Long live the King of the Delta Blues
April 9, 2015 7:17 AM Subscribe
There have been only two known photos of legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson. Now there's a third.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included four of his songs in a set of 500 that shaped the genre:
“Sweet Home Chicago” (1936)
“Cross Road Blues” (1936)
“Hellhound on My Trail” (1937)
“Love in Vain” (1937)
But don't limit yourself to just these four!
There's the moving masterpiece "Come on in my Kitchen," (1937) the evocative "Me and the Devil Blues" (1936) and a tour de force of metaphor, "Terraplane Blues" (1936)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included four of his songs in a set of 500 that shaped the genre:
“Sweet Home Chicago” (1936)
“Cross Road Blues” (1936)
“Hellhound on My Trail” (1937)
“Love in Vain” (1937)
But don't limit yourself to just these four!
There's the moving masterpiece "Come on in my Kitchen," (1937) the evocative "Me and the Devil Blues" (1936) and a tour de force of metaphor, "Terraplane Blues" (1936)
Now there's a third.
Well, if *now* is understood to be Sunday, 3 February 2013, 00.04 GMT, that is...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:29 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well, if *now* is understood to be Sunday, 3 February 2013, 00.04 GMT, that is...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:29 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm unaware of any Nouvelle Vague covers of Robert Johnson songs.
This thread may proceed.
Perhaps this is a place where I can finally mention my weird sneaking fondness for Crossroads, despite my suspicion that it's really not nearly as good as I remember it being. If nothing else, it was a big part of suggesting to me that there was this blues stuff I might want to check out.
posted by Naberius at 7:30 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread may proceed.
Perhaps this is a place where I can finally mention my weird sneaking fondness for Crossroads, despite my suspicion that it's really not nearly as good as I remember it being. If nothing else, it was a big part of suggesting to me that there was this blues stuff I might want to check out.
posted by Naberius at 7:30 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
But don't limit yourself to just these four!
But unfortunately, you do have to limit yourself to 29. Unless another one of those turns up ...
posted by iotic at 7:33 AM on April 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
But unfortunately, you do have to limit yourself to 29. Unless another one of those turns up ...
posted by iotic at 7:33 AM on April 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
I was hoping it turned out he sold his soul so that he could do the first kissy face selfie, but it sadly was not the case.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:33 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:33 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
From that Guardian article chavenet linked to:
"Whatever, the common consensus among musicologists is that we've been listening to Johnson at least 20% too fast."
Is that right? Last I heard it was far from a consensus (and possibly still a fringe theory.)
posted by griphus at 7:35 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
"Whatever, the common consensus among musicologists is that we've been listening to Johnson at least 20% too fast."
Is that right? Last I heard it was far from a consensus (and possibly still a fringe theory.)
posted by griphus at 7:35 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I was about to link to some stuff from Johnny Shines, Robert Johnson's buddy in the photo, but remembered I had already done so in another Robert Johnson photo post here at MeFi, so here's that comment, for anyone interested in Johnny Shines.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:35 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:35 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I was hoping it turned out he sold his soul ...
Except he never did such a thing. That was Tommy Johnson.
posted by y2karl at 7:48 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Except he never did such a thing. That was Tommy Johnson.
posted by y2karl at 7:48 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
What I've always found interesting about Robert Johnson is this -- In the 60s, white, middle-class English guys like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones wanted nothing more than to be poor, Southern bluesmen like Robert Johnson, with all the stereotypes associated with poor black folks in Mississippi in the 1930s. However, from everything I've read about Robert Johnson, he wanted nothing more than to be one of those classy suit-wearing studio musicians in Chicago, as you can see from the famous studio photo of him. Grass is always greener, etc.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 7:50 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 7:50 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I hope someday, someone finally makes a film from that famously fanastic unproduced Alan Greenberg screenplay about Johnson, Love in Vain.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on April 9, 2015
What I've always found interesting about Robert Johnson is this -- In the 60s, white, middle-class English guys like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones wanted nothing more than to be poor, Southern bluesmen like Robert Johnson, with all the stereotypes associated with poor black folks in Mississippi in the 1930s.
I don't think they wanted to be them; they wanted to play like them, which seems like a pretty different thing. Just in case that was not absolutely crushingly obvious.
posted by Wolof at 8:00 AM on April 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
I don't think they wanted to be them; they wanted to play like them, which seems like a pretty different thing. Just in case that was not absolutely crushingly obvious.
posted by Wolof at 8:00 AM on April 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
In the 60s, white, middle-class English guys like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones wanted nothing more than to be poor, Southern bluesmen like Robert Johnson
Um… pretty sure that wanting to be "poor" was not something you could attribute to either Eric Clapton or the Stones. They wanted to sound like bluesmen, sure, but those guys wanted to get rich, which… they did.
...Robert Johnson, he wanted nothing more than to be one of those classy suit-wearing studio musicians in Chicago
Wearing suits is something that many Mississippi bluesmen were doing from the very minute they could afford a suit. The farmer-looking, overall-wearing bluesman was often an image created by white blues impressarios and presenters of the 60s and 70s, in order to fulfill some sort of look of *authenticity* that they felt the audiences needed or wanted to see.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:01 AM on April 9, 2015 [6 favorites]
Um… pretty sure that wanting to be "poor" was not something you could attribute to either Eric Clapton or the Stones. They wanted to sound like bluesmen, sure, but those guys wanted to get rich, which… they did.
...Robert Johnson, he wanted nothing more than to be one of those classy suit-wearing studio musicians in Chicago
Wearing suits is something that many Mississippi bluesmen were doing from the very minute they could afford a suit. The farmer-looking, overall-wearing bluesman was often an image created by white blues impressarios and presenters of the 60s and 70s, in order to fulfill some sort of look of *authenticity* that they felt the audiences needed or wanted to see.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:01 AM on April 9, 2015 [6 favorites]
Wearing suits is something that many Mississippi bluesmen were doing from the very minute they could afford a suit. The farmer-looking, overall-wearing bluesman was often an image created by white blues impressarios and presenters of the 60s and 70s, in order to fulfill some sort of look of *authenticity* that they felt the audiences needed or wanted to see.
Yes, that's my point. They created an image of what they thought those bluesmen were like, whereas the actual bluesmen were doing the opposite.
I don't think they wanted to be them; they wanted to play like them, which seems like a pretty different thing. Just in case that was not absolutely crushingly obvious.
See above. It was more than just the playing. They were trying to evoke the whole ethos. Although flapjax is right that they didn't literally want to be poor, but that was the identity they were looking to emulate.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:06 AM on April 9, 2015
Yes, that's my point. They created an image of what they thought those bluesmen were like, whereas the actual bluesmen were doing the opposite.
I don't think they wanted to be them; they wanted to play like them, which seems like a pretty different thing. Just in case that was not absolutely crushingly obvious.
See above. It was more than just the playing. They were trying to evoke the whole ethos. Although flapjax is right that they didn't literally want to be poor, but that was the identity they were looking to emulate.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:06 AM on April 9, 2015
I can't listen to Johnson's original of "Sweet Home Chicago" without grinning a bit at his grasp of geography. "Baby don't you want to go/back to the land of California, sweet home, Chicago." There's a reason everybody changes that line.
One of the all time greats and he got to travel so little, California and Chicago may as well have been the same damned place.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:10 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of the all time greats and he got to travel so little, California and Chicago may as well have been the same damned place.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:10 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
flapjax at midnite: Now there's a third.Wrong. NOW there is still a third.
Well, if *now* is understood to be Sunday, 3 February 2013, 00.04 GMT, that is...
And now.
And now.
....
posted by IAmBroom at 8:11 AM on April 9, 2015
> I don't think they wanted to be them; they wanted to play like them, which seems like a pretty different thing.
"During this time Sonny was quoted as saying of the backing bands who accompanied him, "those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do".
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:11 AM on April 9, 2015 [7 favorites]
"During this time Sonny was quoted as saying of the backing bands who accompanied him, "those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do".
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:11 AM on April 9, 2015 [7 favorites]
Lois Gibson, who ID'ed Johnson, is amazing at what she does.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:19 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by Ideefixe at 8:19 AM on April 9, 2015
Ben Trismegistus: However, from everything I've read about Robert Johnson, he wanted nothing more than to be one of those classy suit-wearing studio musicians in Chicago, as you can see from the famous studio photo of him. Grass is always greener, etc.Not sure where you got the idea that people in the Delta didn't wear suits, but... GIS for 1930s Mississippi black men shows a majority of them wearing either suits, or pants with white shirts (presumably, their jackets are off because it's too hot).
posted by IAmBroom at 8:20 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
There is a California Avenue in Chicago. Maybe his geographic knowledge was very detailed instead of nonsensical.
posted by enf at 8:21 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by enf at 8:21 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
DirtyOldTown: I can't listen to Johnson's original of "Sweet Home Chicago" without grinning a bit at his grasp of geography. "Baby don't you want to go/back to the land of California, sweet home, Chicago." There's a reason everybody changes that line.You know, I always misheard that line as meaning "Baby don't go back to California, stay here in our home of Chicago". Your point makes more sense.
One of the all time greats and he got to travel so little, California and Chicago may as well have been the same damned place.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:22 AM on April 9, 2015
Maybe they didn't want anything as unrealistic as being him. It seems more likely they admired his riffs, his musicianship, his creative genius. Could be they emulated him, and his body of work. Racism wasn't as extreme in Britain as it was in the US, especially the American South. Could be they took the artistry of Robert Johnson, and cycled it through their middle class white filter, and adding their superb musicianship to the mix, made a socially acceptable form of Johnson's music? Then they fed it back to the US where it was gobbled up, even though politically Hoover, McCarthy decried jazz and blues as some of the fellow travelers, of whomever they chose to despise. It was subversive, bringing that to the cultural forefront, just one of the cracks in the edifice people beat themselves up on in the fifties, and sixties.
"Run, you kid run, tell my friends Albany bound,
That I'm down at the crossroads, I believe
I am sinking down."
posted by Oyéah at 8:31 AM on April 9, 2015
"Run, you kid run, tell my friends Albany bound,
That I'm down at the crossroads, I believe
I am sinking down."
posted by Oyéah at 8:31 AM on April 9, 2015
I think the jury is still out on the whole speed of playing issue. And for me, in some respects, it is sort of a non-issue as I am not a purist about such things. On one hand, I suppose it is important to know just how Johnson played his material with as much precision as possible. On the other, the spirit of the blues is fluid and morph-tastic. And it is this spirit that passes down through the generations, imo. A lot of the old time blues players were not exactly known for their consistency--and that's part of the charm.
I generally like to mention Rory Block in conversations about Johnson because she does keep that fine balance between the purist and spirit elements of the blues and is known as one of the best heirs to Johnson currently around. If you ever get a chance to see her perform, please do.
And, as a non sequitur, I'm gonna drop this version of a Mance Lipscomb tune here, performed by a very talented guitarist who is part of a vibrant Italian blues scene. I've been bonkers about this tune for the past few weeks and just wanted to share!
posted by CincyBlues at 8:40 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I generally like to mention Rory Block in conversations about Johnson because she does keep that fine balance between the purist and spirit elements of the blues and is known as one of the best heirs to Johnson currently around. If you ever get a chance to see her perform, please do.
And, as a non sequitur, I'm gonna drop this version of a Mance Lipscomb tune here, performed by a very talented guitarist who is part of a vibrant Italian blues scene. I've been bonkers about this tune for the past few weeks and just wanted to share!
posted by CincyBlues at 8:40 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I can't listen to Johnson's original of "Sweet Home Chicago" without grinning a bit at his grasp of geography. "Baby don't you want to go/back to the land of California, sweet home, Chicago."
Oh yeah? Well, ol' Robert Johnson is grinning at you from beyond the grave, my friend! It is very likely, you see, that the Chicago he referred to in the song is not the city of Chicago Illinois, but rather Port Chicago, where there was a big US Navy base that was home to a large number of African-American sailors. It is located in, you guessed it, California. It is said that Johnson had a relative there.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:41 AM on April 9, 2015 [13 favorites]
Oh yeah? Well, ol' Robert Johnson is grinning at you from beyond the grave, my friend! It is very likely, you see, that the Chicago he referred to in the song is not the city of Chicago Illinois, but rather Port Chicago, where there was a big US Navy base that was home to a large number of African-American sailors. It is located in, you guessed it, California. It is said that Johnson had a relative there.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:41 AM on April 9, 2015 [13 favorites]
People can fantasize about "being like" someone, without actually wanting the real thing.
Lots of men "want" to be like James Bond: handsome, daring, quick-witted, tough, beautiful women throwing themselves at him on sight - oh, yeah... Being shot at and beaten up right and left, night and day? Not so much.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:44 AM on April 9, 2015
Lots of men "want" to be like James Bond: handsome, daring, quick-witted, tough, beautiful women throwing themselves at him on sight - oh, yeah... Being shot at and beaten up right and left, night and day? Not so much.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:44 AM on April 9, 2015
I suppose I could just Google this, but has anybody slowed down Robert Johnson recordings by 20% to see how they sound?
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:45 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:45 AM on April 9, 2015
In the 60s, white, middle-class English guys like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones wanted nothing more than to be poor, Southern bluesmen like Robert Johnson, with all the stereotypes associated with poor black folks in Mississippi in the 1930s.
I'd hazard that the author of this nonsense is not English.
posted by Mister Bijou at 8:48 AM on April 9, 2015
I'd hazard that the author of this nonsense is not English.
posted by Mister Bijou at 8:48 AM on April 9, 2015
You can run, you can run, tell my friend-boy , WIlly Brown.
posted by Herodios at 8:49 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I suppose I could just Google this, but has anybody slowed down Robert Johnson recordings by 20% to see how they sound?
yeah they sure have
posted by thelonius at 8:50 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
yeah they sure have
posted by thelonius at 8:50 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
A little more detail on the speed controversy: Soundcheck and Elijah Wald.
posted by CincyBlues at 8:58 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by CincyBlues at 8:58 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
yeah they sure have
Touché. OK, here's Love In Vain as recorded, and here it is slowed down. A very different feel, but impossible to tell which one is "correct".
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:59 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Touché. OK, here's Love In Vain as recorded, and here it is slowed down. A very different feel, but impossible to tell which one is "correct".
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 8:59 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
David Bromberg Big Band, "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor" Live @the Egg Albany NY. 04/02/2011
posted by mikelieman at 9:00 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mikelieman at 9:00 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Good call, CincyBlues. I've been hearing Rory Block on the Seriously-XM Blusvlle Channel quite a bit lately. She really does seem to have that style down, yet adds something of her own. Takes a certain amount of guts to play music with that much 'air' in it in today's hyper-compressed loudness wars pop ecosystem.
posted by Herodios at 9:01 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Herodios at 9:01 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Although I will say that the slowed-down version of Sweet Home Chicago sounds more "right" than the recorded version. Something about the voice.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:02 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 9:02 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Reading about the legend of the deal with the devil immediately brought to mind a similar story in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou, which I thought was weird at the time. That character was named Tommy Johnson.
Ahah!
posted by eye of newt at 9:32 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ahah!
posted by eye of newt at 9:32 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Reading about the legend of the deal with the devil immediately brought to mind a similar story in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou, which I thought was weird at the time. That character was named Tommy Johnson.
Ahah!
Google "odysseus".
Meanwhile: I got curious about the guitar in the photo (Here's a much larger uncropped image of it, showing more of the guitar).
From TFA:
“What I can confirm is that the guitar itself—and I feel very comfortable saying this is a Chicago-made guitar from the mid-30s. I’ve looked at thousands of these” he says, and explains that, actually, the guitar was probably a prop. There are no strings on it, and it is missing all but one of its tuning pegs. But, he tells me, it is probably a guitar made in the mid-1930s by the Chicago-based Harmony Company. . . . “I just can’t find out more about it. It’s driving me crazy. The decal on the headstock is slightly blurred. It fits in perfectly with the Robert Johnson enigma.” -- Steven “Zeke” ScheinInteresting that they'd have done that -- pose with an unplayable guitar. I wouldn't have thought there were that many guitar carcasses just laying around in the 1930s.
posted by Herodios at 9:53 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Wald's arguments seem hard to answer
Indeed. The persistence of this bit of nonsense is due almost entirely, I think, to people's delight in having an "insider" piece of knowledge: the sort of thing you can trot out whenever Robert Johnson comes up in conversation: "well, you know, you may think you like his music, but you've been listening to it all wrong."
posted by yoink at 9:57 AM on April 9, 2015
Indeed. The persistence of this bit of nonsense is due almost entirely, I think, to people's delight in having an "insider" piece of knowledge: the sort of thing you can trot out whenever Robert Johnson comes up in conversation: "well, you know, you may think you like his music, but you've been listening to it all wrong."
posted by yoink at 9:57 AM on April 9, 2015
What I find weird about some of the writing aimed to dispel the myths around Johnson is that they seem to think that people seriously believe he literally "sold his soul to the devil." I wouldn't have thought that that was a myth that needed much debunking.
posted by yoink at 9:58 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by yoink at 9:58 AM on April 9, 2015
I don't think they wanted to be them; they wanted to play like them....
I wouldn't try to guess what's in Eric Clapton's mind, and I am really absolutely completely certain that I don't even, ever, want to know (or suspect, even) what's in Mick Jagger's mind. I guess it's fair to assume that more than a few rockers got into music to get rich (or maybe get laid), but music has a way of overtaking a person, until it becomes both the end and the means. Johnson's myth is probably a good metaphor. His soul was what fell off his fingers when he picked up his guitar.
When you think about it, the music is sort of transcendent. I don't have to have grown up as a black sharecropper to be stirred by the music, but I suppose I can understand how someone might get confused by the connection.
posted by mule98J at 10:17 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I wouldn't try to guess what's in Eric Clapton's mind, and I am really absolutely completely certain that I don't even, ever, want to know (or suspect, even) what's in Mick Jagger's mind. I guess it's fair to assume that more than a few rockers got into music to get rich (or maybe get laid), but music has a way of overtaking a person, until it becomes both the end and the means. Johnson's myth is probably a good metaphor. His soul was what fell off his fingers when he picked up his guitar.
When you think about it, the music is sort of transcendent. I don't have to have grown up as a black sharecropper to be stirred by the music, but I suppose I can understand how someone might get confused by the connection.
posted by mule98J at 10:17 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I wouldn't have thought that that was a myth that needed much debunking.
A little lower level, as one highly caffeinated harpoonier once said.
Somebody contemporaneously noticed an improvement in his playing after an absence. Obviously, Johnson was just practicing, but somebody probably remarked that his rapid improvement appeared supernatural. Maybe seriously, maybe half-seriously, maybe as a joke. But why say such a thing at all? Why would the idea catch on?
Consider:
Modern society adds the "self-appointed skeptical Debunker" level to the existing "Denier watching horror movies through the gaps in their fingers" and "utterly guiless Believer in received wisdom" levels.
posted by Herodios at 10:24 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
A little lower level, as one highly caffeinated harpoonier once said.
Somebody contemporaneously noticed an improvement in his playing after an absence. Obviously, Johnson was just practicing, but somebody probably remarked that his rapid improvement appeared supernatural. Maybe seriously, maybe half-seriously, maybe as a joke. But why say such a thing at all? Why would the idea catch on?
Consider:
A deal with the devil [aka Faustian Bargain] . . . is a cultural motif . . . elemental to many Christian folktales. . . .We seem to want it. Or maybe need it.
"Bargain with the devil" constitutes motif number M210 and "Man sells soul to devil" motif number M211 in Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature. . . .
The idea of "selling your soul for instrumental mastery/fame" has occurred several times:
- Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770), Venetian violinist and composer
- Niccolò Paganini (27 October 1782 - 27 May 1840), Italian violinist
- Robert Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938), blues musician
- Tommy Johnson (1896 – November 1, 1956), blues musician
Modern society adds the "self-appointed skeptical Debunker" level to the existing "Denier watching horror movies through the gaps in their fingers" and "utterly guiless Believer in received wisdom" levels.
posted by Herodios at 10:24 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah, yoink, that kind of behavior can be a little annoying. Usually comes from people who don't play the instrument. Speaking as a person who considers himself to be a decent campfire-level player, I occasionally slow down tunes because a) I'm no Leo Kottke but I like to hack away at a few of his tunes :) and b) in some instances a slower version is more nuanced and appealing--at least to me. I recently added John Fahey's Poor Boy Long Ways from Home to my repertoire and I definitely play it slower because I feel like a couple of the hammer-ons call for it.
All tolled, I think Wald's arguments are pretty good, too. And bottom line, imo, the Johnson recordings, in-and-of-themselves, no matter how "accurate" the speed is, are the material that has been so widely influential to other folks. Ans that is what counts, I think.
posted by CincyBlues at 10:25 AM on April 9, 2015
All tolled, I think Wald's arguments are pretty good, too. And bottom line, imo, the Johnson recordings, in-and-of-themselves, no matter how "accurate" the speed is, are the material that has been so widely influential to other folks. Ans that is what counts, I think.
posted by CincyBlues at 10:25 AM on April 9, 2015
For guitarists I recommend this book which has staggeringly detailed transcriptions - including a hitherto unknown tuning which the author calls 'Aadd9', used on 'Dust my Broom', accurate capos, and even all those stray beats making some bars 5/4 or whatever.
It's kind of pointless in some ways, and sure as hell wasn't the way Clapton et al were inspired, but the level of detail and rigour makes a fitting tribute to such an amazing musician.
posted by colie at 10:32 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's kind of pointless in some ways, and sure as hell wasn't the way Clapton et al were inspired, but the level of detail and rigour makes a fitting tribute to such an amazing musician.
posted by colie at 10:32 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Ben Trismegistus: but impossible to tell which one is "correct"."Impossible", maybe. As Elijah Wald argues quite convincingly in CincyBlues's link, there's no evidence that his recordings were consistently speeded up.
It's also not impossible that Francis Bacon wrote all of Robert Johnson's songs - but it's highly unlikely.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:37 AM on April 9, 2015
The vibrato in his voice is more in keeping with reality, in the slowed down piece. Recording companies were doubtlessly saving on whatever, whatever they could. Remember how British pirate radio stations shortened songs, a while back? I think some things must have been sped up to accommodate time considerations, and perceived short attention spans of fans. I bet "He's A Rebel," by The Crystals, was speeded up, they couldn't get rid of the hit, but they could hurry it along.
posted by Oyéah at 10:40 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 10:40 AM on April 9, 2015
Racism wasn't as extreme in Britain as it was in the US, especially the American South.
Seems to have been pretty extreme in Eric Clapton's mind, though.
posted by howfar at 10:42 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Seems to have been pretty extreme in Eric Clapton's mind, though.
posted by howfar at 10:42 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Somebody contemporaneously noticed an improvement in his playing after an absence. Obviously, Johnson was just practicing, but somebody probably remarked that his rapid improvement appeared supernatural. Maybe seriously, maybe half-seriously, maybe as a joke. But why say such a thing at all? Why would the idea catch on?
One of the best classes I took in college was "History of the Blues." For weeks we heard a lot of turn of the century music and how it slowly progressed. Again, this was for weeks, so we slowly got used to the sound and some of the nuances.
Then we heard Robert Johnson and it was like a bomb going off. Compared to what we had been listening to, it sound radically new, like he had the mythical third hand or something (another rumor). Add in the fact that was an embarrassingly bad guitar player before and to hear him come back with a whole new sound that is one of the foundations of rock and roll and yeah, I bet all sorts of rumors sprung up. Also, Johnson didn't do much to dispell them, as who wouldn't want to go see the man made a deal with the devil?
In reality, he spent a lot of time practicing with Isaiah "Ike" Zinnerman, who taught quite a few people.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:43 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
One of the best classes I took in college was "History of the Blues." For weeks we heard a lot of turn of the century music and how it slowly progressed. Again, this was for weeks, so we slowly got used to the sound and some of the nuances.
Then we heard Robert Johnson and it was like a bomb going off. Compared to what we had been listening to, it sound radically new, like he had the mythical third hand or something (another rumor). Add in the fact that was an embarrassingly bad guitar player before and to hear him come back with a whole new sound that is one of the foundations of rock and roll and yeah, I bet all sorts of rumors sprung up. Also, Johnson didn't do much to dispell them, as who wouldn't want to go see the man made a deal with the devil?
In reality, he spent a lot of time practicing with Isaiah "Ike" Zinnerman, who taught quite a few people.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:43 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Reading about the various white men inserting themselves in Johnson's estate and legacy pisses me off. In the Vanity Fair article, we have the "notoriously litigious" Steve LaVere, who got a presumptive next-of-kin of Johnson to sign an agreement transferring rights to the photos and music of Johnson to himself—if I'm reading that correctly. (In exchange for everything he passes 50% of the royalties back to the next of kin.)
These photos and this music are old, and in any sane system of copyright no party would be able to assert special rights with respect to either, 80 years later. Seeing dilapidated yet important photos from 1930 watermarked into oblivion by people eight times removed from the man who made the music (or even the person who took the photos!) is like some final confirmation that no one can do anything without it being mostly about their ego.
posted by sylvanshine at 10:54 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
These photos and this music are old, and in any sane system of copyright no party would be able to assert special rights with respect to either, 80 years later. Seeing dilapidated yet important photos from 1930 watermarked into oblivion by people eight times removed from the man who made the music (or even the person who took the photos!) is like some final confirmation that no one can do anything without it being mostly about their ego.
posted by sylvanshine at 10:54 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've played around with speed adjustment on Robert Johnson's songs. Initially I did it because I wanted the tracks to be in A440 concert pitch so I wouldn't have to spend half my life tuning in order to learn the songs. What I found is for me the recordings sound a lot more natural and realistic slowed down about 5-10%. 20% is way too much. I think that sounds ridiculous. But if you've got the songs on your computer and a copy of Audacity I highly recommend giving it a try. He sounds like an actual human being when you slow him down.
posted by wabbittwax at 11:00 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by wabbittwax at 11:00 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
For those unfamiliar with Delta blues and its history, be sure and check out Skip James. His music was very influential on a whole host of Delta musicians including Johnson. He was "redeiscovered" in the 1960's and re-recorded several of his early songs. He lived an interesting and tragic life which has been fairly well documented. One example is the fairly recent biography I'd Rather Be the Devil by Stephan Calt.
posted by misterpatrick at 11:10 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by misterpatrick at 11:10 AM on April 9, 2015
a hitherto unknown tuning which the author calls 'Aadd9'
I have never fooled around much with open tunings, but it looks like this is what you'd get if you tune to open A but just leave the B string alone.
posted by thelonius at 11:12 AM on April 9, 2015
I have never fooled around much with open tunings, but it looks like this is what you'd get if you tune to open A but just leave the B string alone.
posted by thelonius at 11:12 AM on April 9, 2015
Audio expert David Seville has done some really fascinating research on this subject, actually.
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 11:14 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 11:14 AM on April 9, 2015
Speaking of the British blues obsession with Robert Johnson, several years ago I read an interview with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Apparently Beck was holding jams in his garage on somewhat regular basis with a few of his peers. Page lived nearby and was there on a regular basis. But apparently Keith Richards would also show up whenever he was in town. The two insisted that Richards, not Clapton, could play Robert Johnson style better than anyone they knew.
posted by Ber at 11:18 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ber at 11:18 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Aadd9 differs significantly from Open A in that the root is on the 6th string instead of the 5th.
posted by colie at 11:25 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by colie at 11:25 AM on April 9, 2015
A line from the Vanity Fair article:
Along those lines, filling in the story of the person behind the music from long ago, I absolutely have to recommend another article from the blue: The Ballad of Geechie and Elvie. (MeFi link) Mack McCormick plays a central role in that article, too.
posted by Theophrastus Johnson at 11:36 AM on April 9, 2015
The biggest hole in this patchwork is the one thing that would establish Johnson’s humanity in a society hooked on visual media: photographs.Seems like a semi-fluffy line to segue from Johnson's general biography to the tale of the mystery photograph. But boy gee whiz it captures my sentiments about this exactly: the photograph is so incredibly important for me in pulling the mythologized tale of Robert Johnson into the human realm. Stories of obscure tunings, or debates on the speed of his music are notable, but not terribly interesting to me. But, looking into his eyes, while thinking about the outsized influence and enduring appeal his artistry have... wow. That's powerful stuff for me. I wonder what it must have been like to have been a lifelong blues fan reading that Rolling Stone in 1986, when the first known picture of Johnson was published.
Along those lines, filling in the story of the person behind the music from long ago, I absolutely have to recommend another article from the blue: The Ballad of Geechie and Elvie. (MeFi link) Mack McCormick plays a central role in that article, too.
posted by Theophrastus Johnson at 11:36 AM on April 9, 2015
There is a fine compilation The Roots of Robert Johnson that shows where Robert Johnson got his mojo from, and what he borrowed and stole from other Delta musicians.
It is important to keep in mind that to folks like Charlie Patton, Son House and Skip James, blues originals born in the 1890s and ten or more years older than Johnson, Robert was a young wannabe who they thought (correctly) was stealing their licks.
Johnson's paramount position as the "King of the Delta Blues" is founded on the fact that his recordings were electrically recorded in the later 1930s rather than acoustically recorded as were most of the blues artists recorded in the late 20s, before the Depression hit and "race records" no longer sold. In addition, he happened to record for Columbia Records, which had the wit to release the best of his clear and high quality recordings to an avid audience during the Great Folk Scare of the 1960s--on an LP entitled "King of the Delta Blues."
posted by rdone at 11:47 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
It is important to keep in mind that to folks like Charlie Patton, Son House and Skip James, blues originals born in the 1890s and ten or more years older than Johnson, Robert was a young wannabe who they thought (correctly) was stealing their licks.
Johnson's paramount position as the "King of the Delta Blues" is founded on the fact that his recordings were electrically recorded in the later 1930s rather than acoustically recorded as were most of the blues artists recorded in the late 20s, before the Depression hit and "race records" no longer sold. In addition, he happened to record for Columbia Records, which had the wit to release the best of his clear and high quality recordings to an avid audience during the Great Folk Scare of the 1960s--on an LP entitled "King of the Delta Blues."
posted by rdone at 11:47 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
The two insisted that Richards, not Clapton, could play Robert Johnson style better than anyone they knew.
That's not surprising since Clapton has said in interviews that he was too intimidated by Robert Johnson's playing to even attempt to play in his style at that early stage of his career. It was 2004 before he recorded those songs in anything close to Johnson's style. Keith on the other hand has probably never been intimidated by anything ever so of course he'd give it a go. And he's always had that supernatural sense of rhythm, which would obviously be a big help.
posted by wabbittwax at 11:50 AM on April 9, 2015
That's not surprising since Clapton has said in interviews that he was too intimidated by Robert Johnson's playing to even attempt to play in his style at that early stage of his career. It was 2004 before he recorded those songs in anything close to Johnson's style. Keith on the other hand has probably never been intimidated by anything ever so of course he'd give it a go. And he's always had that supernatural sense of rhythm, which would obviously be a big help.
posted by wabbittwax at 11:50 AM on April 9, 2015
Aadd9 differs significantly from Open A in that the root is on the 6th string instead of the 5th.
Alright, you're going to have to explain that.
I've seen this tuning rendered:
How would you tune a guitar to an open Aadd9 so that the root is on the 6th string? Tune down a 4th? Replace the E string with an A?
Or are you calling the root of an Aadd9 chord something other that A?
Or numbering the strings boustrophedonically?
posted by Herodios at 12:13 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Alright, you're going to have to explain that.
I've seen this tuning rendered:
Method #1: E B E A C# E (retune 4 strings: +1,+1,+1,+1)
Method #2: E A C# E B E (retune 2 strings: -1/2, -m3)
Method #3: E A E A B E (retune 2 strings: +1, +1)
How would you tune a guitar to an open Aadd9 so that the root is on the 6th string? Tune down a 4th? Replace the E string with an A?
Or are you calling the root of an Aadd9 chord something other that A?
Or numbering the strings boustrophedonically?
posted by Herodios at 12:13 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
According to the book I mentioned upthread, the Aadd9 tuning used on Dust My Broom is: E, B, E, A, Csharp, E, and then all tuned down a half step to give you Eflat, Bflat, Eflat, Aflat, C, Eflat from lowest to highest.
In Dust My Broom there are clear boogie-style patterns heard on the bottom two strings from bar 4 on, with the root on the low E. This is different to the Open A songs like Come On in My Kitchen, where you get the bassy stuff on the 5th and 4th strings, so the root is on the 5th.
posted by colie at 12:32 PM on April 9, 2015
In Dust My Broom there are clear boogie-style patterns heard on the bottom two strings from bar 4 on, with the root on the low E. This is different to the Open A songs like Come On in My Kitchen, where you get the bassy stuff on the 5th and 4th strings, so the root is on the 5th.
posted by colie at 12:32 PM on April 9, 2015
I have to linked this a number of times before on this topic, but once again: The Crossroad in Hoodoo Magic and the Ritual of Selling Yourself to the Devil.
posted by y2karl at 12:42 PM on April 9, 2015
posted by y2karl at 12:42 PM on April 9, 2015
not buying the speed theory for one real simple reason - why just robert johnson? - if this was common practice, wouldn't we have figured this out with a lot of different performers? - and if it wasn't common practice, why was it done with robert?
also british bands weren't really copying robert johnson - they were aware of him, of course, but the stones were covering muddy waters and howling wolf, not to mention chuck berry - they were not dressing like southern sharecroppers
nor did eric clapton
also, as an american, i'm real hesitant to equate british middle class experience with american middle class experience - they're not the same at all, i think, and americans should be careful here
also, i believe that the devil has retired from the soul buying business - these days, you have to sell your soul to justin beiber, which is why today's music sucks so much
posted by pyramid termite at 12:52 PM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
also british bands weren't really copying robert johnson - they were aware of him, of course, but the stones were covering muddy waters and howling wolf, not to mention chuck berry - they were not dressing like southern sharecroppers
nor did eric clapton
also, as an american, i'm real hesitant to equate british middle class experience with american middle class experience - they're not the same at all, i think, and americans should be careful here
also, i believe that the devil has retired from the soul buying business - these days, you have to sell your soul to justin beiber, which is why today's music sucks so much
posted by pyramid termite at 12:52 PM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
also british bands weren't really copying robert johnson - they were aware of him, of course, but the stones were covering muddy waters and howling wolf, not to mention chuck berry
This was my impression too; they were mostly copying Chicago blues. In Andy Summers' book One Train Later, he describes going to visit Clapton in his apartment, and being blown away by the record playing there, a Buddy Guy album. So that's where he's getting this stuff, Summers says that he thought.
Summers, by the way, sold to Clapton the Les Paul that was used on "Spoonful" and "I Feel Free", after Clapton's had been stolen.
posted by thelonius at 1:03 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
This was my impression too; they were mostly copying Chicago blues. In Andy Summers' book One Train Later, he describes going to visit Clapton in his apartment, and being blown away by the record playing there, a Buddy Guy album. So that's where he's getting this stuff, Summers says that he thought.
Summers, by the way, sold to Clapton the Les Paul that was used on "Spoonful" and "I Feel Free", after Clapton's had been stolen.
posted by thelonius at 1:03 PM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Dear Metafilter. Stop reading my brain.
Last night I was listening to Son Volt and John Lee Hooker (due to the whole Nirvana covering some Lead Belly songs)... And now you post this.
And then, also, in addition to...
Because of the Nirvana stuff, I was reading about his relationship with that girl from Bikini Kill who coined the word "Grrl" (see above post about "Riot Grrl Day"). Clearly, y'all are on some Cobain threads or something.
posted by symbioid at 1:10 PM on April 9, 2015
Last night I was listening to Son Volt and John Lee Hooker (due to the whole Nirvana covering some Lead Belly songs)... And now you post this.
And then, also, in addition to...
Because of the Nirvana stuff, I was reading about his relationship with that girl from Bikini Kill who coined the word "Grrl" (see above post about "Riot Grrl Day"). Clearly, y'all are on some Cobain threads or something.
posted by symbioid at 1:10 PM on April 9, 2015
Wasn't there a theory floating around for a while that the RJ in the pics and the RJ on the records were not the same man? I remember hearing that somewhere but can't Google anything up. Maybe something like the pic was attached to recordings of another RJ at some point or that some of the canonical RJ recordings were released with a different pic at some point. Does anybody know what I'm talking about?
posted by batfish at 4:11 PM on April 9, 2015
posted by batfish at 4:11 PM on April 9, 2015
Seth Winner, who did the mastering for Sony's Robert Johnson Centennial CDs based on Steven Lasker's transfers, says the hum he filtered out was at 60 and 120 Hz just like you'd expect. That's good evidence that we're playing the records back at the same speed they were recorded.
posted by in278s at 5:40 PM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by in278s at 5:40 PM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
pyramid termite, I don't particularly believe the speed story with Robert Johnson, but variations in speed were commonplace in the "78" era. You can find an interesting article about this here: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/resources/detail/58
posted by peakapeow at 5:57 PM on April 9, 2015
posted by peakapeow at 5:57 PM on April 9, 2015
Just wanna say, at the close of this thread, that there is no *KING of the Delta Blues*. Later for that silly shit. Cause, like, hey… Charley Patton, OK?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:46 AM on April 10, 2015
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:46 AM on April 10, 2015
Blues is more of a parliamentary republic than a monarchy.
posted by wabbittwax at 2:11 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by wabbittwax at 2:11 PM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
It says King of the Delta Blues right on the CD, so you're wrong.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:18 PM on April 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:18 PM on April 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Blues is more of a parliamentary republic than a monarchy.
If so, then the Knesset in practice.
And, also, and this is something to which I luckily can attest: on a good turntable and a decent system, nothing sounds better to hear Robert Johnson on 78. It is amazing how much is lost in the transfer to any other format. He just blows you away.
posted by y2karl at 7:52 AM on April 16, 2015
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posted by chavenet at 7:29 AM on April 9, 2015 [1 favorite]