Customer Reviews

Hellhounds on My Trail - The Afterlife of Robert Johnson [VHS]

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

 

 

If you're looking to hear Robert Johnson's songs, you should probably buy one of the awesome collections availible. As this legend and musical genius has now been dead for 65 years, I'm not sure what the other reviewers were looking for besides other people covering his songs, and talk about his life... that's all we have now. And of course the covers do not outdo him; that would be impossible. But there is some very thoughtful discussion on the life of Robert Johnson and the world he lived in. The discussion with a former classmate is touching, and the covers of his songs by those who knew him (Robert Lockwood Jr., Honeyboy Edwards)and by some of the new delta-blues talent such as Guy Davis, Roy Rogers and especially Alvin Youngblood Heart blew me away. Gov't Mule and Sonny Landreth do some awesome electric renditions of his work. The major let downs are the cuts into interviews and pointless displays of the rock n' roll hall of fame gathering, and also Bob Weir's performance, which is just plain bad. All in all, it is a good film, and it's nice to actually be able to watch people play his music, as we will never be able to see the real thing.

If you are looking for a purely performance-oriented DVD, you will probably be disappointed by this disk. Having said this, however, there are some truly outstanding renditions of RJ classics on the disk that make it worth having. Among my favorites are an absolutely incendiary version of "Walkin' Blues" by the under-appreciated slide-master Sonny Landreth (this alone is worth the price of the disk, IMHO), an excellent interpretation of "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day" by Rory Block and an unfortunately edited/intercut performance of "Love In Vain" by Keb' Mo'. There are also appearances by bigger name acts such as Warren Haynes & Gov't. Mule, Bob Weir and Peter Green/Nigel Watson (a very authentic, heartfelt performance of "Terraplane Blues", in keeping with PG's excellent recordings on "Hot Foot Powder" and the "Robert Johnson Songbook"). If you are really a fan of Robert Johnson, though, the real strength of this disk is the performances by RJ contemporaries such as Robert Lockwood Jr. and Honeyboy Edwards, which provide a real window on the past. While I have issues with the editing of the disk, especially the intercutting of performances with talking heads, on balance this is worthwhile addition for anyone who loves the music of Robert Johnson.

The DVD is poorly edited and insulting to anyone keenlyinterested in trad. blues/Robert Johnson/ and modern bluesinterpretors. The viewer is presented with only tiny segments of actual performers playing. 5 minutes listening to some psuedo intellectual bilge followed by 2 minutes of part of a song. Keb Mo and G. Love get their performances butchered into 40 second-two minute clips. This DVD is like AM radio-you never get a full song from anybody. Forget this and get "Can't You Hear the Wind Howl".

Finally, a real movie about Robert Johnson and the myths that surround him (instead of a fictional "Karate Kid At The Crossroads" or a self-serving John Hammond bio.) In one movie you get to: decide for yourself about the alleged RJ film snippet... hear Steve LaVere and other scholars be, well, scholarly... and best of all enjoy the music of Blues and rock greats like Robert Lockwood, Honeyboy Edwards, Keb Mo, Alvin YB Hart and Rory Block. If RJ the man or myth interests you at all, you should check this out. And while you're at it pick up a couple copies of the newly re-released "Deep Blues" also by Robert Mugge. (Trust me, it's been out of print for too long... Don't risk it again.) Enjoy!

This is an incredible video for anyone interested in music history in the U.S and blues in particular. Robert Mugge has done an in-depth study of Robert Johnson, the man and the myth. The performances are stellar and it is a delight to see Robert Lockwood, Jr., G. Love, and Bob Weir on the same bill. Very interesting! I would also HIGHLY recommend (2) other Mugge films: DEEP BLUES + THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO AL GREEN. I look forward to alot more from this talented filmmaker!

This movie was enjoyable, but not focused on the music of RJ other than as interpreted by others. I don't know where ol' Sam figured that there weren't "name" artists - Sonny Landreth, Gov't Mule, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Peter Green, Guy Davis, and Bob Weir/Rob Wasserman, JLW, Honeyboy.....the list goes on & on. Most performances were great in my opinion - Ian and Desmond are clueless. A considerable portion of the film consists of interviews with persons acquainted with RJ and at one point discusses a mysterious home video that possibly depicts him playing in the streets (wow do they get sidetracked here....). If u like blooz check it out!

I agree with most of the other reviewers that this is a very weak production with lots of pretentious talk and some pretty poor musical performances which are heavily cut to make more room for chatter. However the couple of minutes where Rory Block sings "If I had Possession Over Judgement Day" are worth the entire price of this DVD. Don't buy the tape 'cos you'll have to sit through so much stuff you won't make it, but on the DVD you can go straight to Rory Block and never watch the rest.

"Hellhounds on my Trail" is a disappointment. The legendary Robert Johnson, perhaps the greatest blues musician in the history of this country, is unseen and effectively unheard in this collage of generally mediocre performances by admirers and wannabes. In fact, the two weakest performances in the film are the opening and closing sequences. The only insight which comes through clearly here is the vast gulf in talent between Robert Johnson and his imitators.