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Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings Columbia Records Recorded San Antonio, Texas, November 1936 & |
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Track Listing: Disc: 2 Robert Leroy Johnson was born May 8, 1911 in
Hazelhurst, Mississippi. He
recorded only 29 songs on a total of 41 tracks in two recording sessions
in San Antonio, Texas in November 1936 and Dallas, Texas in June 1937. Notable among these tracks
are "Come on in My Kitchen," "Love in Vain," "Sweet Home Chicago," "Cross Road Blues," "Terraplane
Blues," and "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom," all of which have been covered by other artists.
Two modern collections of these recordings have been particularly influential to contemporary
audiences, although many editions of his limited output have been released. King of the Delta
Blues Singers (1961) helped popularize the blues for crossover audiences in the 1960s, and The
Complete Recordings (1990) provided his entire opus on one dual-CD set.
Johnson was a private man of his time, this being a major factor to modern day speculation about
his life, death and musical career. Rumor and mythology have embraced Johnson throughout history
and accounts, stories and truths have been fabricated many times over to tailor the legend.
However, some things are known and recollections tells us of his secrecy toward the sharing of
his own work with other musicians. When recording the 29 compositions (his life's work) he sat
with his face to the wall while the recording was in process. Only speculation can explain this
(could have been simply to increase isolation of the microphone for the sound quality of the
recording, or so other people couldn't see how he played guitar and steal his style, which was
common back in that day). Johnson was also known to be a womanizer, a drinker, and a rambler who
often hopped trains for transportation--the walking incarnation of a "bluesman."
Speculation and mythology are rife concerning Johnson, especially with regard to his untimely
end. Recollection survives that Johnson died after drinking whiskey poisoned with strychnine,
supposedly given to him by the jealous husband of a lover or his own jealous girlfriend. Fellow
blues singer Sonny Boy Williamson II was present the night of Johnson's poisoning (even warning
him against accepting a pre-opened bottle of whiskey) giving the account that he died whilst on
his hands and knees "howling and barking like a dog". The fact is that Johnson recovered from the
initial poisoning and survived at least a couple of weeks only to contract pneumonia and die on
16 August 1938 in Greenwood, Mississippi. Also, it was reported that it was believed that
Johnson died from syphilis which has no basis in medical fact. The precise cause of death
remains unknown; his death certificate simply states "no doctor" under cause of death. Johnson's
last words were supposedly "I pray that my redeemer will come and take me from my grave."
The most widely known legend surrounding Robert Johnson says that he sold his soul to the Devil
at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 61 and U.S. Highway 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi in exchange
for prowess in playing the guitar. Actually, the location Johnson made reference to is a short
distance away from that intersection. The legend was told mainly by Son House, but finds no
corroboration in any of Johnson's work, despite titles like "Me and the Devil Blues" and
"Hellhound on My Trail". With this said, the song "Cross Road Blues" is both widely and loosely
interpreted by many as a descriptive encounter of Johnson selling his soul. The older Tommy
Johnson (no relation, although it is speculated that they were cousins), by contrast, also
claimed to have sold his soul to the Devil. The story goes that if one would go to the
crossroads a little before midnight and begin to play the guitar, a large black man would come
up to the aspiring guitarist, retune his guitar and then hand it back. At this point (so the
legend goes) the guitarist had sold his soul to become a virtuoso. (A similar legend even
surrounded virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini a century before.)
Related links: Content provided by Wikipedia.
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"Since migrating from Cambridge,
Mass to Nashville some three decades ago, Mark Brine has carved out a strong
reputation as an uncompromising traditionalist on the country music scene which
has made him one of the elder statesmen of Americana."
-- Shaun Dale, Cosmik Debris Magazine
"Brine proves that if the world needed another Jimmie Rodgers, they've found one!" -- Pete Smith, Country Music Round Up "I could listen to him sing all night long … he does a good job that boy does." -- Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree "Brine could easily have been added to the cast of 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' without raising an eyebrow. He belongs to that group of artists whose individuality and quirkiness consign them to the periphery of what's commercially viable. But God bless him for not just being another cog in the musical wheel." -- James McSweeney, Flyin Shoes |
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"A fine young man who I think
has a great future."
-- Hank Snow, Grand Ole Opry "I think what makes Mark Brine such a gifted songwriter/storyteller is the fact that he seems to be such an obvious fan of many genres of music. He's someone who is like a sponge when it comes to reintegrating influences into his own work." -- Gail Worley, Ink 19 "His career has pursued the path of a truly independent artist - someone who follows his soul and does things his own way … his ability to write and produce has made his name synonymous with quality." -- Doug Floyd, AltCountryTab.com ©2006 Mark Brine Music. All rights reserved. |