Robert Johnson is one of the most fascinating figures in American music. His music itself is mysterious and defies explanations and for a long time his life was just as mysterious. Little facts were known and myths as mysterious as the man's music began to pop up. The most famous of these is that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil for incredible musical talent, a myth that seems to be supported by lyrics to songs like
Me and the Devil Blues. This fascinating documentary not only addresses these myths, but also talks about how Johnson changed the blues and was a forerunner to rock and roll. Incredible musicians like Keith Richards and Keb Mo' talk about Johnson's music with incredible reverence. However where this movie really succeeds is when it discusses these myths. I will admit before seeing this film I knew Robert's music but not much about his life. What I heard here was completely fascinating and new to me. This movie gives a great insight into this brilliant musicians strange life while still keeping an aura of mystery around it creating a fascinating and one of a kind documentary.
-Michael J. Ruhland
No comments:
Post a Comment