Robert Johnson | King Of The Delta Blues Singers

I've always proclaimed that no one is late in discovering music, only that the music finds the listener when the time is right.

Robert Johnson's "Complete Recordings" album has been one of several albums in constant rotation from my record collection, but recently I had the pleasure of hearing his music like I've never heard it before...on vinyl. The volume on my CD collection always had to be turned way up to hear anything, where as I'm able to hear all of the subtle nuances in Johnson's guitar playing and singing, even on the lowest quality of turntables.

Now, I don't profess to be the ultimate authority on Robert Johnson, as some of music's greatest guitar legends like Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. However, I know when my ears hear something worthwhile, and Johnson's music still causes me to pause and wonder just how he was able to influence numerous generations of musicians with his versatile guitar playing and honest lyrics.

For anyone wanting to dip their toe in the waters of the blues look no further than here. Johnson's recordings are the building blocks of just about all blues and rock n' roll music, and will continue to be just a handful of recordings that will be examined and probed in the centuries to come.

What makes this record interesting, aside from the noticeable sound quality, is the fact this record was the first time Johnson's music was available to a wider audience, both white and black, as his records during the time of their original release could only be found in the South (known as 'Race Records'). Recorded between the years of 1936-37 in San Antonio and Dallas, TX, there is still something hauntingly fascinating about these songs, making them timeless to the ears that are willing to listen. At the time of this album's release music fans were hearing for the first time alternate takes of recordings like "Crossroad Blues", "Rambling On My Mind", "Traveling Riverside Blues" and "Hellhound On My Trail". It's been rumored that the existing recordings were 'sped up' by the original record label, Vocalion, as the label then was known to do so with its commercial releases, producing 'more exciting' sound recordings for its audiences.  Through these recordings the listener is given idea of Johnson as some kind of paranoid drifter/rambler/gambler/forlorn lover, instead of the laid-back and relaxed juke joint troubadour Johnson was rumored to be from slower versions of these songs. It's difficult to know for sure if the recordings are sped up or not, but regardless, these recordings have withstood the test of time and still make the rounds on many a record and CD player.

Whether or not you believe the Faustian-like story of Johnson selling his soul to the Devil in order to play the blues, one must appreciate the legend this 27 year old musician has continued to spin from the grave. Little fact is actually known about Johnson's life, only bits and fragments have been strung together since his death in 1938. What the world does know for sure is how important his recordings are to popular music, and most importantly, to the birth of rock n' roll. Without Robert Johnson, there would be no Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Cream, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Cash, The Beatles...the list goes on. One could only venture a guess as to what future mega-band will be influenced by Johnson's legacy.

As mentioned earlier, the recordings on this LP are available on the "Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings" set, as well as the rest of Johnson's catalog, but do yourself a favor and acquire these tunes on vinyl. Compare the two formats and discover for yourself what music aficionados have been chanting all these years: "vinyl is better." I'm willing to bet the farm these recordings will inspire a new love of blues in you, if not all music in general. If there ever was a time for this album to find its way into your hands and/or record collection the time would be NOW.

(SEE ALSO "Robert Johnson: King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol. 2").

ALBUM NOTES | King Of The Delta Blues Singers Vol. 1

Columbia Cat# CL1654
Released: 1961
Song Credits: Johnson
Producer: Frank Driggs
Personnel: Robert Johnson (Guitar, Vocal)

SIDE ONE: 22:08
SIDE TWO: 21:18