The Soapbox X Album Club

I bet none of you cunts who have signed up have even bothered to give Robert Johnson a listen yet have you.

& I don't give a shit if you've heard it all before, you should be still listening in respect of THE SOAPBOX ALBUM CLUB.

oh shit... im back from mexico and forgot to do this. will put this right now as i go to bed. promise

Ok so must admit, this isn't really my bag, its not that I don't like it as such, I've just never really big a big blues man, probably why I've never really been massively into the Stones or Led Zep, now of course I can hear the obvious influence in this and the tunes are all pretty listenable and the guitar playing is nice, its just not enticing me much, and I can't really see myself listening to this that often. Saying that these songs will probably sound better for me coming on shuffle or something in a less intensive listening session.

I think there may be a case that the mystique and enigma that surrounds Johnson and the myths and stories about crossroads and selling his soul may lend a lot more to his reputation, I'm not saying that its not good, but to my ears this is stuff thats not too dissimilar to other early blues stuff of the era that I've heard, great stories nonetheless.

Forgot to do this as well I'm very sorry, will do it tomorrow

This is the kind of music I really like. Classic blues stuff like John Lee Hooker, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Fred McDowell and others. Fantastic guitar playing, intruiging voice. Even though you're gone with the wind rbbrslmn, thanks for this one

9/10

almost forgot about this.

So, what's going to be your pick?

yah the robert johnson is good. was a bit busy last week so am a bit late giving the lp a spin but just did so as i have this week off work, and really enjoyed it. ive always been partial the some blues stuff but probabaly dont listen to it as much as i should. felt cool as fuck having it blast out just then.

think id have preferred an actual lp though as the 2 cds worth of different takes and stuff took its toll towards the end but still you cant knock the quality of the tunes.

8/10

alex bleeker & the freaks - s/t




sounds like neil young if he was from new jersey and drank a lot of birch beer.

Rolli, can you do a nice little write up for this so we can stick it on the blog

Had the Robert Johnson collection for years, some great songs on there & the influence of these recordings cannot be questioned. As a record or compilation it's kinda of hard to listen to in one sitting, they should of put the best cuts of the tracks on disc one then the others on disc two, kinda silly putting the second take next to the first although they probably did the whole thing in the order he recording the tracks in. TBH I thought it was a strange choice for the album club, not picking Robert Johnson but a compilation as lengthy with different takes, a bit much to ask for especially as it;s hard enough to get people to download anything as it is.

Imagine if Neil Young grew up in New Jersey instead of Canada. Instead of looking out the window seeing the prairies he saw subdivisions and New York City in the distance. This is the story of Alex Bleeker, bassist in Real Estate, and accomplished solo artist.

Musically it is Crazy Horse era Neil Young and demands to be played on a hot summer night over beers birch or alcoholic, either will suffice. Clocking in a little over 26 minutes it is a record that does not over stay its welcome. Instead it is one you keep coming back to get lost in a jammy guitar solo or reminisce about a lyric that jogs a consciousness from yesteryear. This is Alex Bleeker and the Freaks.

I also almost forgot about this, will start to listen tonight.

Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings

Not really a fan of blues so this isn't something I would normally listen to. I already had King Of The Delta Blues Singers which I played as well but neither of them really changed my mind about blues or Robert Johnson, maybe I don't get it but I doubt I will come back to this album in the future.

Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings

Now I don't mind a bit of blues here and there, but fuck me listening to this entire thing was hard work. I've always found blues more fun to play than to listen to, and this record pretty much summed up why for me: everything sounds pretty similar. That's not saying that it's bad, but I'd never go out of my way to listen to a load of alternate takes of blues songs. Great voice, great guitar playing, some great tunes, but not a great record to sit down and listen to.

Personally I found it really enjoyable in small chunks - blues by its nature can become quite samey. I've had Johnson as my main reference points since doing some music modules at uni a few years back.

I love it when one of the tracks comes on my MP3 when it is on random. Always gets me excited. The tracks on this record are all like that tbh! Need to dig deeper into the genre really

I've had the complete recordings for a few years, and listened to it...twice, maybe. The way the tracklisting is set up, with alternate takes following the main version, makes it a hard listen. A lot of my heroes (Dylan, Clapton, Jack White etc.) use RJ as a touchstone for their work, but I've never really been able to get into him much. As mentioned elsewhere, if I'm going to pull out a Robert Johnson album, 'king of the Delta blues singers' is the one I'll grab.

10/10 for historical importance
4/10 for listenability

Complete Recordings - I've had this record for over a decade. It's the best jump-off point to the classic acoustic blues masters, and it's a good insight into the beginning of rock and roll. It's not something I can listen to for sheer enjoyment. It's got a studious feel to it. I think its great music, but not everyday.