Tommy Johnson (1928-1930)

• Artist: Tommy Johnson
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 19, 1998
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Blues

Review

Austria-based Wolf Records has done a masterful job on this 12-song collection (missing only two of Johnson's works, which have never turned up), much of it surprisingly clean and crisp. Most of the best sounding material here has already appeared on RCA/BMG's "Canned Heat Blues" compilation, which seems to be headed out of print at this writing. "Cool Drink of Water Blues" and "Canned Heat Blues" are by far the best known of Johnson's works, but they've got a lot of worthy pieces surrounding them. "Big Road Blues" is a fine showcase for Johnson's and Charlie McCoy's paired guitars, playing two complex, interwoven figures. And "Bye Bye Blues" and "Maggie Campbell Blues" show off his unique vocal qualities, not the dark heaviness typical of bluesmen at the time, but a more flexible, lighter-toned, more relaxed instrument that, coupled with his and McCoy's guitars, made his music as "busy" as it was beautiful. The songs featuring only Johnson's guitar are no less intriguing, if only for his ability to get a lot of sound from some surprisingly simple strumming and picking. The later songs, "I Wonder to Myself," "Slidin' Delta," "Lonesome Home Blues," and "Black Mare Blues," leave something to be desired in terms of sound, but at least they're represented here. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Cool Drink of Water Blues (Lyrics)	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:37)
Big Road Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:23)
Bye Bye Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:11)
Maggie Campbell Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:40)
Canned Heat Blues (Lyrics)	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:42)
Lonesome Home Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:30)
Lonesome Home Blues [Take 2]	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:20)
Big Fat Mama Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:17)
I Wonder to Myself	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:12)
Slidin' Delta	Tommy Johnson, Traditional	Tommy Johnson	(3:10)
Lonesome Home Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:14)
Black Mare Blues	Tommy Johnson	Tommy Johnson	(3:21)

Credits

Hans Klement (Remastering), John Godrich (Discographical Annotation), Paul Oliver (Liner Notes), Tommy Johnson (Kazoo), Tommy Johnson (Guitar), Tommy Johnson (Vocals), Robert Dixon (Discographical Annotation), Johnny Parth (Series Editor)