"Dylan describes his first encounter with Johnson's music, stating, "From the first note the vibrations from the loudspeaker made my hair stand up. The stabbing sounds from the guitar could almost break a window. When Johnson started singing, he seemed like a guy who could have sprung from the head of Zeus in full armor.""
"The blues as Johnson played it sounded electrifyingly revelatory to the generation of then-young musicians who managed to hear it, regardless of their own origins."
"Though the 'king of the Delta blues singers' left behind only a small body of work after his still-unexplained death at the age of 27, it's been endlessly scrutinized by the genre's enthusiasts."
"All of them will surely regard as a godsend the newly discovered shelac master test pressing of 'Cross Road Blues,' a song that plays an outsized part in the legend of Robert Johnson."
Robert Johnson's music has been pivotal in shaping rock music since the 1960s, with notable musicians like Keith Richards and Bob Dylan acknowledging his influence. His recordings from 1936 and 1937, produced in Texas, are considered revolutionary. Despite his brief career and untimely death at 27, Johnson's work has been extensively analyzed by blues enthusiasts. A newly discovered test pressing of "Cross Road Blues" adds to his legendary status, with tales of him selling his soul to the devil enhancing his mystique.
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