So it's blatantly obvious that das hips' music is strongly rooted in the blues. And I'm also assuming there's all kinds of blues fans out there on this board. Who's everyone's faves? I just bought two new records, one's a box set, "Shades of Blues", a 3 CD set, great stuff all around.....Lightnin' Hopkins, Bo Diddley, Elmore James. Another one, a double CD set put out by Rounder Records, called "Louisian Spice", highlights 25 years of the blues from Louisiana. Great stuff all around....
But I'm curious to any recommendations you've all got on the blues....let's hear 'em.....
Acoustic Blues does it for me : Keb Mo & Eric Bibb for instance.
Well, he's not exactly little-known, but I'm a big fan of Howlin' Wolf. He was the king of the Chicago blues, for sure.
I posted recently in another thread about Charley Patton. Just my opinion, but Patton blows Robert Johnson away. I think Johnson is better known simply because Patton's recordings are in such lousy shape and it is only recently that we've been able to reduce the noise and still let him sound good.
Someone a little more contemporary: Johnny Winter -- I saw him play about 15 years ago, and he was purely amazing.
skippy the wonder dog Wrote:Just my opinion, but Patton blows Robert Johnson away. I think Johnson is better known simply because Patton's recordings are in such lousy shape and it is only recently that we've been able to reduce the noise and still let him sound good.
And it stands to reason that Johnson’s recordings would be of higher quality since his two recordings occurred in 1936 (San Antonio) and 1937 (Dallas), while the bulk of Patton’s recordings date to 1929. Johnson was actually a sort of protege to Charley Patton. He would ‘tag along’ to gigs where Patton would partner-up with other bluesmen, particularly Willie Brown and Eddie James "Son" House Jr. Patton, Brown, and House all influenced the younger Johnson.
But I think Johnson’s acclaim is every bit as much due to legend and legacy as it is the quality of his recordings. It has been written that the trio of Patton, Brown, and House would actually criticize Johnson’s guitar skills while they were all sitting around drinking and jamming in Robinsonville, Mississippi, so obviously, there was a time when Johnson’s musicianship did not equal that of Patton. Johnson, discouraged, soon went back home to Hazelhurst, Mississippi, where he vigorously studied and practiced, and worked with local guitarist Ike Zinnerman. After some time, Johnson resurfaced in Robisonville with style and technique that so surpassed that of his contemporaries that some believed he had ‘sold his soul’ to attain his incredible ability. Many believe that the“Crossroads” legend originates from this series of events.
Charley Patton is acknowledged as being one of the very first to bring recognition to a style of folk music known as the Delta Blues, a form of music that has had an immense impact on the development modern popular music. Whether his work “blows Johnson away” is a matter of opinion.....
Well, I did preface that remark with "just my opinion," so I take it that's your subtle way of disagreeing.
I'm not saying any of this to denigrate Robert Johnson, who is deservedly recognized as one of the greats, but his stature as "the greatest" is owed in part to the availability of his recordings.
At the time of the 60s blues revival (in other words, at the time of the death of the blues, but that's another discussion), the Johnson recording "King of the Delta Blues Singers" was released. The sound quality was decent because Johnson's original masters were available. The original masters of Patton and many of his contemporaries were not. The only way to reissue their stuff was by recording it from battered old 78s (which often were of poor quality to start with), with lousy sound. So it's not that Johnson was bad, it's just that many other early blues singers went underrecognized.
By the way, the whole crossroads legend actually originated with Tommy Johnson (no relation) and was ripped off by Robert Johnson.
Speaking of people who took advantage of legends originated by others, let's add Albert King to our list. (He deliberately allowed people to think he was related to B.B. King.) Albert King's originals of Born Under a Bad Sign and Honkytonk Women blow away the covers by Cream and the Stones.
North Mississippi Allstars
R.L. Burnside
Robert johnson
Keb Mo. a few of my faves
I did see your preface, and yes, I guess that's my way of expressing my difference of opinion without sounding like I'm dismissing yours. I know you are not denigrating Johnson, your points are well-taken.
I must agree that the quality and availability of RJ’s recordings have certainly contributed to his preeminence in the chronicles of the Delta Blues, while other prominent contributors have not received their due.
skippy the wonder dog Wrote:By the way, the whole crossroads legend actually originated with Tommy Johnson (no relation) and was ripped off by Robert Johnson.
I’ve heard and read that too, but accounts seem to vary. The most I can seem to make of this legend is that it quite possibly pre-dated
both Robert and Tommy Johnson, essentially amounting to a sort of a deep-south folktale. Tommy was, in fact, known to have publicly applied this legend to himself. It has been written, though, that many of Robert’s
contemporaries applied it to him, because he had made such remarkable strides in terms skill over a very short period of time.
Regardless, the legend, along with some of Robert’s lyrical content, helped build a reputation of dabbling in the occult, which was one of the reasons why guys like Jimmy Page became interested in Johnson, which in turn, helped increase Johnson’s recognition. The deep south and voodoo seem to go hand-in-hand, and Page was very intrigued by the whole black magic ‘thing’.....
While this may come off as cliche, since the board seems to favour Johnson, etc.
SRV's Live At Montreux is simply incredible. Nothing like getting booed during one of your best shows ever and then going back 3 years later to a heroes welcome.