Customer Reviews

Close Personal Friend

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the late seventies lost classics came in the form of a split-legged Memphis rock guitarist who came with an incredible pedigree. Robert Johnson was the touring guitarist with John Entwistle's Ox, was once considered a replacement for Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones (Ronnie Wood got the gig) and was signed with the lavish - but ultimately failed - Infinity Records in the USA. Infinity was a new vanity label which scored early hits from Rupert Holmes, Orleans, Hot Chocolate, New England and Spyrogyra. Johnson was supposed to be their entry into the scene that was blowing up via The Knack and The Cars.

Johnson's album met that challenge and more. While his closest contemporary of the time would be folks like Dave Edmunds or Nick Lowe, his fretwork was still rooted in Chuck Berry's Memphis and there was an energy here that could have lit up radio dials had radio been paying attention (and Infinity not $pent itself into oblivion). Like Berry, Johnson has an affinity for the cars and girls rock life, as is evidenced by name-drop titles like Keri, Leslie and Debbie. I've also been always partial to "Wreck My Mind," Johnson's ode to the calamity of love ("like cutting corners on two wheels...").

While the album never caught on stateside (and Infinity tanked soon after the album was released, wiki the label if you'd like to see more), Johnson did get a second album in the UK. His biggest hit there was a faithful (if revved up) cover of Elvis Presley's "Burning Love." The companion album, "The Memphis Demos" is linked to the CD, marking its first release ever in the US. They include a couple live cuts and raw versions of "Wish Upon a Star" and "I'll Be Waiting."

I've been looking for this to come out on CD (or downloads) for a long time. I'd kind of given up hope, but holy cow. If that roots-rock style of Edmunds, early Graham Parker, The Stray Cats or even a little Springsteen gets your motor running, download this now. Robert Johnson maintained in the original liner notes that his close personal friend was his guitar. Now it can be yours, too.

I saw a free track by Robert Johnson, but I didn't know the title and thought I was familiar with all the old Bluesman's work.

Well, this is not the legendary Robert Johnson or the more recent funkster. This is a power-pop buy from 1978. I have never heard of this "Robert Johnson" before. So I sampled the album which was one of two albums he released in the late 70s. The other work is included on this re-release ("The Memphis Demos").

This is pleasant power pop with some great Southern-Style Power Pop thrown in. Never heard of 'Southern-Style Power Pop'?
Me neither, I just made that term up.
This is a bit Lynyrd Synyrd jamming with Cheap Trick.
Guitars jangle all over the place. Solid rhythm section, but the guitar work is a bit more flavored than Cheap Trick, Shoes, or Raspberries.

I don't know much about this guy but download some free songs (if they are still free) or hear the samples. I am sure you will enjoy it.
The songs are all very pleasant power pop tunes with a lot of great hooks. This should have been big 30 years ago.

I can't believe it! It has finally arrived! I've been searching for a CD version of this great classic for over 20 years and I am now trembling because I'm so excited. This artist, like so many in the 70's, had a sound of his own and played the guitar with such joy and dexterity, you would swear he had extra fingers! Amazing piece of work from the greatest decade that brought us so much original music. Don't miss it!

Released in 1978, this is a phenomenal power pop record. I heard a track on the local free form radio station back in the day and was hooked. Bought the record that week. It played liked a dream and *everyone* dug it.

What does it sound like? Imagine power pop the way you would want it to be: take good engineering and recording, add songs about girls and cars with killer power chords, vocals, drums and finish it off with perfect melody and phrasing. That's what this is. It's ALL HERE in one package.

Someone should find the masters and re-release this!

"try to concentrate, a little...too late..."

One of the late seventies lost classics came in the form of a split-legged Memphis rock guitarist who came with an incredible pedigree. Robert Johnson was the touring guitarist with John Entwistle's Ox, was once considered a replacement for Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones (Ronnie Wood got the gig) and was signed with the lavish - but ultimately failed - Infinity Records in the USA. Infinity was a new vanity label which scored early hits from Rupert Holmes, Orleans, Hot Chocolate, New England and Spyrogyra. Johnson was supposed to be their entry into the scene that was blowing up via The Knack and The Cars.

Johnson's album met that challenge and more. While his closest contemporary of the time would be folks like Dave Edmunds or Nick Lowe, his fretwork was still rooted in Chuck Berry's Memphis and there was an energy here that could have lit up radio dials had radio been paying attention (and Infinity not $pent itself into oblivion). Like Berry, Johnson has an affinity for the cars and girls rock life, as is evidenced by name-drop titles like Keri, Leslie and Debbie. I've also been always partial to "Wreck My Mind," Johnson's ode to the calamity of love ("like cutting corners on two wheels...").

While the album never caught on stateside (and Infinity tanked soon after the album was released, wiki the label if you'd like to see more), Johnson did get a second album in the UK. His biggest hit there was a faithful (if revved up) cover of Elvis Presley's "Burning Love." The companion album, "The Memphis Demos" is linked to the CD, marking its first release ever in the US. They include a couple live cuts and raw versions of "Wish Upon a Star" and "I'll Be Waiting."

I've been looking for this to come out on CD (or downloads) for a long time. I'd kind of given up hope, but holy cow. If that roots-rock style of Edmunds, early Graham Parker, The Stray Cats or even a little Springsteen gets your motor running, download this now. Robert Johnson maintained in the original liner notes that his close personal friend was his guitar. Now it can be yours, too.

I too saw the freebie downloads, and thought it was THE Robert Johnson, the BIG Johnson, if you will, but it wasn't. But, to my surprise there are some good licks on these tracks, some even fooled me. Try them out and see for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised.

This is Robert Johnson's "Close personal friend" a Great LP I wore the grooves out back in 78'.PLEASE! release this on CD.

Robert Johnson (not the blues guy...lol) is a master of power pop and now the CD is out for the world to discover!
Great urgent vocals with master guitar licks.
This CD should come with a warning "PLEASE BE SEATED AS THIS CD WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY"
***** stars
Dave The Boogie Man

This album was relatively overlooked in the new wave craze of the last '70s, and while not necessarily strong from beginning to end, it ranges from the pleasant to the really good, and includes, if nothing else, a genuine lost classic: the song "Leslie." Really really worth the 89 cents it'll take to grab it here.

ROBERT JOHNSON-CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND: No, not THAT ROBERT JOHNSON. THIS one sported a BEATLES haircut, spectacles, oxfords, and a glorious grabbag of guitar driven goodies that fairly shot outta your speakers and embedded themselves in your grey matter. Unknown to all but the most rabid vinyl collectors, he was a charismatic, oh-so-frantic, hook-rockin' six stringer/shouter/singer that compared favorably to better known late 70s retro upstarts MOON MARTIN and DAVE EDMUNDS. Originally recorded for the short-lived INFINITY label, whose roster generally included "on-the-rebound" acts like DOBIE GRAY, HOT CHOCOLATE, and ORLEANS, ROBERT JOHNSON's debut platter was a stunning combo of euphoric, sling-shot power pop and righteous rockabillly rave-ups. If you can find this sucker at any price that won't gouge out yer eyeballs, for the love of eardrums and all that's holy, BUY it!

RATING: FIVE "YEAH!"S