| | Complete Recordings Of Blind Willie Johnson CD Blind Willie Johnson Discography of CDs
(3 Customer Reviews)
Recorded between 1927 and 1930. Includes liner notes by Samuel Charters.
Digitally remastered by David Mitson (Sony Music Studios, Los Angeles, California).
A bottleneck guitarist of consummate skill, Blind Willie Johnson was a traveling evangelist who preached the gospel by playing and singing such message-heavy tunes as "I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole," and "If It Had Not Been for Jesus." But there is not a whit of squeaky-clean, Sunday-morning sweetness to Johnson's music. Overwhelmingly intense, Johnson's performances are all open wounds and raw nerves. THE COMPLETE collects everything the artist ever recorded, and makes a case for Johnson as one of the most passionate, affecting bluesmen of all time.
It is Johnson's singing that truly startles. A gruff yet finely nuanced bass, Johnson sings with a voice that could grind glass, wrenching out spiritually committed messages in a manner both primal and sublime. Johnson also displays great variety, be it the stark, understated intensity of "Dark Was the Night - Cold Was the Ground" (where he wordlessly vocalizes in a hush over ghostly riffs) or the full-tilt prophetic perfection of "John the Revelator" (a duet with Willie Harris). THE COMPLETE BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON is an utterly essential set of the most hair-raising gospel blues ever put to tape. Be prepared.
This is part of Columbia/Legacy's Roots N' Blues series.
Personnel includes: Blind Willie Johnson (slide guitar, vocals).
Reissue producers: Lawrence Cohn, Gary Pacheco.
Rolling Stone (9/2/93, p.64) - "...adds no new discoveries to his discography, but it boasts clearer sound than the Yazoo reissues..." Q (9/93, p.96) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...[THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS] are as crude as you'd expect...nonetheless, the intensity and strangeness of `Dark Was The Night' suggests [Blind Willie Johnson] belongs among the heavy hitters..." Complete Recordings Of Blind Willie Johnson Music Complete Recordings Of Blind Willie Johnson Songs Complete Recordings Of Blind Willie Johnson Music Review Average Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)   Blind Willie Although most of the music is religious in nature, Blind Willie Johnson plays the blues with the best of them. Although the sound quality is rough on some tunes, thank goodness this stuff wasn't lost _ better a bit scratchy than none at all. Powerful blues that belongs in any country blues buff's collection. One of the greats. Submitted by a reviewer (Amarillo, Texas, USA)  Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
An indispensable collection....... Once heard,Blind Willie Johnson can be mistaken for nobody else.The booklet which accompanies this two disc set,as well as offering pictures of some of the original issue 78's by the performer and a detailed account of the life and recording sessions that spawned these performances,also includes what is probably the only surviving picture of the man who was Blind Willie Johnson.In it,we see a smartly dressed,handsome man who is probably in his mid to late twenties.The extraordinary thing about him is that he sounds like a sixty year old man when he sings his songs about suffering,injustice and Jesus Christ.This voice,coupled with the bottleneck virtuosity of the man,makes for some of the most unique music ever recorded.
Included is everything that this giant of gospel/blues ever recorded.Other artists like Led Zeppelin,Eric Clapton and Ry Cooder have all covered some of these songs,they would probably all be the first to admit that none have matched or bettered the performances that were recorded by this man in a small Dallas studio between December 1927 and April 1930.Indispensable is a fair word to describe this box set.Others would also include timeless and totally unique,I'd recommend it without reserve. Submitted by Ian (Swansea,Wales(U.K).) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
Singing knife The slide guitar as second-voice, as a medium of SONG: attacking the strings with a pocket-knife, Johnson sings of the blood of Christ, and of a God of wrath who sinks the Titanic aa a lesson to vainglorious man - but the true singer is the knife, not the human voice. One of the greatest guitar players who ever lived - and how "christian rock" has deteriorated since the days of Blind Willie and the Revd. Gary Davis! Submitted by kveleren (Norway) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
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