Various Artists - Back To The Crossroads: Roots Of Robert Johnson

Artist:

Various Artists

UPC:

016351207029

Description:

Audio Remasterer: Richard Nevins.
Liner Note Author: Elijah Wald.
In a day and time (post-2000) when tribute albums spring up before a singer has a chance to die, much less become an immortal, it`s a relief to get an album that switches the formula. Back to the Crossroads traces the roots -- not the influence -- of Robert Johnson, perhaps the most eulogized singer in blues history. These roots are especially interesting to the rock fan who initially came to Johnson by way of Cream or Eric Clapton or the Allman Brothers, because they show how much the guitarist borrowed, adapted, and synthesized the music of those who came before him. As Elijah Wald points out in the liner notes, Robert Johnson copied Lonnie Johnson`s vocal and instrumental arrangement of "Life Saver Blues" almost note for note on "Malted Milk" and "Drunken Hearted Man." Indeed, for those unfamiliar with Lonnie Johnson, it would be easy to guess that he was an urban knockoff of the Delta bluesman. A number of Robert Johnson`s vocal inflections can also be traced to Peetie Wheatstraw`s delightful "Police Station Blues." The point of the collection, though, isn`t to prove that Johnson was a derivative artist, but to outline the rich tradition that he drew from to create his own art. As with other Yazoo compilations, research and sound engineering guarantee a high-quality product with historical significance. Back to the Crossroads also accompanies Elijah Wald`s Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues. Any fan of pre-WWII blues will want to pick up a copy of Back to the Crossroads. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Police Station Blues - Peetie Wheatstraw
2. Old Original Kokomo Blues - Kokomo Arnold
3. Cruel Hearted Woman - Bumble Bee Slim
4. Roll and Tumble Blues - Hambone Willie Newbern
5. Life Saver Blues - Lonnie Johnson
6. Sitting on Top of the World - Mississippi Sheiks
7. Hittin` the Bottle Stomp - Mississippi Jook Band
8. Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
9. My Black Mama, Pt. 1 - Son House
10. Georgia Bound - Blind Blake
11. When the Sun Goes Down - Leroy Carr
12. Sissy Man Blues - Kokomo Arnold
13. Your Enemy Cannot Harm You - Rev. Edward Clayborn
14. Lead Pencil Blues - Johnny Temple
15. 22-20 Blues - Skip James
16. Dry Southern Blues - Scrapper Blackwell
17. Kokomo Blues - Scrapper Blackwell
18. Things `Bout Coming My Way - Tampa Red
19. King of Spades - Peetie Wheatstraw
20. Oh, Red! - Harlem Hamfats
21. You`re Gonna Need Somebody When You Die - Charley Patton
22. Milk Cow Blues - Kokomo Arnold
23. Preachin` the Blues - Son House

Album Information

Release Date:

01/20/2004

Type:

Collection

Genre:

Blues

Subgenre:

Regional Collections

Label:

Yazoo

Producer:

Elijah Wald

Catalog Number:

2070

Original Release Year:

2004

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Mono

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