Rating:
Genre:
Blues
Release Date: 01/20/2004
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., All Music Guide
;)
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