Crossroads Duel

Ah yes, the mythic tale of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil, (which never happened click on the Robert Johnson tag below!!!) this is the retelling of the story with Robert Johnson's friend Willie Brown trying to win back his soul, so the young guitar playing star "White Lighting" (Ralph Macchio) battles the evil Stevie Vai for Willie's soul!!! Of course Ralph is not playing guitar but the amazing Ry Cooder (however the classical break towards the end is probably Stevie Vai) Of course, the whole thing is bunk, but ya gotta love it! Sure it plays on the worse sterotypes of the blues, but that is one great guitar battle.

Robert Johnson: Crossroads

This is a fan video of Robert Johnson's Crossroads. I wrote a huge post about this song on my historical rants page HERE. I think it is important however, to look at the lyrics and put it into context of what the crossroads represents. The Crossroads was where the poor, or transient people were buried in the south. It certainly was a haunted place, and not somewhere you wanted to be at AFTER DARK. Looking at the lyrics of crossroads, you can see that in the FIRST LINE Robert asked the LORD ABOVE have mercy take poor Bob if you please. Unless the devil got a new zip code, I don't think that he was crying out for Legba!! The second verse he is looking for a ride out of the crossroads, but can't find it. The third verse he is scared because the sun is going down. This is not the place to be when it is dark because the dead will rise from their burial spot at the crossroads. Fourth verse is a warning to bluesman Willie Brown to don't get stuck at the crossroads like poor Robert. Last verse is about the fact that he has no woman.

Here are the lyrics:

I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, have mercy now, save poor Bob if you please

Standin' at the crossroads, tried to flag a ride
Whee-hee, I tried to flag a ride
Didn't nobody seem to know me, everybody pass me by

Standin' at the crossroads, risin' sun goin' down
Standin' at the crossroads baby, the risin' sun goin' down
I believe to my soul now, po' Bob is sinkin' down

You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
That I got the crossroad blues this mornin', Lord, baby I'm sinkin' down

I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west
I went to the crossroad, babe, I looked east and west
Lord, I didn't have no sweet woman, ooh well, babe, in my distress

One thing about the video. There is a picture of what I think might be either Satan, or St. Michael casting Satan into the pit, which comes up during the Willie Brown verse. So, the mythology is hard to escape!

UPDATE

I am surprised no one caught it, but I have the lyrics for take one above, and the video is actually take two!!! Those who listened and followed the lyrics must have wondered what was going on! I am looking for the lyrics to take two. Once I get them I will update the post again.

Blues And Snake Update

If you had the chance to read my post about Blues and Snake (click here) then you probably enjoyed one of my rants on lazy reporting, and bands riding on the coattails of blues. However, I need to make a correction. I received a comment from one of the guys in the band who explained that the reporter made up a lot of the story, and that they never claimed to be a blues band. That they did have some sort of influence from Howling Wolf, but they consider themselves to be a hardcore band.

I do feel sorry that I was hard on the kids, after all I should know that reporters make up quotes, misquote, and are generally pretty lazy. I not saying all reporters are that way. Dana Larson, who is the editor for the Pilot Tribune, here in Storm Lake, has always done a great job anytime I have talked to him for a story. Yet, almost every interview i have had over the years has ended up garbled, and messed up. So much so, that I have just grown to distrust almost everyone, but Dana.

Sometimes bad reporting has ruined reputations almost beyond repair. I think one of the greatest tragedies of bad reporting goes back to the death of Mama Cass. Almost everyone thinks that she died from choking on a ham sandwich. However, that is not true. What happened was a reporter pressed the medical examiner to speculate on why she died. The medical examiner knew a half eaten sandwich was found in the room, and speculated that she died of a heart attack while choking on the sandwich. Of course, he later found out that she didn't choke, but died from a heart attack. After all Cass was a big woman, and was in ill health. Unfortunately Mama Cass became the but of a ton of jokes, because people made fun of the fact that a fat woman died choking on a sandwich even though IT WASN'T TRUE.

Finally, I need to address one comment about musical snobbery that came from one of the blues and snakes fans that left a comment on the board. It is not musical snobbery to defend the blues. It is also not a case that I know more about blues then anyone else and I am flaunting it. What I am doing is trying get the truth out about the blues. there is so much BS about blues, that it tires me, when people called it the "devils music" or "depressing music" or when a band thinks they can get a gig, or sell more cds by claiming they are blues, when they have no clue what the blues are. I would say that wouldn't you get angry if I were to call myself a hardcore band, and try to pass myself off as that???? Of course you would say that my music is not hardcore! Yup! Just like I would say that the music you listen to is not blues! I don't think I am being a snob about that. I also will continue to battle the misconception that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to play the blues. Perhaps this is a trivial matter to many of you, but it is important to me. Robert worked hard to learn and play his instrument. EVERY blues performer worked hard, and practiced for years to learn to play the blues. It sells Robert and every blues performer that followed him short, to believe that the blues is so easy that all you have to do is go down to the crossroads late at night and sign a paper selling your soul, and you are a bluesman. If you do a search on Robert Johnson on this site, you will see a lot of posts about this issue. I write about it, because I am tired of hearing the story. It has nothing to do with the blues, and the connection be the devil, or Legba, or Satan, and the blues is a minor part that receives far too much press, and legitimacy from lazy reporters who have watch the movie Crossroads, once to many time.

Bottom line, to the band Blues and Snake, keep up the good work. I think you guys are a great band. To anyone else offended get a life:-)

Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Lineup for 2007

Here is a link to the upcoming Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues show. One of the shows features Chris Thomas King who played TOMMY JOHNSON in the movie O Brother Where art thou. Now the reason I emphasised Tommy Johnson's name, is once again poor Robert Johnson was dragged through the mud as the Argus Leader claims that Chris King was playing Robert Johnson. Anyone who saw the movie remembers that Tommy Johnson was picked up on the crossroads just after he sold his soul to the devil. Tommy Johnson did say that he sold his soul to the devil on the crossroads to learn to play the blues. Somehow over the years that story was turned around and put on Robert. Most likely it is due to Robert Johnson's song Crossroads. Robert Lockwood Jr. insisted to the end of his life that his step father never sold his soul, or talked about selling his soul to play the blues. However, typical of most reporters too busy to even Google the facts, and once again Robert is down on the ol' crossroads selling his soul to play the blues. Sad indeed.