Assorted Ravings and Rantings on Music #6

Assorted Ravings and Rantings on Music

Entry #6

The Complete Blind Willie Johnson

Man, relistening to this collection again has proven to be very, very rewarding for me, partially because now I've explored a bit more in pre-war blues and can put this in its proper context. The thing that most stands out about Blind Willie Johnson's slide work is his deep, deep understanding of the power of tone above all else. There were plenty of virtuosos back then or even today who don't really understand that just because you can play fast, complex passages doesn't make you a good musician. A great musician, first and foremost, is able to communicate their message and emotions to their listeners in a way that they feel a deep personal connection and a total unity of feeling, and this meaning of emotional communication can be broad enough to stretch from old country blues to Krautrock to even synth-pop and trip-hop. Complexity and technical skills are just meant to those ends because why else produce music if you don't want to offer something to your listeners?

That is why his slide-playing stands out so much to me. Seeing how he is able to churn out sharp, deadly slide licks so seamlessly and aggressively on songs like "You'll Need Somebody On Your Bond" or "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed", he clearly had some of the most technically accomplished playing skills of the 20s and 30s. Yet, it also seems to me he clearly understood the atmospheric capabilities of his slide playing, the ability to communicate a cold, brutal world of deep-rooted and intense pain and suffering. On each song where he utilizes his slide playing, he carefully plays each and every lick to fill the sonic space, having each note, tone, and whimper of his guitar reach their maximum expression before moving forward. At times, he just relies on brief moments of silence so that the fullness of the playing can be properly appreciated. Without these stylistic features, I doubt some of these songs would have even half of the emotional impact they make on a listener. In fact, that is why "Dark Was The Night" happens to be his most revered song, not just because of tormented humming but the way those spaced-out slide licks form a sonic painting in the mind of the listener, a chilling, agonizing picture of the suffering of Jesus Christ at the cross. It is really like no other song, so powerful that it can turn personal and convey the idea that, in the end, we all really do suffer and mourn alone. It really is one of the peaks of human expression through music and wouldn't be matched in power in blues until Charley Patton released his seminal "High Water Everywhere".

Even beyond that, it's one thing to use these tools for especially dark subjects, but the true uniqueness of this music is how it is for a Christian message and redemption from the darkness. Some people find this strangely bizarre, but I think it truly fits the music perfectly. Really, all religious music is about the tragedy of the material world, how it offers a false sense of happiness and meaning when people fall trap to its many vices and momentary pleasures. This music conveys sadness and pain because that's what the material world really does convey to people, and to Blind Willie, religion is the way one can truly find some peace in this world of chaos. If this music ain't art of the highest order, nothing is.

Born Under A Bad Sign - Albert King

I used to say Albert King was my favorite bluesman of all time, and I thought I loved him the most because of the fantastic backing talent of Stax helping to provide the meat. But no, relistening to this album, much of the reason I love this album is Albert himself. Really, Albert had a distinct style for himself: a bombastic, dramatic, huge style of playing that was forceful but also quite explosive in its emotional intensity. To me, it's no wonder that Albert would team up with Booker T. & the MGs, a band who could properly amplify the intensity of his playing (Dunn is just as important on "Oh, Pretty Woman" as Albert himself) but also provide enough grit and toughness to ground his style, and it's this combination of eloquent bluesy drama and R&B earthy toughness that gives this album its awesomely unique character. Still, the reputation of this album should come just as much from the MGs and Memphis Horns, which without them most of these tracks would solely be stunning guitar showcases and not enjoyable songs in their own right (and they still would be amazing guitar tracks without them, just hear some of the jaw-dropping soloing on "Personal Manager" if you don't believe me).