Where the Southern cross the Dog
December 3, 2014 at 2:09 pm
(This post was last modified: December 3, 2014 at 2:10 pm by Exian.)
I'm sure you've all heard the story of Robert Johnson. The man is damn near as mythological as Jesus. From his Faustian myth about selling his soul to the devil for musical prowess, to the shadowy circumstances of his death and final resting place; the life of the King of Delta Blues has become the archetype in the public conscience of the blues man.
Almost nothing about the man is clear; every aspect is steeped in mystery and myth, including his music. Even seasoned blues musicians have trouble decoding his style, and the peculiar tunings he would use. Even the guitars he uses in his recording are hard to guess.
But! I've recently read a conspiracy theory of sorts that, if true, may shine some light on why his sound and style stood out amongst his contemporaries in the Deep South during the Great Depression; why, in the late 30's, he sounds as if he has already planted the seeds of Rock and Roll.
In a nut shell, the theory is this: either accidentally or intentionally, Robert Johnson's songs were recorded at 74rpm, rather than 78rpm, which makes them 20% faster at 78rpm playback. This sort of makes sense when you slow them down, as the pitch is adjusted it takes him down from Bflat to A, a much more common and natural tuning for guitarists (especially when he starts playing in open-tunings). This also places him squarely with the styles and sounds of his fellow blues players of the time, in terms of vocals and pace.
At first, I didn't want to believe this. For one, I'm biased towards the songs I've listened to for years. For another, this takes his dexterity and visionary status down a notch; from God-like to just another blues man.
That is, until I heard it.
Thankfully, some people have taken the time to slow some of his songs down for our listening pleasure. The first thing that jumps out at me is how much more haunting and lonely his songs become. The second thing is how natural he sounds. He sounds similar to other players of his time, yet no less extraordinary. I will leave for you now the versions we are all familiar with, followed by the adjusted version for comparison:
Walkin Blues original
Walkin Blues adjusted
They're Red Hot original
They're Red Hot adjusted
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom original
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom adjusted
And for good measure an adjusted version of Crossroads
Sort of makes you feel bad for all the aspiring guitarist like Clapton and Beck, trying to imitate his dexterity and speed in the 60's.
What do you think? A bunch of whooey? I know there isn't much to go on, it's Robert Johnson for christ's sake, but I can't help being persuaded by my ears. His vocals sounds more natural, his guitar sounds natural, and all of it put together fits with what you'd hear from his contemporaries.
Almost nothing about the man is clear; every aspect is steeped in mystery and myth, including his music. Even seasoned blues musicians have trouble decoding his style, and the peculiar tunings he would use. Even the guitars he uses in his recording are hard to guess.
But! I've recently read a conspiracy theory of sorts that, if true, may shine some light on why his sound and style stood out amongst his contemporaries in the Deep South during the Great Depression; why, in the late 30's, he sounds as if he has already planted the seeds of Rock and Roll.
In a nut shell, the theory is this: either accidentally or intentionally, Robert Johnson's songs were recorded at 74rpm, rather than 78rpm, which makes them 20% faster at 78rpm playback. This sort of makes sense when you slow them down, as the pitch is adjusted it takes him down from Bflat to A, a much more common and natural tuning for guitarists (especially when he starts playing in open-tunings). This also places him squarely with the styles and sounds of his fellow blues players of the time, in terms of vocals and pace.
At first, I didn't want to believe this. For one, I'm biased towards the songs I've listened to for years. For another, this takes his dexterity and visionary status down a notch; from God-like to just another blues man.
That is, until I heard it.
Thankfully, some people have taken the time to slow some of his songs down for our listening pleasure. The first thing that jumps out at me is how much more haunting and lonely his songs become. The second thing is how natural he sounds. He sounds similar to other players of his time, yet no less extraordinary. I will leave for you now the versions we are all familiar with, followed by the adjusted version for comparison:
Walkin Blues original
Walkin Blues adjusted
They're Red Hot original
They're Red Hot adjusted
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom original
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom adjusted
And for good measure an adjusted version of Crossroads
Sort of makes you feel bad for all the aspiring guitarist like Clapton and Beck, trying to imitate his dexterity and speed in the 60's.
What do you think? A bunch of whooey? I know there isn't much to go on, it's Robert Johnson for christ's sake, but I can't help being persuaded by my ears. His vocals sounds more natural, his guitar sounds natural, and all of it put together fits with what you'd hear from his contemporaries.
