Search - Blind Willie Johnson :: Dark Was the Night

Best To Go To The Source

Chuck Hicks | Concord, NC USA | 07/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The study of classic acoustic slide guitar technique begins here. Blind Willie Johnson, a street preacher in Beaumont, Texas, was the unmatched practitioner with his pocket-knife slide and open tunings. That he incorporated the blues idiom into his gospel convictions was compelling in itself. Blind Willie sang with enormous angst, describing the Christian life as a struggle, and declaring himself to be an overcomer regardless of what others thought. There is nothing here that will satisfy the 'health & wealth' gospelers; Johnson's gritty, practical holiness condemns such extravagances. This particular issue, a 20-bit digital remapping of the old 78's, is exceptionally clear. While every track is potent, 'God Moves On The Water' (about the sinking of the Titanic) contains riffs and runs that are antecedent to today's rock guitar. Highly recommended for those interested in roots music and alternative gospel."