Music : The Complete Recordings
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0074644622225
Format: Box set
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
Number Of Discs: 2
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: August 20, 1990
Sales Rank: 2157
Studio: Sony
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
This two-CD box contains all 41 recordings Johnson made, including 12 alternate takes, and each cut remains a classic. This set's release in 1990 caused quite a stir, selling more than 500,000 copies, and, on the basis of endorsements from Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, introduced a great number of rock fans to Delta blues. Amazingly, Johnson built his enormous legacy on the strength of just two recording sessions: the first session, in November of 1936, produced among others "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom," "Sweet Home Chicago," "Cross Road Blues," and "Walkin' Blues," making it perhaps the most influential single session in blues history. --Marc Greilsamer
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
Almost exactly seventy years ago, a man who was then known as Robert Johnson passed away. He was poisoned, presumably by a houseman/barkeep whose wife had been flirting with him on an August Evening. Around the same time, a king pin of the then small, homely music industry sent out a middle man to find Johnson, in hopes of striking a record deal. It took until almost a year after Johnson's death for word to get back to the industry that Johnson was, in fact, deceased. This is not a surprise, considering that the spread of news at the time, let alone in poor black Mississippi (or really, where ever he may have taken up residence at the time), was reserved to word of mouth.
Why then, does this fact interest me so much? I don't know. I almost find it a little bit funny. It took almost an entire year for word to get back to New York that one of blues' most popular artists had died. Today, it would have taken the better part of five minutes, for two phone calls to have been made, at quickest. Back when America wasn't heavily wound in telephone lines, we could apparently have fascinating folklore like this. That kind of distant, legendary intimacy is no longer present.
Robert Johnson is arguably the most important, influential, and respected blues artist of all time. Back in the days when Johnson was still with us, recording equipment was sparse. Johnson recorded a grand total of forty one cuts, twelve of them alternate takes. All forty one cuts are included ... Read More
Rating: -
I bought a single CD version of this same material (all the songs) for $9 at the local mall. Look around for better deals.
Rating:  -
I deducted one star because the layout is all wrong--it's annoying that they didn't put the alternate takes on a seperate CD.
I took another star off because I really don't feel Johnson's music lives up to the hype. His influence over Rock and Roll is huge, but it's worth keeping in mind that in the Blues arena, he was decidedly less influential (an interesting take on this is included in wikipedia's article on the man, under the section "influence").
My problem is that for all the talk about how powerful and emotional his singing is, all I hear is an angsty whine. None of the emotion seems genuine to my ears. I have nothing against blues singers with high voices (I love Blind Willie McTell and Tommy Johnson, for instance), but with Robert Johnson, I get the impression that I am listening to a man who liked to sing and use his talent to impress women and not because he actually felt any inner torment. In fact the accompanying liner notes about his life seem to confirm my impression that he sang primarily to entertain and seduce, not out of any emotional need for the blues. Listen, for contrast, to an older Blues musician (say, 1960s Furry Lewis) and you will hear what authentic emotion sounds like--the emotion that accumulates over a long life of hard work and no recognition. Blind Willie Johnson is another example of what I feel is authentic, heartfelt singing. I listen to Robert Johnson and hear a young man living a fast lifestyle and enjoying it. ... Read More
Rating: -
3 1/2
There is no mistake when people speak of this man's influence on blues. Sadly his shadow has all but engulfed the frustrating confines around musical progressions he helped pioneer, and present them with a more natural and innovative grace then the next half plus century to follow. This essential collection for purists does contain enough variation on those hallowed scales to maintain a certain interest (even a handful of tracks that outshine their formulaic counterparts), although there is no denying those not well integrated into the genre will start hearing too much bleed-through track to track which may turn initial reverence for Johnson's vocal and instrumental prowess into sporadic annoyance.
Rating: -
The story of Robert Johnson is that he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the talent at playing blues. I personally don't believe the story because he really put his soul into the music, and it's very obvious. Maybe his deal with the devil was that the devil would take his soul when he died. Whether the story is true or not, he believed it, and he left with only 29 songs, 12 additional takes, 2 still photographs, and 1 incredible legacy.
I personally believe that every musician must own at least one actual blues album, no matter how far their music is from the blues, because the blues is probably the most soulful of all genres of music. This might explain why most classical musicians focus only on the technical part of the music, and they don't let their heart do any of the work. Most people would probably consider this the one blues album to get if you only get just one. What do I think? I think that this album is as good as any of them. If not this album, I would suggest a blues compilation.
I was fortunate to get the copy that a local radio station, that is now out of business, would use when they would play his music, as a birthday gift. My uncle told me that he found it at a yard sale.
What do I think of the album?
I personally agree with most people about how the alternate takes should have been at the end after everything else. However, the fact that just about all of his tracks are basically the same song, ... Read More
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