Robert Johnson Confession

I have a confession to make:

I absolutely respect the historical place Robert Johnson holds in American music and have listened to probably 2 hrs worth of his music.

I appreciate it, I respect it...but I can't enjoy it effortlessly.

Everything sounds so tinny that I have a hard time emotionally connecting to it they way I can with more modern blues recordings. I find myself listening with 'my head' and not 'my heart', which (IMHO) is missing the whole point of blues.

It's like I'm listening to it in a music appreciation class, as opposed to just getting into it at a gut level.

Does anyone else have this problem?

And what did you do about it, if anything?

 

Get the newest version/remaster. It's a whole different experience.

 

I was just going to post this

 

Normally I wouldn't hit that like button that fast on reissue / remaster differences, but the Centennial Collection is pretty amazing.

I think they used black magic to remaster these.

 

I was about to ask which remaster, but that answered it.

Thanks, just snatched it.

 

Gee, I clicked to find out if Robert Johnson actually did sell his soul to the devil!!!

 

I think I'll know better after I listen to the remastering...

 

This is true. I just recently upgraded from the original 1990 box set to the newest remaster, and what a difference! So many details are evident now, like the lingering vibrato on Johnson's vocals at the end of most phrases, or subtly picked bass notes that were previously almost drowned out. Johnson really used dynamics a lot more than most of his recorded peers, to full musical effect.

And to the OP, what originally grabbed my attention was, during the slower take of "Come On In My Kitchen," when Johnson's slide sort of imitates rain falling down. It's not just a cool trick, it melts my heart every time. There's so much feeling in those phrases, just casually thrown in, it wakes you up to the fact that he's pulling that off in nearly every recording of him that exists. Amazing!

 

This past weekend, I visited all three of Robert Johnson's supposed graves in the Mississippi Delta. We went on the excursion with some friends who had been there before. I'm glad I went.

Its a moving experience. Sort of like visiting Elvis' grave at Graceland.

 

It makes a HUGE difference. No joke.

 

This. Not only does the vastly improved sound shine a light on all of the sublties of his performance, but the running order works much better too- you're not stuck listening to two versions in a row of the same song, which only added to the 'music appreciation class' feel of the old set.

 

I listen to a lot of blues, gospel, jazz and country from the '20s and '30s, some of it in much better transfers than others, but regardless of the sound I've connecting to it emotionally hasn't ever been a problem for me, though I do wish the Soul Stirrers' great recordings of the '30s and '40s would get some transfers worthy of the greatness of the music.

 

This is the set everyone's recommending.



http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-...qid=1406169044&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+johnson

and it's well worth picking up. The music sounds phenomenal considering its age.

 

I thought maybe the confession of the guy who killed him was being made public. I recall a few years ago that some music writer claimed to have interviewed the poisoner but was holding it back until the guy had died for some reason.

 

Just got the FLACs. BIG DIFFERENCE!

 

Told 'ya.

 

I've only heard the first few songs, can't wait to hear the rest.

 

The Centennial Collection offers great sound and the whole Johnson oeuvre for $15 - can't beat it!

 

No, the devil is only interested in Record biz executives, CEO's, munitions experts, someone with clout. As far as the devil is concerned, Robert Johnson was small change.

 

Does anyone know if the Centennial Collection is the same mastering as the 2004 re masters of King of the Delta Blues Singers vols. 1 & 2? Those were a pretty huge leap in quality from the Sony/Columbia (I think) comp I had before which, if I remember correctly, was the same mastering as the early 90s box. Is the Centennial Collection another significant upgrade over the 2004 remasters or are they pretty comparable?

Thanks!

-Simon (bluej's son)

 

I have the KOTDBS Vol 1 remaster - it's a night and day difference (the Centennial Collection being superior).

You know horrid hissy sound at around 1:30 in on "Terraplane Blues"? Doesn't exist on the CC (that used to annoy the heck out of me). But just overall it's just a much better listen, even if it's it's not as "bassy", for the lack of the better word, as KOTDBS.

I also owned the 1990 SONY set, which was my main intro to RJ and again the CC is flat-out the best versions of these songs I've ever heard.

 

Thanks for the post---I was not aware of this set.

 

Then there's this guy. One in every crowd, I guess