Searching for Robert Johnson: The Life and Legend of the "King of the Delta Blues Singers"
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.29 (555 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0452279496 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 96 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-08-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Guralnick succeeds in conveying the power of Johnson's music and delineating both its origins and, ultimately, singular genius. Yet, for decades after his murder in 1938, details of Johnson's life and clues into the genesis of his music consisted of little more than the evocative themes and settings of the songs themselves. His debts to delta blues avatars Charley Patton and Tommy Johnson are solidified, yet, more crucially, Guralnick roots Johnson's artistic growth in the specific context of this rural corner of Mississippi, at this particular moment between the world wars. This brief but absorbing meditation on Johnson's life and art, originally published in 1989 in anticipation of the first release of his complete recordings, benefits from the detective work of earlier blues scholars, most notably Mack McCormick, who began piercing the veil surrounding Johnson's life in the '60s. Blues fans have long held up Robert Johnson's small but potent body of work
. He lives in West Newbury, Massachusetts. Peter Guralnick is the author of the hugely successful book on Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis
Recognized as an influence on musicians like Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, Johnson was poisoned by a jealous husband in 1938--at the age of twenty-seven. This untimely death, his supposed bargain with the devil that enabled him to play guitar, and the ferocity and tormented originality of his work have given rise to a legend that has inspired a Hollywood movie and numerous stories. Peter Guralnick?s extended essay about the life of the man and the myth, and of the place and time that produced both, illuminates much of the obscurity around Johnson without forfeiting any of the mystery.. Robert Johnson, while probably the most influential of all blues guitarists, is also one of the most obscure
"Father of the Blues" according to thehimiler. I read this book because of other books I had read about great bluesmen from yesteryear (Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, The Chitlin Circuit). While this book had some good info, it was not near as good or as detailed as many others I have read. The author referred to another author's book which was still in the works that I thought the best way to describe this volume was as an advertisement for another. Robert Johnson was an interesting character but I think there must be a better book on him somewhere.. Enjoyable, not comprehensive. At 96 pages you'll be able to read it in one sitting. Chock full of good information but falls short of being a comprehensive profile; It's a pity more isn't known about this colossal sphinx of a bluesman. Crisply written and nicely rendered paperback edition, includes a few interesting b&w photos of locations and related people to add to the atmosphere.. Wm. said A good book about an elusive subject. An interesting, if slight, book, which lays out what is known (except possibly by Mack McCormick) about Robert Johnson, and how the author came by this knowledge. For better or worse, what is known is not all that much, but perhaps (as the book suggests to me) the myth of Robert Johnson is more interesting than the reality. This book is good, but the records themselves are indispensable.