I bought the Robert Johnson Boxed set years ago, because I felt it was a recording that you were supposed to have, if you considered yourself a true music obsess - o - file, but I later sold it, because I "did not get it." I knew of Johnson's mystique and reputation, but I could not connect with the "genius" thing that surrounded his music. Well, just about a month ago, I thought I would give Robert Johnson another try, so I purchased this album. And this time, "i got it."

I can only describe the multi dimensionality of these songs, which had previously escaped me, as staggering. You feel you are listening to the very architecture of almost every popular music style we hear today. What I find most amazing about his songs, is that you are almost convinced that you are listening to 3 guitar players and 2 or 3 singers, harmonizing with unreal precision. His voice jumps between registers, in such a way as to suggest there is another singer between them, much like one watches "2 frames of a film," but sees the magic of the "1 moving picture."

The relationship between the cords he is playing and the finger picking, again, seem to connect and relate in such a way as to suggest there are more fingers and chords being played than can be played with only 2 hands, and with unbelievable ease. He plays like he doesn't even have to think about it. And it all sounds freakishly "time nonspecific", as if he were playing, in the past, while copying his own sounds, from the present, like they were actually being written and defined today, and he was prophesying. I guess that would be the dictionary definition of "timeless." I find myself stuck between studying his songs from an objective point of view, and listening to them from a music fan point of view.

And his lyrics have a sophistication that belie his level of education. As if you are hearing the equations of very high brow poetry, filled in with the figures and variables of Johnson's substantially more modest and bleak cultural experience. And there is a genuine joy in his voice. THAT, I did not expect. As if he is saying "I CAN PLAY AND I AM BEING RECORDED AND LOWDY, MAMA! I AM A SOMEBODY!"

I naturally have to recommend this recording, but I would advise the newbie to the Johnson sound to, not "force" him or her self to see the brilliance of his work. That was what I was doing the first time around, and I missed it. It was only when I gave it permission to reveal itself, that Johnson's genius came forth.

And in all honesty, I don't really "enjoy" all these songs, as much as I marvel at all these songs. I listen with a distant awe, rather than from the perspective of personal taste. But I hope that over time, I will begin to enjoy this recording as I enjoy many of my favorite modern artists, of today. So, do purchase this album and give Mr. Johnson a go at it, but don't get down on yourself if you don't immediately hear what all the accolades are about. It took me 2 tries and 10 years to "get it."

14 of 16 found the following review helpful:


The Blues start here..  May 19, 2000 By Charles Pinney
Which much anticipation and a little trepidation I decided to pick up "King of the Delta Blues Singers". It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it was a nice surprise.

If you're a fan of the modern electric blues, you may be disappointed, as Johnson sang the blues with only his guitar. What he lacks in a backup band, he more than makes up for with a soulful voice, and great guitar playing. You can really hear the emotion pouring out of this man.

If you have an open mind and want to experience where the blues came from, you can't go wrong with this album. The two versions of "Traveling Riverside Blues" are worth the price alone.

On a side note, this could be on my copy only, but on some of the songs there may be a noticeable hissing sound, I guess it's understandable with these classic recordings being so old, and it shouldn't prevent you from enjoying them.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:


Essential supplement to The Complete Recordings  Apr 02, 2001 By Francis Flannery
The music and legend of Robert Johnson loom over twentieth century music so vastly that perhaps the only valid analogy would be to the sky. Johnson's legacy is profound to the point of forming the entire field upon which generations of guitarists and singers of rock and roll and blues music have shaped their aspirations, as if the clouds present in Johnson's horizon can be interpreted into any number of shapes that may be re-combined to form countless new dreams and nightmares. Six-and-a-half decades after these recordings were made (and four decades after the original version of this album was released into an unsuspecting world), Johnson continues to resonate in our culture as a figure beyond life, much like Hank Williams, Charlie Parker, Arthur Lee, Brian Wilson, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, or Kurt Cobain.

That Johnson's influence is too often due to his legend rather than his music is unfortunate. Along with Charlie Patton, Skip James, Lemon Jefferson, Will!ie Brown, Son House, Geeshie Wiley, and Willie McTell, Johnson cut some of the most chilling, joyous, direct and dazzling guitar blues of the pre-World War II era. His arrangements for solo guitar provide the matrix that virtually all post-war band-based blues and blues rock builds upon. This excelllent CD presents many of his most famous and influential tunes, in the finest sound quality possible. Sonically, the recordings as presented on this disc are a little warmer and fuller than on The Complete Recordings two-CD set. The alternate take of Travelling Riverside Blues (unavailable on "The Complete Recordings," as this take had not been discovered when that set was originally issued in 1990) is a welcome addition to the Johnson canon. For the casual fan, this may be an excellent starting point, although the excelllent liner notes on The Complete Recordings may provide context and lyrical transcriptions that would assist those uninitiated into Johnson's endlessly rewarding mu!sic, one of the true milestones of twentieth century culture.

See all 40 customer reviews on Amazon.com