Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 27, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000059LD2
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,008 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Crossroads (The Crossroad Blues) - Taj Mahal

2. Traveling Riverside Blues - David 'Honeyboy' Edwards

3. If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day - Chris Thomas King

4. I'm A Steady Rollin' Man - Carey Bell

5. Me And The Devil Blues - Eric Gales

6. Walkin' Blues - Keith Brown

7. When You Got A Good Friend - Chris Thomas King

8. Kindhearted Woman Blues - Pinetop Perkins

9. Dust My Broom - Joe Louis Walker

10. Come On In My Kitchen - Chris Thomas King

11. Stones In My Passway - Lucky Peterson

12. Walking Blues - Susan Tedeschi

13. Hellhound On My Trail - James Cotton

14. Stop Breakin' Down Blues - Carl Weathersby

15. Sweet Home Chicago - Pinetop Perkins

16. Milkcow's Calf Blues - Robert Palmer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Plus Stars, June 11, 2001

By 

political idiot (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson (Audio CD)

While blues music has always been an ever-evolving art form, there are essential elements deeply rooted in the genre that simultaneously offer continuity and growth to blues form. Content of lyric, song structure, melody and instrumental dynamic, controlled arrangements, the walking bass line, the metronomic "anti-fill" drum discipline, authentic emotional vocal inflections, microtonal sensitivity and control, creative lead lines and memorable riffs in a 12 or 16 bar box, etc. are all elements that make great blues music. The beauty and subtle complexity of a properly executed bottleneck slide guitar composition, for example, is sheer joy.

Alas, high volume, sloppy song writing and structure, foot pedal gadgets, and fancy studio techniques have dominated modern blues music to the point of homogenization. What passes for modern blues is often reworked rock `n roll. It seems that few modern blues artists, producers, and engineers today care about producing a blues recording that is true to the art form.

Listening to the modern yet authentic interpretations of Robert Johnson's music on this disc makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because the talent and treatment of Johnson's material is of such high quality; so reverent; and so well arranged and executed. Sad because we rarely get to hear great original music from modern artists that is of this caliber. I don't think it is because the talent doesn't exist. It may be that the business of making music combined with the boutique aspect of the blues art form has relegated it to the ultra-specialty pile where few gems are ever heard, or even attempted.

This is a fantastic compilation of modern artists interpreting the great songs of Robert Johnson. These are authentic, heart-felt interpretations of a blues legend's music. This release will most assuredly be a strong Handy and maybe even Grammy nominee. Thanks to the talented blues artists and Telarc for this release.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Disappointing, August 5, 2002

By 

Rob. Charlton (Elanora Heights, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson (Audio CD)

An interesting compilation of many of Robert Johnson's most famous songs, with wide variation in the quality of performance. The album is worth having if you're interested in blues, especially if you like to understand the roots of the music and its development over time. As a series of performances, however, the album is fairly weak.

The album features some well known blues singers such as Taj Mahal, and Honeyboy Edwards, now a very old man, who actually played with Robert Johnson. Edwards' interpretation of of a Johnson song may well reflect Johnson's actual style quiteaccurately.

Overall, this is an album that will interest committed blues fans, but probably won't appeal much outside that group.

5.0 out of 5 stars One Mighty Fine Recording, July 17, 2009

By 

Karl W. Nehring (Ostrander, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson (Audio CD)

I'm usually not much of a fan of "tribute" anthologies, but this new release starts off with a rousing version of "Crossroads" by Taj Mahal and just keeps going full-tilt for more than an hour. Wow! With acoustic contributions by blues artists both old and young, this is one mighty fine recording. Rock and roll fans should enjoy hearing where many rock licks and lyrics came from, blues fans will enjoy hearing a variety of blues artists playing the real thing, and music lovers of all stripes should be able to enjoy the musical spirit abundant on every cut of this recording. This is a CD that every music lover should have in his or her collection. This is the real thing!