ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads

The story of Robert Johnson is undoubtedly a fascinating one, It's incredible the impact he had on the music industry and I would absolutely recommend watching this or doing your own research.

The biggest problem is that (as the documentary self confesses) not a lot is known about the life of Robert Johnson and as such it feels like there is very little 'meat on the bone' for a documentary. (In short he couldn't play guitar, disappears for over a year and then comes back a phenomenon, before passing on way too soon).

It's a safe bet that all blues fans know who Robert Johnson was. Netflix's "ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads" looks at Johnson's life and work. Featuring interviews with Keb' Mo', Keith Richards, and even Johnson's grandson, it makes clear that Johnson was one of the greatest musicians of all time. Of course, it also notes the historical context (Johnson grew up in the deep south during the most racist period in our country's history). It's so sad that Johnson's life got cut short; I have no doubt that he would've continued making great music.

Basically, whether or not you're a blues fan, you gotta see this documentary. Pretty much all music in the US has its roots in the blues, and you owe it to yourself to hear Robert Johnson.

A comprehensive history of Blues Legend Robert Johnson, at least based on the limited information about him. Johnson was a legendary and innovative Guitarist who had a huge influence in modern music as we know it today. A must see if you are a fan of music, or of history in general.

How did he get his songs recorded? Where did he live? How did he live after getting recorded? So many gaps in this movie.

What I like about this Netflix series of documents is that they are short and sweet, you don't have to invest that much time in them and come out with a little bit of knowledge.

I had personally never heard of Robert Johnson before watching this and it was definitely interesting to learn a bit about his life and how influential his music was. I would have liked to gone deeper into his supposed deal with the devil, but maybe that's all there is.