Customer Reviews
Sound Quality excells! - By: RUEBEN AMOS RUNACRE, 17 Jun 2007 
Being a great fan of Robert Johnson I own most of his cds & this one has without doubt the best sound quality of them all. My only reservation is that unlike some of the other cds it does not include all of his tracks which is a pity. For true Robert Johnson fans I would recommend "The Complete Recordings", the sound quality is not quite as good but it is more comprehensive &in my opinion represents better value.
A Perfect Introduction To A Legend - By: Chris C, 25 Mar 2007 
As a musician, I'm always keen to explore new horizonsin sounds, hence Johnny Cash, hence The Specials, hence Bob Dylan beingin my collection, however I don't think any of those artists could have prepared me for the power of Robert Johnson.
Armed with nothing more than his acoustic & his heart aching voice, Johnson defined the genre known as the blues. Whilst he may not be as popular as the likes of BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn or T Bone Walker, he still stands a figurehead & this album could be seen as a history lessonin itself.
Recordedin the late 1930's & remastered for the new millenium, Johnson's songs talk about broken relationships, sadness & satanism. Of course, if you have read the stories then you will have heard about how Johnson sold his soul to become a fantastic musician. However, you should not let this put off, songs like Cross Road Blues, 32-20 Blues, Come On In My Kitchen & Last Fair Deal Gone Down are testaments to his talents.
It must be noted there are some glitches, particularlyin Terraplane Blues, where Johnson's voice scratches (don't forget this wasin the 1930's so there wasn't the technology we have today) but again its almost like finding an ancient artifact.
If you like your music to be relaxed occasionally, with smooth playing & soulful singing, then here you'll bein for a treat. Never has anyone played an acoustic with such skill & remain distinctive, simply put there will never be another like him.
Go on treat yourself :-)
Superb remastering - By: Docendo Discimus, 05 Feb 2004 This is the official 1998 CD edition of the first-ever Robert Johnson compilation, issued by Columbiain 1961.
It has been remastered off the best-quality original 78s available, & Johnson's guitar takes on a fullness never heard on previous reissues (the equalization on this disc is extreme to a degree where it even sports some minute turntable rumblein the low end).
This CD really brings Johnson's music alive, & if there is such a thing as a "greatest hits" package available on Robert Johnson, this landmark album would certainly be the one.
I still say that there is no really good reason to buy this CD instead of Columbia's 1990 box set "The Complete Recordings", but if you are looking for a single-disc overview, this one has almost all of Johnson's best songs, & the sound quality is as good as that on any Robert Johnson album, & better than most.
Great but not the one to get - By: doublegone, 28 Oct 2002 This collection was the holy grail for folk blues fans for decades. The songs, lyrics, riffs & emotions contained within it were recycled with varying degrees of success by thousands of would-be bluesers, rock & rollers & pop stars.
It remains the BLUEprint.
But these days, & for only a few quid more - you can have Robert Johnson's Complete Works which has the songs here plus some alternative versions. This music is so important you should really have it all, so best buy the complete works.
