BluesinWijk’s LP of the month feature has already produced a nice collection of albums by Blues giants from home and abroad. That, combined with the fact that there is such a rich history of fantastic Blues albums to choose from, makes it no easy task to come up with one LP of the month. Still, I was missing an artist who should definitely not be missing from this wonderful collection. When I was born, he had been dead for 63 years. As the first member of the infamous club of 27, he wasn’t granted a long life, but fortunately his music lived (and still lives) on. I am of course talking about Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues singers. The work of this pioneer of the Blues, which consists of only 29 songs, is a must-have in the collection of every Blues fan. With his howling voice and virtuoso guitar playing, to me he is truly one of the first great Blues legends and his music manages to touch me time and time again. He recorded first versions of many Blues classics and there are many of them on this posthumous 1961 collector. Outside of Johnson’s great music, which would become an inspiration for many music legends from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix, Johnson was very important to the Blues in another way. His life, about which little can really be said with certainty, has been eagerly used by many as material for myth-making due to his young death. In doing so, he has become the epitome of the Blues. The stories, which undoubtedly have very little to do with reality, have fascinated Blues fans and historians around the world for decades. From his alleged encounters with the devil to the wild conspiracies over his mysterious death via the story that he allegedly sold his soul to the devil in exchange for superhuman skill on the guitar. This story is supported by rock solid songs on this album such as Me and the devil Blues and Crossroads Blues. The iconic cover of this album also tells a fascinating story in all its simplicity. For me, the mysterious and dark aspect is an important part of the charm of the Blues. Listening to the Blues brings you very close to a time long gone, with all its secrets and beauties, and that is what is so wonderful, exciting and fascinating about this music. Robert Johnson is still unsurpassed in expressing this story comprehensively and aptly with minimal means, and so he certainly deserves a spot in this fine column.
