Me and Mr Johnson (1 Viewer)

[George See]

Anybody else pick this up today? I'm listening to it now first time through and i'm gonna say this is already my all time favorite tribute album. Of course I usually dislike tribute albums, but this is really good stuff. Love the piano on "They're Red Hot" and "Last Fair Deal Gone down"...it's nice to hear Eric really crank it up again too. My only complaint may be it's a tad short, it would have been cool if they threw a few bonus tracks on like Crossroads and other Johnson tunes he's covered in the past.

For that one guy who has no idea what i'm talking about... I'm talking about Eric Clapton's latest, an album of Robert Johnson cover songs.

 

[cwhite]

I got it. It's sort of hit and miss but Clapton assembles a top notch group of musicians for this release. Andy Fairweather-Low, Nathan East, Steve Gadd and Billy Preston on the Hammond organ. And it sounds pretty good, too.

 

[Brian L]

Mr. Johnson is on the way...can't wait till it arrives.

If you are interested in hearing other takes on Robert Johnson, I can also recommend Hellhound on my Trail. Its on Telarc, which means the sonics are absolutely top notch.

It is a compiliation of over a dozen artists, some I knew (Derek Trucks), but many I did not.

BGL

 

[KrisM]

I'll second Hellhounds On My Trail. An excellent disc. I've always meant to put together a Johnson tribute disc myself. Maybe even two, one with some rockin' versions and another with acoustic versions.
Peter Green put out a Johnson tribute awhile back.

Regards
KrisM

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Can anyone comment if it's more like the blues Eric did with Cream? Or more like his (mellower) solo stuff?

 

[Jim Rakowiecki]

I hope you all have picked up "Robert Johnson: The complete recordings" on Columbia.
Tribute albums and covers are great but you have to go back to the source and hear it from the master himself.

 

[Shawn C]

I bought this on iTunes today. It's a very nice blues album but it just sounds too polished compared to the original material. I guess there's just no getting around that. I think he strayed to far from the original material on some of the tracks, especially "32-20 Blues".

I dunno, replacing one man and his guitar with Clapton, a piano, a harmonica, drums, and a bass just seems like too much. This new album has no soul, but is technically very nice. Just my opinion.

Oh, and I would have liked it if they included Sweet Home Chicago. I know it's a little "bkues cliche", but it seems necessary

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Yuppers. Do have the original, complete recordings. I got a kick out of how much Zeppelin, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, etc, was forshadowed (or "borrowed" ) from it.

 

[George See]

I've got the complete recordings as well. As i've already got the complete recordings I wouldn't have bought this if it was just 1 guy and an acoustic guitar...what would be the point? I like that it is a slick production makes a very nice contrast to the origionals.

 

[Brian L]

Makes you wonder where Robert Johnson got his stiff from, doesn't it? Don't think he was downloading stuff from KaaZaa.

Oh wait, I remember....some dude with horns on his forehead that he met at the crossroads.....

BGL

 

[Kevin C Brown]

He did die young after all... Ever hear about *how* he died?

 

[Brian+H]

He was too good to not die young...

 

[Tom McDonald]

Robert Johnson unfortunately died from complications from syphilis although the myth of him dying from poisoning is a better story. This was a man whom without much of rock & roll as we know it may never have come about. It is truly amazing to myself and others that this man only recorded about 30 songs and yet in every rock song of today I can hear his influence. By the way Kevin this cd is neither like that of the Cream recordings nor the Unplugged cd, I was very pleasantly surprised the first time I put it on, if you are a fan of true blues this is the first Clapton in quite sometime which really does justice to that Genre. I love the blues and have about 600 different Blues cd's and this is a very good cd I know I will listen to alot I cant say that for the Unplugged cd, I was also a very big Cream fan and have all of their recordings still on vinyl.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Tom- OK, I might have to give it a try.

Ahhh, but how did he *get* syphilis?

Let's just say, he got around.

 

[Henry Gale]

I already have Pat Boone's version of "Tutti Frutti" on a 78 rpm disc.
But I'm sure this is much better.

 

[Eric F]

You don't have to wonder. There is so much material on the topic you'ld have a hard time avoiding it.

That said, if you like this CD start listening to some traditional blues artists. Plenty of good blues around, probably some at your local pub.

 

[Tom McDonald]

I agree with Eric lots of great blues out there that doesn't get enough support. It aways amazing to me that a cd like this one or Honkin At BoBo will come out and sell like made and yet most of the really blues artist out there can hardly give there music away, I'm not knock Mr. Clapton or Aerosmith its just people like Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Chris Thomas King, Walter Trout,and Smokin Joe Kubek do not get their just do. Get out there and listen to these people and any others you would be supprised how many of these type of quality players play at your local Pub. Support the Blues These guys and gals need it more then Eric Clapton or Aerosmith.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Aah, but there are some people like me out there too!

I got the complete recordings of RJ a while back, then I picked up some Chess compilation, and now I'm starting to investigate individual artists. Got some R.L. Burnside too.

 

[George See]

I would be surprised, unfortunatly most of the local "Blues" bands i've gone to see end up being just another cover band that does a bunch of Allman Brothers tunes and maybee Crossroads and Low Rider. Not exactly what i'm looking for.

I'll second Chris Thomas King he's really good, but i'd advise anyone picking up a disc by him to avoid "Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues" it's an interesting concept but IMHO fails miserably and the result is painfull to listen to.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

We have this place in San Jose called JJ Blues Club. I definitely do not get down there often enough, but most times it's real, authentic, blues. The owners do a nice job of choosing the artists who play there.