies, I guessed the recordings would be a bit grotty, I have a couple of leadbelly recordings that are a tad scrappy. The bad recordings certainly dont diminish the pleasure of good music IMO, its like old books, you can sort of hear the age in the recording.