Record collection revisited: Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings

Today, (May 8th), marks the 101st birthday of legendary blues man Robert Johnson.  Johnson was not the first well known blues musician.  But, he is probably the most significant figure in the lore of Delta blues as many musicians, critics, fans etc. can attest.  I wrote a report for a college writing class on Johnson's musical legacy years ago.  This is a synopsis more or less of his complete recordings which were released in 1990, after being recorded in Texas in 1936 and 1937.  Johnson was known to do at least two takes on a song with just him, and his secondhand Gibson L-1 acoustic guitar.  People have claimed he was pure legend, and in many ways, he was.

Here is the complete list of recordings he made which were released on two discs by Columbia Records in 1990.  *Note: some songs are the same tune, just an alternate take.  If you are a blues fan and haven't heard Robert Johnson, definitely check him out and then, go back and listen to other artists who were popular in the Delta in the '20s and '30s.  There were many of them.

Disc 1

1. Kindhearted Woman Blues (take 1)
2. Kindhearted Woman Blues (take 2)
3. I Believe I'll Dust My Broom
4. Sweet Home Chicago
5. Rambling on My Mind (take 1)
6. Rambling on My Mind (take 2)
7. When You Got a Good Friend (take 1)
8. When You Got a Good Friend (take 2)
9. Come On In My Kitchen (take 1)
10. Come On In My Kitchen (take 2)
11. Terraplane Blues
12. Phonograph Blues (take 1)
13. Phonograph Blues (take 2)
14. 32-20 Blues
15. They're Red Hot
16. Dead Shrimp Blues
17. Cross Road Blues (take 1)
18. Cross Road Blues (take 2)
19, Walking Blues
20. Last Fair Deal Gone Down

Disc 2

1. Preaching Blues (Up Jumped The Devil)
2. If I Had Possession over Judgment Day
3. Stones In My Passway
4. I'm A Steady Rollin' Man
5. From Four Till Late
6. Hellhound on My Trail
7. Little Queen of Spades (take 1)
8. Little Queen of Spades (take 2)
9. Malted Milk
10. Drunken Hearted Man (take 1)
11. Drunken Hearted Man (take 2)
12. Me and the Devil Blues (take 1)
13. Me and the Devil Blues (take 2)
14. Stop Breakin' Down Blues (take 1)
15. Stop Breakin' Down Blues (take 2)
16. Traveling Riverside Blues
17. Honeymoon Blues
18. Love In Vain (take 1)
19. Love In Vain (take 2)
20. Milkcow's Calf Blues (take 1)
21. Milkcow's Calf Blues (take 2)

All great songs.  Check out Robert Johnson's music if you haven't already.  He is one of, if not the greatest Delta blues musicians of all time, and the most well known and revered.