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He and Mr Clapton
Clapton did finally wait about 40 years before paying his “official” tribute to his hero, cursed Delta country blues pioneer Robert Johnson. During four decades, he played a load of Johnson songs, especially on stage, but here he devoted two entire albums to 18 different Johnson songs, roughly two third of the 29 songs ever recorded by the Delta musician. A special edition of the second album, “Sessions For Robert J”, was released with a 96-minute DVD about the recording of the 18 Johnson's songs, including in one of the very places the young Delta legend recorded some himself (508 Park Avenue, Dallas. Texas). Actually the DVD includes a 19th bonus song : “Stones In My Passway”.
I've carried out a little experience : I listened to each song twice, the original Johnson recording first, followed by the same adapted by Clapton. The most perceptible difference concerns of course the recording conditions : Johnson originals were acoustic tracks played solo some 85 years ago in front of an obsolete microphone plugged in an ancient recording machine installed in an ordinary room, not even a proper recording studio. On the contrary, instead of playing them acoustic and solo, Clapton chose to electrify most of his adaptations and record them with a band who considerably enriches the musical atmosphere, and that in a totally different recording environment.
Beyond these technical aspects, when listening attentively to both versions of each song, I found out that Clapton has fairly respected the spirit of Johnson's recordings : the lyrics of course (Johnson was an exceptionally gifted song-writer), but also the melodic lines drawn on his guitar, even if at times it requires some concentration to hear echoes of Johnson's originals in Clapton's covers, particularly because Clapton's version are often played in different keys.
Also, Clapton's vocals, though he considerably improved his singing through the years, still do not reach the sorrowful and desperate intensity expressed by Johnson's haunting voice over the old vintage tone of his guitar, despite the nasal texture common to most of the old 78rpm discs.
Another detail is that except on “Me And The Devil Blues”, Clapton generally left aside the quick spoken comments that Johnson sometimes slipped in his lyrics to underline them, like on “They Are Red Hot”. Nevertheless, Clapton's intention was certainly not to produce a copy-cat imitation of his hero, but to revisit and rejuvenate Johnson's work with his own sensibility and great guitar technique. Consequently both albums sound extremely appealing to our modern ears used to electric music.  |
Doyle Bramhall II |
Both albums feature 25 songs, among which seven appear on each but in distinct versions : each album feature a partly different backing line-up. Andy Fearweather Low (guitar), Jerry Portnoy (harmonica) do not play on the “Sessions…” neither Pino Palladino (bass) or Jim Keltner (drums) who respectively replace Nathan East and Steve Gadd on “Traveling Riverside Blues” on “Me and…”, while pianist Chris Stainton, not on “Me and…”, has been called for the “Sessions…”.
Technically faultless as usual, Clapton sounds really relaxed and at ease on either album. Johnson's songs are so much a key part of his mental landscape since his debuts with the Yardbirds in 1963, and probably even before that from the day he heard Johnson for the first time ! Beside him, the most impressive instrumentalist is undoubtedly Doyle Bramhall II, a champion of slide guitar (electric, acoustic dobro or regular flat-top). Long-time Clapton's accomplice, the excellent Billy Preston brings the essential sound of his keyboards (piano and especially organ), while the rhythmic pair East-Gadd deliver an unfailing groove.  |
| Clapton and Bralhall at 508 Park Avenue in Dallas |
The 18 Johnson's songs from both albums are all real treats for the ears and the mind, and between the two I would be in trouble if I was compelled to choose. Which makes me wonder why the two albums haven't been reunited in a 2-CD set yet, including the DVD or not. Or were they, though I didn't see anything like it ?
Impossible for me either to point out this or that song as standing out over the others, they're all greatly delivered by Clapton and his musicians, and all emblematic of Johnson short life (he died at 27, supposedly poisoned by a jealous husband), a concentrate of tragedy, mystery and legend. It is said that the genius of great artists is generally revealed by the curse of drama and tragedy, sometimes close to madness. What is true for Rimbaud and Van Gogh is true for Johnson too, and to a certain extent for Clapton who also went through his own tribulations.
A few acoustic tracks, solo or with Bramhall, like “Terraplane Blues”, “Me And The Devil Blues”, “From Four Until Late”, “Ramblin’ On My Mind” (all four on the “Sessions…”) are probably the closest ones to the way Johnson used to play in his time, precisely because they're played acoustic, just like Johnson on his recordings.
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| 508 Park Avenue in Dallas |
Surprisingly “Cross Road Blues” is not feature on any of the twin albums. Not so surprising after all : it's the Johnson's song the most frequently played by Clapton in all kinds of arrangements (not a concert without it) and he didn't want to put out an umpteenth version. As for “Love In Vain” (on “Me and…”), it is the only track that suffers from comparison with the exceptional version of the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album “Let It Bleed”. |
The only three existing pictures of Robert Johnson
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Despite these minor reservations, both albums probably opened many ears to the work of the so influential Delta bluesman, in a contemporary way but with no betrayal of Johnson's spirit. A legitimate question remains, not about his supposed encounter with the devil nor about the exact location of his grave : if Johnson was living today, would he play his songs electric with a band like Clapton did and still does in concert ? Personally, I have my idea, but the truth is that we'll never know... ■
(1) 16 songs were recorded on November 23, 26 & 27, 1936, in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel of San Antonio, Texas; 13 songs on June 19 & 20, 1937, in the Brunswick Records studio on the Third floor of the Vitagraph/Warner Bros. building at 508 Park Avenue in Dallas, Texas. The session logs show that a total of 59 performances were recorded by Johnson (two takes of each song plus one third take for one of the 29), but only 42 have been found. Consequently Johnson discography counts a total of 29 songs and 13 alternate takes.
Audio► Robert Johnson's Complete Recordings (including a second take of "Traveling Riverside Blues" discovered after the original 1990 release of this collection) : https://youtu.be/Jra6OyGR-E4
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Johnny Shines
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Documentaries about Robert Johnson► Unfortunately not available anymore on YT, “Searching For Robert Johnson”, produced and directed in 1991 by Chris Hunt for British TV, is probably the best documented film on Johnson. It follows John Hammond Jr. on the trail of Johnson, interviewing people who knew him ― fellow blues musicians Johnny Shines and “Honeyboy” Edwards, girlfriends, alleged descendants ― and blues scholars, in an attempt to draw a credible portrait of Johnson. The good news is that, provided you have a sufficient download rate and some patience, a 5,1 Go copy can be viewed or downloaded at : https://archive.org/details/the-search-for-robert-johnson-upgrade  |
| “Honeyboy” Edwards |
► Instead, a good alternative is the 1997 documentary “Can't You Hear The Wind Howl - The Life and Music of Robert Johnson” from Peter Meyer, which features more or less the same interesting interventions from Johnny Shines, Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Henry Townsend, Robert Cray & John Hammond : https://youtu.be/rGIIZx72Gf0► Crossroads Blues (French subs), a kind of road movie documentary by one “John Doe” in search of Johnson's mysterious 30th song : https://youtu.be/fGbmH2TMbkg ► Those who have access to Netflix can search “Devil at the Crossroads” by Brian Oakes, in the Remastered series.
Videos
Videos : Clapton & Johnson trough the years
► “Cross Road Blues'', the most frequently played by Clapton :
► "Come On in My Kitchen" :
► "Me and the Devil Blues" :
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From the three burial grounds claimed as authentic,
this one near Greenwood, where Johnson died, is the most probable one.
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Beyond these technical aspects, when listening attentively to both versions of each song, I found out that Clapton has fairly respected the spirit of Johnson's recordings : the lyrics of course (Johnson was an exceptionally gifted song-writer), but also the melodic lines drawn on his guitar, even if at times it requires some concentration to hear echoes of Johnson's originals in Clapton's covers, particularly because Clapton's version are often played in different keys.
Impossible for me either to point out this or that song as standing out over the others, they're all greatly delivered by Clapton and his musicians, and all emblematic of Johnson short life (he died at 27, supposedly poisoned by a jealous husband), a concentrate of tragedy, mystery and legend. It is said that the genius of great artists is generally revealed by the curse of drama and tragedy, sometimes close to madness. What is true for Rimbaud and Van Gogh is true for Johnson too, and to a certain extent for Clapton who also went through his own tribulations.
A few acoustic tracks, solo or with Bramhall, like “Terraplane Blues”, “Me And The Devil Blues”, “From Four Until Late”, “Ramblin’ On My Mind” (all four on the “Sessions…”) are probably the closest ones to the way Johnson used to play in his time, precisely because they're played acoustic, just like Johnson on his recordings.
(1) 16 songs were recorded on November 23, 26 & 27, 1936, in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel of San Antonio, Texas; 13 songs on June 19 & 20, 1937, in the Brunswick Records studio on the Third floor of the Vitagraph/Warner Bros. building at 508 Park Avenue in Dallas, Texas. The session logs show that a total of 59 performances were recorded by Johnson (two takes of each song plus one third take for one of the 29), but only 42 have been found. Consequently Johnson discography counts a total of 29 songs and 13 alternate takes.
→ 1994 : https://youtu.be/-twOjwBORwg
► “Kindhearted Woman Blues”, Washington DC, 2004 : https://youtu.be/MU-SpBj9idQ
► "When You Got a Good Friend", Budokan Hall, Tokyo, 2003 : https://youtu.be/yKgFlCHNCVM
► "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" : https://youtu.be/es6P1g5pKJg
1 comment:
Great work! Thanks.
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