Robert Johnson : King of the Delta Blues Singers	Related Readings:
Genre: Blues	Dates: 1936-1937

Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones have long pledged allegiance to Johnson, and here's why. Studded with classics like "Cross Road Blues" (literally the stuff from which legends have been made), "Me and the Devil Blues," and "Hellhound on My Trail," this 1998 reissue also features the clearest, most vibrant sound ever on a Johnson record. Recommended reading: Greil Marcus's chapter on Johnson in Mystery Train, available in the LARC. Supplementary listening: The Roots of Robert Johnson (see below), which demystifies his musical and lyrical styles at no expense to the artist's greatness.

Playlist: 1. Crossroads Blues 2. Terraplane Blues 3. Come On In My Kitchen 4. Walkin' Blues 5. Last Fair Deal Gone Down 6. 32-20 Blues 7. Kind Hearted Woman Blues 8. If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day 9. Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped The Devil) 10. When You Got A Good Friend 11. Ramblin' On My Mind 12. Stones In My Passway 13. Traveling Riverside Blues 14. Milkcow's Calf Blues 15. Me And The Devil Blues 16. Hellhound On My Trail 17. Traveling Riverside Blues - (previously unreleased, alternate take)

Resources: Web Resources: Biographical Information from PBS Series Books: All Music Guide to the Blues: The Experts' Guide to the Best Blues. 2nd Guralnick, Peter. Searching for Robert Johnson. New York, N.Y. : Dutton, 1992. Lomax, Alan. The Land Where Blues Began. Marcus, Greil. Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n Roll Music. New York, N.Y.: Dutton, 1990. Murray, Albert. Stomping the Blues. New York, N.Y. : McGraw-Hill, c1976.