Track Listing

1. Cross Road Blues
2. Terraplane Blues
3. Come On In My Kitchen
4. Walkin' Blues
5. Last Fair Deal Gone Dow
6. 32-20 Blues
7. Kind Hearted Woman Blues
8. If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day
9. Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped The Devil)
10. When You Got A Good Friend
11. Ramblin' On My Mind
12. Stones In My Passway
13. Traveling Riverside Blues
14. Milkcow's Calf Blues
15. Me And The Devil Blues
16. Hell Hound On My Trail
17. Traveling Riverside Blues

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6197 in Music
• Released on: 1999-01-18
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
When this collection was first released, back in 1961, it soon became the bible of that decade's folk-blues revival, a set of songs which had scorched deep lines in the blues psyche, subsequently modified, electrified and boogie-fied. This reissue also includes a freshly exhumed alternative take of "Travelling Riverside Blues", as good an excuse as any to upgrade from old vinyl. The original album pulled together all of Johnson's classic songs, his ghost suddenly made corporeal for a generation that had only heard of the rare 78s via whispered rumour. "Cross Road Blues", "Terraplane Blues", "Hell Hound On My Trail": they're all tortured cries for help, Johnson most likely at the end of his teens when he recorded his only two sessions, first in 1936, then 37. He was a complete individual: these songs may well be fodder for countless cover versions, but few modern artists can hope to reproduce the originator's stylistic mannerisms. Johnson favoured uneven lines, unpredictable emphasis, strumming and plucking around an implied central melody. For the experienced listener, it's probably wise to invest in Complete Recordings, but as an introduction to Johnson's unique art, this disc has certainly stood the test of time. --Martin Longley

CD Description
Of all the early blues singers and players, Robert Johnson towers above all the others. He lived fast, died young, and left a small body of music that laid the groundwork for electric blues as well as rock & roll. Johnson had a unique voice, capable of deep growlings and grumblings and eerie, almost ghostly wails and moans. His guitar illustrated his stories, making any other instruments irrelevant. His songs conveyed a sense of a man trying to outrun a pack of demons ("HellHound on My Trail", "Cross Road Blues"), were autobiographical ("I'm a Steady Rollin' Man") and, of course, dealt with love troubles ("From Four Until Late", "Love in Vain"). Johnson's songs have become blues standards--"Sweet Home Chicago", "Dust My Broom", and many others have been adapted by many rock bands, from the Rolling Stones' version of "Love in Vain" to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "They're Red Hot". If youwant to hear the main architect of the twin dynasties of blues and rock & roll (who also influenced folk and country music), Robert Johnson is the man, and KING is a beautifully annotated introduction.

Customer Reviews

Superb remastering
This is the official 1998 CD edition of the first-ever Robert Johnson compilation, issued by Columbia in 1961.
It has been remastered off the best-quality original 78s available, and Johnson's guitar takes on a fullness never heard on previous reissues (the equalization on this disc is extreme to a degree where it even sports some minute turntable rumble in the low end).

This CD really brings Johnson's music to life, and if there is such a thing as a "greatest hits" package available on Robert Johnson, this landmark album would certainly be the one.
I still say that there is no really good reason to buy this CD instead of Columbia's 1990 box set "The Complete Recordings", but if you are looking for a single-disc overview, this one has almost all of Johnson's best songs, and the sound quality is as good as that on any Robert Johnson album, and better than most. And I'll freely admit to having both this album and the box set...the sound on this one is just that good!

Great but not the one to get
This collection was the holy grail for folk blues fans for decades. The songs, lyrics, riffs and emotions contained within it were recycled with varying degrees of success by thousands of would-be bluesers, rock and rollers and pop stars.

It remains the BLUEprint.

But these days, and for only a few quid more - you can have Robert Johnson's Complete Works which has the songs here plus some alternative versions. This music is so important you should really have it all, so best buy the complete works.

A Perfect Introduction To A Legend
As a musician, I'm always keen to explore new horizons in sounds, hence Johnny Cash, hence The Specials, hence Bob Dylan being in my collection, however I don't think any of those artists could have prepared me for the power of Robert Johnson.

Armed with nothing more than his acoustic and his heart aching voice, Johnson defined the genre known as the blues. Whilst he may not be as popular as the likes of BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn or T Bone Walker, he still stands a figurehead and this album could be seen as a history lesson in itself.

Recorded in the late 1930's and remastered for the new millenium, Johnson's songs talk about broken relationships, sadness and satanism. Of course, if you have read the stories then you will have heard about how Johnson sold his soul to become a fantastic musician. However, you should not let this put off, songs like Cross Road Blues, 32-20 Blues, Come On In My Kitchen and Last Fair Deal Gone Down are testaments to his talents.

It must be noted there are some glitches, particularly in Terraplane Blues, where Johnson's voice scratches (don't forget this was in the 1930's so there wasn't the technology we have today) but again its almost like finding an ancient artifact.

If you like your music to be relaxed occasionally, with smooth playing and soulful singing, then here you'll be in for a treat. Never has anyone played an acoustic with such skill and remain distinctive, simply put there will never be another like him.

Go on treat yourself :-)