The Complete Recordings
Robert Johnson
(Columbia)
What can you say about this man that has not already been said? He is admired by likes the Eric Clapton and Keith Richards (who give testemonials in the included booklet) and regarded as a guitar god by almost every guitarist on the planet. His music has been covered by Clapton, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Gary Moore and legions of other hard-rock bands. In this set you get every single one of his 41 recordings on 2 CDs, as well as a fairly detailed history of the man. He was the living embodiment of the "rock & rock lifestyle" decades before they existed, complete with rumours about his relationship to Satan. As you can expect with tracks that are so old, the quality varies a bit. Nonetheless you get to hear raw recordings of such blues classics as 'Crossroads Blues', 'Hellhound on my Trail' and 'Traveling Roadside Blues'. This is an essential part of any blues or rock fan's CD collection. Let's face it, if you don't know Johnson, you don't know diddly.
Rating: 5
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Article comments
1 - J. Byron
There are some interesting legal facts regarding his recordings. Read this case at Findlaw.com to see how his recordings could have been public domain. This is a commentary by Joseph Schleimer on the governing issue.