Robert Johnson: Lost and Found

by Barry Lee Pearson, Bill McCulloch

Even with just forty-one recordings to his credit, Robert Johnson (1911-38) is a towering figure in the history of the blues. His vast influence on twentieth-century American music, combined with his mysterious death at the age of twenty-seven, still encourage the speculation and myth that have long obscured the facts about his life. The most famous legend depicts a young Johnson meeting the Devil at a dusty Mississippi crossroads at midnight and selling his soul in exchange for prodigious guitar skills.  Barry Lee Pearson and Bill McCulloch examine the full range of writings about Johnson and weigh the conflicting accounts of Johnson's life story against interviews with blues musicians and others who knew the man. Their extensive research uncovers a life every bit as compelling as the fabrications and exaggerations that have sprung up around it. In examining the bluesman's life and music, and the ways in which both have been reinvented and interpreted by other artists, critics, and fans,  Robert Lost and Found  charts the cultural forces that have mediated the expression of African American artistic traditions.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the library and am dying to buy it when I get a chance. It's a great book, not only for music and cultural studies fans, but also for people who like to see legends debunked.

This book is about Robert Johnson, the legendary blues musician from the 1930s who only recorded about 30 songs. He has inspired people like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, and thus may be the (grand)father of Blues Rock. He recorded these songs in the deep South in the mid-30s, and then was poisoned in a bar shortly thereafter. As such, he has become more legend than human.

Some of the legends about him are that he sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads so that he could play guitar. This myth has been exploited in several movies, and in fact his character was used in the Coen brothers movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?".

Most of these legends are debunked here in a fascinating manner. The writing is excellent and I was completely enthralled in this book for the time I had it. Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful, if somewhat repetitive, work of historiography, Robert Johnson: Lost and Found lays out the known facts of Johnson's life before tracing the evolution of the myths that surround him. As a bonus, there is also a primer on poetry explication, as the authors show how critics have projected themselves into Johnson's lyrics.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patient unraveling of the myth making of Robert Johnson in order to reveal his true remarkable talent. The myth making reminded me of the life of Shelley, in that case how his wife and others created a far more saleable image of him than was true. In this case Johnson was in some sense reformed to interest a new market in his recordings which otherwise might have been forgotten or at least undistinguished from others. I appreciated the patient, reasoned and short arguments of the author and especially the discussion of the songs. This work will inform my listening as I go back to the original works. There is a deliberate spareness to this whole book, few illustrations, short chapters, etc. I think a few pictures might have helped give a more rounded experience but that is my only real quibble.

[RA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just an excellent book to add to the Robert Johnson pseudo-narratives; but this analysis looks at the mythologizing on the various aspects of Robert Johnson's life. Sorting out who said what, when & why brings more substance to his life than most of the previous bios.

[mxd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the first time Robert Johnson caught my attention was in an article referencing him as an inspiration to some contemporary artist (Jack White possibly). Since then I've caught other little bits of information like him being the father of rock and roll, his pact with the devil, and how if he had never existed someone would have had to invent him (an irony since he seems to have been re-invented so much).

The book touches on his background, but the bulk of it is about tackling the legend of Robert Johnson, which seems to be built entirely on the supernatural hardons of critics who were determined to see him as a tormented tortured soul on the run from demons. The book does a good job of pulling apart the myths and tracking down a much more ordinary man who just happened to be an exemplary musician.

It's a shame there's been so much focus on the devil dealing Johnson, especially with songs like Crossroads. It's unsettling that a reading of it as a supernatural tale is more preferable its social commentary. It's also sad that the myth makers have credited supernatural forces or Johnson's fictitious hoodoo problems for his music rather than the fact that he was a rather talented and skilled musician.

A great little book. Gave a me a lot of food for thought and certainly a greater appreciation of Robert Johnson. Also, The Complete Collection made a great reading companion.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting, kind of weird book - I mean tonally. It toggled between very self-serious and "jokey" in a way that made me think Pearson and McCulloch were taking things really personally. And they have odd ideas about consistency, as if people, and maybe especially musicians after a long period of time, aren't multifaceted and confused and as if they weren't themselves gather evidence to point toward that fact about Robert Johnson.

BUT: as someone who has never thought Johnson's music sounded like the music of someone tormented by anything unusual, or like the music of someone at the mercy of supernatural forces, the myth always baffled me. And it was interesting to track its development in this book. There's a lot of white ignorance on display here. They don't quite call it that, and maybe they ought to, but that's what's going on. Definitely an interesting case study.

[John Devenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the myths and legends surrounding the life of the great blues singer/guitarist. Robert Johnson’s musical legacy is enormous with a huge influence on both the blues and rock. So many artists including many of the leading lights of British rock cite him as an inspiration to their musical development. This book investigates his life and attempts to get to the truth about the widespread belief that he sold his soul to the devil in order to become a great guitar player. It is obviously a book that would only appeal to devotees of Johnson but if you are one of those then this is a must read.

[Chris Wallbruch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely outstanding book. The authors separate the man from the myth. He’s become this pivotal dark force in the blues, allegedly selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for amazing technique. But much of this myth was constructed by white music critics many years after his death. His live audiences saw him as a solid musician who dealt with familiar themes and styles and would have scoffed at the devilish association. Highly recommended!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Examines and dispells the legend that blues great Robert Johnson owed his remarkable talent to a crossroads deal with the Devil and, in fact, the myth didn't even take hold until 30 plus years after Johnson's death in 1938.
The book is a quick examination of the myth; not a detailed biography of Robert Johnson. Even in its brevity; this book is an informative read.

[David Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a 50 / 50 proposition. The bits of history I was able to pick out were great but the main motivation of the writer was to disprove or discredit the claim that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads.

Overall, I thought the majority of the book was trying to tell us that Robert Johnson was not the person the majority of us believe him to have been. I am a great lover of Delta Blues. I do believe that a lot of Johnson's hype is unfounded. He was a great guitarist and composer but how much better was he than Skip James or Son House or Charlie Patton or others of the era?

I'd say the crossroads legend had a lot to do with Johnson's fame but then again, so did the numerous rock stars like Clapton and the Stones that totally blew Johnson's abilities out of proportion.

I would have rather read a historical account of Johnson's life than have a legend most people do not take seriously picked apart. And I strongly disagree with the premise of the book. Whether Johnson sold his soul or not, anyone can hear the anguish and sorrow in these amazing tunes. So why dispute it?

Still, an enjoyable read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn't really bring anything new to the story of Robert Johnson-after all, given the dearth of information available and the passage of time, how much more can be added? But does a great job of debunking the legends and myths concerning him, explaining how they arose in the first place, and so revealing Johnson as a man, a bluesman, who should be appreciated for the music he made in his own right, without resorting to Faustian stories to explain his talent.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does an okay job of picking through the myths and folklore and celebrates the strengths of Johnson as a writer/performer while pointing out the weaknesses in so many of the stories that contribute to the very little we really know about him and his actual standing.