Sunday was the centennial of Robert Johnson's death, the lengendary blues giant who sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads and returned the greatest guitar of all time.
He promptly died at 27 years old.
And even me, a blues trivialists, worship the guy… as does Clapton, the Stones… forget it: everyone. And for me? I can hear him in the back of my mind when I listen to Armstrong's contemporary "Gully Low Blues".
Still, as my Mommy used to tell me, it is easier to cut and past then to write, so this is of canoe music. 5 great Robert Johnson covers:
Cream | Crossroads
Eric Clapton has tackled most of Johnson's catalog — but for my money, he hasn't topped this hard-driving live version from 1968's Wheels of Fire.
Rolling Stones | Love in Vain
Mick and Keith recast Johnson's desolate blues as a country lament for 1969's Let it Bleed, and ended up with one of the prettiest Johnson renditions on record.
Led Zeppelin | Travelling Riverside Blues
Less a straight cover than a very loose reinterpretation of Johnson — but then, wasn't rewriting old blues songs pretty much the basis for Led Zep's career?
The White Stripes | Stop Breaking Down
Don't think Jack White can hold his own as a blues guitarist? This whomping, slide-fuelled take from the duo's 1999 debut album will change your mind.
Gun Club | Preachin' the Blues
Jeffrey Lee Pierce and his L.A. blues-punk pioneers toggle between speed-demon frenzy and haunting menace on this track from their 1981 LP Fire of Love