Elijah Wald & I Have Something to Add to the Johnson Legend
What else can I add that hasn't already been said about Robert Johnson? Actually, there is a lot of information and observations that have long been ignored by the Blues community and magazines and newspapers like Rolling Stone and The New York Times. He was a lyrical and musical genius who, as Elijah Wald has pointed out in "Escaping the Delta", perfectly crafted his songs. In other words, his songs were intended to reach mass audiences and were not necessarily expressions of his torment as a black man living in Mississippi. At any rate, "Crossroads Blues", "Stones In My Passway", "Love In Vain" and "Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped The Devil" are masterful. There is one important thing to keep in mind, though. It is something that so-called Blues fans often forget. Johnson consciously imitated Kokomo Arnold, Son House, Scrapper Blackwell, Skip James, Leroy Carr, Peetie Wheatstraw and others. He was a synthesis of all that had come before him. Another artist he greatly admired was Lonnie Johnson, even going so far as to tell people that he was related to the man. "Malted Milk" and "Drunken Hearted Man" are closely related to Lonnie Johnson's style of playing during this period. Unfortunately, Johnson died at the age of twenty seven, and just as unfortunate is the fact that a man of equal brilliance, Johnny Shines, has never been given his due as a brilliant slide player, lyricist, and much better singer than Robert Johnson. People who say they love Robert Johnson's music and believe that he made a deal with the Devil should honestly look into Johnson's roots and realize that men like Willie McTell, Lonnie Johnson and Johnny Shines were just as talented as young Robert.

Brilliant Music, Mysterious Story and Unending Impact
I first encountered Robert Johnson's story as did many people in the movie "Crossroads" with Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca (ironically one of the Larks who recorded Sonny Boy Williamson II's "Eyesight To The Blind"), Jami Gertz (what a fox!), Steve Vai (master guitarist) and Ry Cooder (offscreen).
That is where the story came together. You see the story about selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads was told by Tommy Johnson and even before him. Robert Johnson's songs which mentioned the Devil, Hellhounds, Crossroads, etc. made it very tempting to tie the two stories together. Jim O'Neill co-founder of Living Blues magazine once told me that he was talking with his fellow blueshounds trying to figure out exactly when the stories came together. With some research I found and videoed an interview with the widow of the man who dug Robert Johnson's grave in a church cemetary, ironically at what is probably the church at which Alex "Rice" Miller AKA Sonny Boy Williamson II preached as a child. None of the people in the church remember that connection but I found Sonny Boy's childhood home down the road a piece in Money. The Little Zion Church is closer to Greenwood on the same road.

Ironically again, this is not the Complete Robert Johnson recordings as a alternative of Travellin' Riverside Blues which was later discovered in the Library of Congress is missing as the 42nd recording.

Can't You Hear the Wind Howl? The Life and Music of Robert Johnson, the estate's version of his story, is my favorite documentary on Robert Johnson because it plays short excerpts of his songs so you can get used to the sound and the lyrics in small portions.

I had the pleasure of working with Robert Lockwood Jr., Robert Johnson's stepson (who considered me family and I guess that makes me Robert Johnson's grandson as much as he was Robert Johnson's son -- pretty hip for a white boy) and interviewing him extensively about their relationship. Standing across the street from the site of the house he lived in with Robert Johnson when he learned Sweet Home Chicago, I waited until he played it for me to say, "That's amazing!" to which he answered "If it's good; it's been here first."

I highly recommend all Searching for Robert Johnson, The Afterlife of Robert Johnson and Can't You Hear The Wind Howl? as each reveals different information about this outstanding musician who took what had come before him and made it his. Robert Lockwood Jr. did the same thing with Robert's music, first by encouraging Muddy Waters to record it in the 40s and 50s and then with a new 12-string guitar reinventing and revitalizing from 1960 for another quarter century until his death. This music still jumps off the record or CD and tells its story clearly, colorfully and powerfully.

I will always treasure the time I got to spend with Robert Lockwood Jr. who reintroduced me to the music of Robert Johnson and made it part of my life. I still can't play or sing but I love the poetry of the blues.

The beginning of the blues.
I recognize these recordings as the beginning of the blues. They are simple and exciting.

Authoritative
Don't bother with single disc collections, just buy this. You'll want to grab it for the extra tracks eventually, so save your money and get this version. I originally had the King of the Delta Blues single disc, which is great, but lacks a lot of really good songs included here.

As a guitarist, I had bought Robert Johnson: The New Transcriptions, which matches up with this two-disc set. So that's why I finally bought this set and I give it a hearty five of five, a must-own for any good blues collection.

Necessary for any rock or blues fan.
This is a necessity for any music fan. It may take a few listens to start to sink in, but worth the effort.