Complete Recordings [Jewel Case]

Read About This Recording

Over 100 minutes of digitally remastered music along with comprehensive liner notes and rare photos, this definitive, Grammy®-winning collection is a must for blues scholars and anyone else interested in hearing the source of every modern day blues guitarist from B.B. King to Keb' Mo', from John Lee Hooker to Robert Cray, from Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed to Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang.

Cut in Texas three days in November of 1936 and two days in June of 1937, these 41 Robert Johnson tracks — eleven 78 rpm recordings originally issued by Vocalion along with various alternate takes that have been previously unissued — represent the sum total recorded output of one of the true geniuses of American music. The countrapuntal nature of Johnson’s approach, in which he grinds out bouncing boogie bass lines and driving chords while simultaneously spinning facile single note lines, draws on the lessons of Delta pioneers like Son House and Charlie Patton. But Johnson’s way of easily, organically integrating his dazzling guitar work and his loose-phrased, emotionally charged vocals into the fabric of his tunes instantly raised the bar for all Delta blues guitar players in the ‘30s.

All of Johnson’s most potent and poetic tunes — "Sweet Home Chicago," "When You Got a Good Friend," "Come On in My Kitchen," "Cross Road Blues" and "Love in Vain Blues" — continue to be covered by a new generation of blues practitioners. But none have rendered this music with as much electrifying passion as Johnson did 65 years ago.

—Bill Milkowski

Quotes

"You want to know how good the blues can get? Well this is it." —Keith Richards

"He is the most important artist in the blues...all blues seem to revolve around Robert Johnson." —Keb' Mo'

"I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson." —Eric Clapton

"He had such an old soul for someone so young." —Robert Cray

Contents

Kind Hearted Woman Blues; I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom; Sweet Home Chicago; Ramblin’ On My MInd; When You Got A Good Friend; Come On In My Kitchen; Terraplane Blues; Phonograph Blues; 32-20 Blues; They’re Red Hot; Dead Shrimp Blues; Cross Road Blues; Walkin’ Blues; Last Fair Deal Gone Down; Preachin’ Blues (Up Jumped The Devil); If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day; Stones In My Passway; I’m A Steady Rollin’ Man; From Four Until Late; Hellow Hound On My Trail; Little Queen of Spades; Malted Milk; Drunken Hearted Me; Me and the Devil Blues; Stop Breakin’ Down Blues; Traveling Riverside Blues; Honeymoon Blues; Love In Vain Blues; Milkcow's Calf Blues.

Robert Johnson, Guitar/Vocals.

CD Special Features

• Improved sound.

• Newly discovered sources.

• 20 Bit Mastered.

• Original mono recording remastered by using SBM Super Bit Mapping.

• Over 100 minutes of digitally remasted music from the most influential bluesman of all time.

• Comprehensive liner notes by Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and others; track info and rare and historic photos.

• Grammy® Award winner.