Saturday, April 4, 2009

ROBERT JOHNSON, "Cross Road Blues"


In 'Cross Road Blues' Johnson makes much greater use of the slide and the piece becomes much more focused on the guitar. The lyrics are much more urgent than audiences have heard before, and there’s a distinct heightened sense of intensity in his singing. His singing style conveys a sense of desperateness and crying, with his opening lyrics being “I went to the cross roads, fell down on my knees.” You can hear him pushing and straining, both on the guitar and his voice, but neither seem to win.


To hear Cross Road Blues for yourself, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A


informational sources: http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/Bio.html

Robert Johnson. Cross Road Blues. Brunswick Records. Recorded on Nov 23, 1936.

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