VA - The Road To Robert Johnson And Beyond [4 CD, 2007]

 

During the last quarter of the 20th century, and thanks largely to Eric Clapton's remarkable devotion to his memory, Robert Leroy Johnson posthumously became the most celebrated Delta blues musician of the pre-WWII era. Among numerous editions of his complete works and various anthologies that combine his recordings with those of his contemporaries and followers, J.S.P.'s The Road to Robert Johnson and Beyond combines many of his essential performances with those by dozens of other blues artists from Blind Lemon Jefferson and Henry Thomas to Muddy Waters and Elmore James. 105 tracks fill four CDs with several decades' worth of strongly steeped blues that trace the African American migration from the deep south on up into Chicago. This is a fine way to savor the recorded evidence, as primary examples from Blind Blake, Charley Patton, Son House, Charlie McCoy, Walter Vincson, Skip James, Ma Rainey, Tampa Red, Kokomo Arnold, Scrapper Blackwell, Leroy Carr, Lonnie Johnson, and Peetie Wheatstraw lead directly to early modern masters like Big Joe Williams, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Bill Broonzy, Johnny Temple, Leroy Foster, Johnny Shines, Homesick James Williamson, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Snooky Pryor, Little Walter, and David Honeyboy Edwards, among many others. This collection would be greatly enhanced by Edward Komara's The Road to Robert Johnson: The Genesis and Evolution of Blues in the Delta from the Late 1800s Through 1938, a highly regarded work of musicological scholarship published at the same time as J.S.P. released their similarly titled box set in 2007. Careful remastering and affordable pricing make this hefty stash of classic blues an excellent option for anyone who cares at all about where the music came from and how it evolved.



CD A

01. Son House - Walkin' Blues (2:57)
02. Leroy Carr - Mean Mistreater Mama (2:56)
03. Johnny Temple - Lead Pencil Blues (3:07)
04. Skip James - Devil Got My Woman (3:00)
05. Blind Blake - Georgia Bound (3:23)
06. Lonnie Johnson - Blue Ghost Blues (3:11)
07. Carl Rafferty - Mr. Carl's Blues (3:06)
08. Blind Lemon Jefferson - Change My Luck Blues (2:24)
09. Tampa Red - Things 'Bout Coming My Way (3:15)
10. Peetie Wheatstraw - Police Station Blues (3:05)
11. Kokomo Arnold - Old Original Kokomo Blues (2:54)
12. Hambone Willie Newbern - Roll And Tumble Blues (3:03)
13. Ramblin' Thomas - No Job Blues (3:12)
14. Bid Bill Broonzy - Shelby County Blues (3:20)
15. Ma Rainey - Booze And Blues (3:10)
16. Charley Patton - You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die (2:51)
17. Skip James - 20-20 Blues (2:51)
18. Kokomo Arnold - Milk Cow Blues (3:09)
19. Son House - Preachin' The Blues (Pt. 1) (3:05)
20. Lonnie Johnson - Life Saver Blues (3:05)
21. Johnny Temple - The Evil Devil Blues (3:13)
22. Leroy Carr - When The Sun Goes Down (2:57)
23. Henry Thomas - Red River Blues (3:08)
24. Blind Lemon Jefferson - Dry Southern Blues (2:51)
25. Mississippi Sheiks - Show Me What You Got (3:10)


CD B

01. Robert Johnson - Kind Hearted Woman Blues (2:53)
02. Robert Johnson - I Believe I'll Dust My Broom (3:00)
03. Robert Johnson - Sweet Home Chicago (2:59)
04. Robert Johnson - Ramblin' On My Mind (2:53)
05. Robert Johnson - When You Got A Good Friend (2:53)
06. Robert Johnson - Come On In My Kitchen (2:45)
07. Robert Johnson - Terraplane Blues (3:01)
08. Robert Johnson - Phonograph Blues (2:40)
09. Robert Johnson - 32-20 Blues (2:50)
10. Robert Johnson - They're Red Hot (2:59)
11. Robert Johnson - Dead Shrimp Blues (2:32)
12. Robert Johnson - Cross Road Blues (2:41)
13. Robert Johnson - Walkin' Blues (2:31)
14. Robert Johnson - Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2:40)
15. Robert Johnson - Preachin' Blues (2:51)
16. Robert Johnson - If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day (2:36)
17. Robert Johnson - Stones In My Passway (2:29)
18. Robert Johnson - I'm A Steady Rollin' Man (2:37)
19. Robert Johnson - From Four Until Late (2:25)
20. Robert Johnson - Hell Hound On My Trail (2:37)
21. Robert Johnson - Little Queen Of Spades (2:19)
22. Robert Johnson - Malted Milk (2:23)
23. Robert Johnson - Drunken Hearted Man (2:28)
24. Robert Johnson - Me And The Devil Blues (2:35)
25. Robert Johnson - Stop Breakin' Down Blues (2:24)
26. Robert Johnson - Travelin' Riverside Blues (2:47)
27. Robert Johnson - Honeymoon Blues (2:19)
28. Robert Johnson - Love In Vain (2:18)
29. Robert Johnson - Milkcow's Calf Blues (2:22)


CD C

01. Muddy Waters - Country Blues (No.1) (3:27)
02. Muddy Waters - I Be's Troubled (3:06)
03. Muddy Waters - Burr Clover Farm Blues (2:56)
04. Muddy Waters - Ramblin' Kid Blues (3:19)
05. Muddy Waters - Rosalie (3:04)
06. Muddy Waters - Take A Walk With Me (3:03)
07. Muddy Waters - Burr Clover Blues (3:13)
08. Muddy Waters - I Be Bound To Write To You (No.1) (3:24)
09. Muddy Waters - I Be Bound To Write To You (No.2) (2:54)
10. Muddy Waters - You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone (No.1) (3:23)
11. Muddy Waters - You Got To Take Sick And Die Some Of These Days (2:09)
12. Muddy Waters - Why Don't You Live So God Can Use You (2:09)
13. Muddy Waters - Country Blues (No.2) (3:36)
14. Muddy Waters - You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone (No.2) (3:41)
15. Muddy Waters - 32-20 Blues (3:24)
16. Robert Lockwood - Little Boy Blue (3:05)
17. Calvin Frazier - She's A Double-Crossin' Woman (2:50)
18. Robert Lee McCoy - Friar's Point Blues (2:51)
19. Big Joe Williams - I'm A Highway Man (2:53)
20. Johnny Shines - Evil Hearted Woman Blues (2:49)
21. Calvin Frazier - Lilly Mae (No.1) (4:00)
22. Johnny Shines - Ramblin' (2:32)
23. Honeyboy Edwards - Sweet Home Chicago (3:00)
24. Johnny Shines - Fishtail (2:30)
25. Little Walter - Muskadine Blues (3:12)


CD D

01. Elmore James - Dust My Broom (2:48)
02. Homesick James - Long Lonesome Day (2:26)
03. 'Baby Face' Leroy Foster - Rollin' & Tumblin' (Parts 1&2) (5:28)
04. Homesick James - Johnnie Mae (2:47)
05. Baby Boy Warren - Stop Breaking My Heart (2:36)
06. Elmore James - Standing At The Crossroads (2:48)
07. Homesick James - Lonesome Blues (2:21)
08. Homesick James - Homesick (3:07)
09. Elmore James - I Believe (3:17)
10. Johnny Shines - Rambling Blues (2:34)
11. Johnny Shines - Maggie Lee Blues (6:27)
12. Johnny Shines - You're The One That I Love (3:52)
13. Johnny Shines - Sweet Home Chicago (3:30)
14. Johnny Shines - Shake 'Em On Down (3:39)
15. Johnny Shines - Moanin' & Groanin' The Blues (5:24)
16. Blind Will Dukes - Terraplane Blues (3:04)
17. Blind Will Dukes - Dead Shrimp Blues (2:32)
18. Blind Will Dukes - Steady Rollin' Man (2:22)
19. Blind Will Dukes - Me And The Devil (2:20)
20. Blind Will Dukes - Mean Hearted Woman (2:29)
21. Blind Will Dukes - Ramblin' Blues (1:32)
22. Blind Will Dukes - Hobo Blues (1:42)
23. Blind Will Dukes - Milk Cow Blues (2:02)
24. Blind Will Dukes - Mistreated So Long (1:44)
25. Blind Will Dukes - Sail On Little Woman (2:06)
26. Blind Will Dukes - Hoodoo Man (2:08)