The Search for Robert Johnson

A very good bio-doc effort to untangle the life and myths of blues legend Robert Johnson. This is a challenging task, as not a lot is known about Johnson except through his music and through lore. There is speculation at times, but this is inevitable. It still uncovers a lot, from his rejection by his family (blues was the work of the devil) to the darkness of his lyrics and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

I would have preferred the original music of Johnson, but narrator John Hammond does a very satisfactory job in his renditions. Relatively minor players "Honeyboy" Edwards and Johnny Shines give classic delta blues performances that stand out. Appearances by Eric Clapton and Keith Richards help to emphasize Johnson's lasting impact on blues and rock.

Johnson was never interviewed, and his performance was never captured on film. Beside his music, all that are left are oral accounts, peppered by exaggeration and myth. An accurate, objective bio may be impossible to achieve. But The Search for Robert Johnson comes about as close as might be expected, and has great entertainment value as well.

Originally done by BBC 4, we just got this on Sony DVD. I've always loved the myth of Robert Johnson as much as his music, and this little doc (72min) does a wonderful job of exploring both aspects of this legendary blues man.

Narrator John Hammond retraces and re-enacts the research of blues scholars Mack McCormick and Gayle Dean Wardlow, travelling the Delta and uncovering a surprising amount of documentation about, and individuals related to (some possibly by blood) the life and legacy of Robert Johnson.

Supported by a great selection of his few recordings that rise and fall from the background audio, almost as if still struggling to be heard.

A simple and quite enthralling quest on the life and legend of the seminal Blues artist who's one of the cornerstones of Blues and Rock music. John P. Hammond, the son of the legendary record producer John Hammond hosts this moving and revealing documentary as he travels the American South charting the life and work of the man Eric Clapton called "the greatest". Interviews with people who knew Johnson and scholars of his life and work reveal a talented and complex man who lived a complicated life of travel, booze, women and music. With the man's striking music serving as a soundtrack Hammond also brings out the axe and jams with Johnson's musical cohorts Johnny Shines and David "Honeyboy" Edwards to added appeal. The mystery of Johnson's death is discussed at the end which adds further to the aura of the myth. A tribute and a documentary with heart and soul, this is a look into the power of music and one of its most compelling and enduring luminaries.

The Search for Robert Johnson (1992)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

John Hammond, Jr. hosts this documentary, which features him driving throughout the South trying to find out the truth about who musician Robert Johnson really was. He interviews some ex-girlfriends, friends and some people who played with him as we get into what made him so special, his flaws as a person and the events surrounding his mysterious death. Fans of the musician should really enjoy this documentary clocking in at 72-minutes as it features some very interesting interviews. I think the interviews are clearly the main reason to see this for a number of reasons. Since this documentary was released more information has came out about Johnson so it's important to remember that not too much was known when this was originally made so this was actually a very important piece. Interviews include Wink Clark (friend), Nat Richardson, Willie Mae Powell (girlfriend), Dave 'Honeyboy' Edwards, Johnny Shines (played with Johnson), Queen Elizabeth (girlfriend) and Claude Johnson, a man who might be Johnson's son. What's so interesting is just hearing these stories from people who actually knew the man. There have been a lot of legends and myths about Johnson so it's great getting to hear from those who actually knew him and those who might know where some of these myths started. One such myth was that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in order to play music and we get an idea that the musician might have pushed this story himself. We also hear about his mysterious death and it appears everyone believes a jealous husband had a woman put poison in his whiskey but we hear various thoughts on who it might have been. Also, there's a search for Johnson's final resting place as we visit several cemetery's but this part is still a mystery. THE SEARCH FOR ROBERT JOHNSON is a great little documentary that shines a light on a mysterious but great figure.

I'm a big fan of Robert Johnson's music, & have all of his recordings on CD & digitally. Although this is a good documentary for 1992, it misses the mark in two important areas:

1) where is Robert Junior Lockwood in all of this? He was Robert Johnson's "stepson" (only about 4 years younger than Johnson), & an accomplished Blues singer/guitar player, who is reportedly the only person known to have learned to play from Robert Johnson himself, as well as being a person who played with him on occasion. A major omission for any bio of Robert Johnson. 2) I'm also a fan of John Hammond Jr.'s music, & have a dozen or so of my favorite songs of his. But for this bio, I much rather would have heard complete songs (rather than snippets) of Robert Johnson's own performances, than hear what was presented (JHJ playing & singing his versions of Johnson's music). JHJ did a good job on most of the songs, but for what purpose?

This film is a bio of Robert Johnson, & his music should have been presented on the soundtrack to a much greater degree, perhaps along with photos of the areas Johnson frequented, as they appeared then (if available) & now.