Customer Reviews

Me and Mr. Johnson

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

Clapton has always excelled at the Blues, and shown a preference for the genre. The liner notes of "Me & Mr. Johnson" explain why. He fell in love with Robert Johnson's music early on, and has used it to guide him throughout his career. Slowhand will make you love this music too.

Eric Has Some Balls I Have To Give It To Him To Do His Best
To Sing The Songs Of Robert Johnson

I never got into Robert Johnson. Some of his songs sounded the same to me and I couldn't appreciate his guitar playing. On this CD, Clapton is successful in bringing out the subtleties in his songs, that made Johnson a great.
There are no long-winded guitar solos, but crisp and effective renditions. Also the lyrics were sophisticated and don't sound dated. What I liked most about this album was the listenability. Not a single bad song!
Clapton's voice is better than ever and has matured well. It's easy to overlook any minor vocal shortcomings.

Standout tracks include "Hellhound", "Stop Breaking" and "Queen of Spades". A very impressive CD; it can also act as an excellent introduction to the Blues.

I like both EC and Robert Johnson, but this collection just does not work. Many years ago EC did a great job interpreting Crossroads in a modern rock/blues cover, but these new arrangements are light-hearted versions of some very heavy, soulful songs. I'm sure Mr. Clapton could have done a better job. Save your money and get the original recordings.

Don't expect to hear amazing blues guitar, or much guitar playing of any sort, on this misleadingly titled CD. A more descriptive title would have been "Clapton sings Johnson". What little guitar playing there is, is obscured by the piano & rest of the band. I was pretty disappointed. Seems like Clapton has regressed back to the 70s when he rarely played on his albums. Maybe his legend has surpassed his ability & he's afraid to let us find out.

I'm actually very surprised. I expected to love this album. But my first impression is that Clapton undermines these songs, mostly by being entirely incapable of capturing the spirit of the songs as he sings them.

Still, he seems to play the instrumental parts okay (though without Johnson's edge), and is bringing even wider acclaim to Robert Johnson, so I'll still give him 3 stars.

I really was expecting something great, and this is a big disappointment, and mainly because Clapton's singing is just WRONG.

And anyone who gives this 5 stars clearly does not appreciate Robert Johnson, and instead is likely a Clapton fanatic. Clapton's vocal takes alone should subtract AT LEAST one star.

I wouldn't call the effort and album a bomb, as I am giving it 3 stars, but it's hardly something that people or Clapton ought to be bragging about, or giving rave reviews to.

It's okay. Violates the spirit, but mostly hits the letter. And if it leads listeners and young musicians back to the originals, then the purpose will have been served.

Don't even -think- about this until you do, and -then-, you won't -need- this!

Eric Clapton tried to make his best blues recording. That should be appreciated. But... I do not believe these tunes. Yes, they sound like blues, but where is the soul? Most of the tracks sound artificial ("this should be done like this and that") rather than music coming from the very heart. There is variety of tempo's and styles, but all of them are too polished and not natural. This is synthetic music for the music itself. That is not the music for heart and brain.

I feel Clapton idolizes Johnson a little too much, on this recording, it's as though he was afraid to be compared unfavorably to his musical hero. I looked forward to the release of this cd, especially after what I felt was the fine job Clapton did on "From the Cradle".
But the true charm of Johnson's 28 recordings was not that they were original, which they weren't, but that it was the work of one man and one guitar. And I doubt that Clapton lost sight of that, he was just intimidated by it, and I think he was wrong. A fresh interpretation would not have been as bad as this cd is.
To get a better idea of Johnson's influence on Blues music, read Elijah Wald's 'Escaping the Delta:Robert Johnson and the Invention of The Blues' it gives you a good perspective on the man.

Take away for one second the fact that this is an Eric Clapton album. Take away, too, that all the songs are by Robert Johnson. Listen to it as a piece of music, for what it is worth.

Sadly, you'll find it isn't worth much at all.

The arrangements are bland and contrived - monotonous, mathematically correct blues for beginners. No feeling at all. The singing is lacklustre and unemotive. If this were a band trying to get their first recording contract, they wouldn't get one. It sounds more like a self-indulgent bar band playing WITH their Johnsons, than an accomplished blues guitarist playing Robert Johnson.

What went wrong? Clapton loves the blues, and has made incredible covers of Johnson tunes before (whether sticking close to the original, or taking them off in imaginative new directions), always with a heatfelt love of the music. I can only assume he was in a creative slump, and decided to pull what he thought would be a guaranteed ace out of the hole. Sadly, it didn't work.

If you are a hotel manager looking for some nice, safe muzak that won't offend the little old ladies and can easily be tuned out, buy this stinker. If you are looking for a blues album, don't bother - I've heard more soulful, heartfelt blues in a Britney Spears song.