[1] When You Got a Good Friend (R. Johnson) - 3:20
[2] Little Queen of Spades (R. Johnson) - 4:57
[3] They're Red Hot (R. Johnson) - 3:25
[4] Me and the Devil Blues (R. Johnson) - 2:56
[5] Traveling Riverside Blues (R. Johnson) - 4:31
[6] Last Fair Deal Gone Down (R. Johnson) - 2:35
[7] Stop Breakin' Down Blues (R. Johnson) - 2:30
[8] Milkcow's Calf Blues (R. Johnson) - 3:18
[9] Kind Hearted Woman Blues (R. Johnson) - 4:06
[10] Come on in My Kitchen (R. Johnson) - 3:35
[11] If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day (R. Johnson) - 3:27
[12] Love in Vain (R. Johnson) - 4:02
[13] 32-20 Blues (R. Johnson) - 2:58
[14] Hell Hound on My Trail (R. Johnson) - 3:51
ERIC CLAPTON - Guitars, Vocals, Producer, Album Cover Concept, Liner Notes
STEVE GADD - Guitars
NATHAN EAST - Bass
BILLY PRESTON - Hammond B3 Organ, Piano
ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW - Guitars
DOYLE BRAMHALL - Guitars
JERRY PORTNOY - Harmonica
JIM KELTNER - Drums on [5]
PINO PALLADINO - Bass on [5]
SIMON CLIMIE - Producer, ProTools, Digital Editing
ALAN DOUGLAS - Engineer
MICK GUYAUSKI - Mixing
TOM BENDER - Mixing Assistant
BOB LUDWIG - Mastering
PETER BLAKE - Album Cover Artwork
JOEL EVENDEN - Digital Editing
LEE DICKSON - Guitar Techician
TORU MORIYAMA - Photography
CATHERINE ROYLANCE - Design
While the blues has imbued Eric Clapton's music for the better part of
four decades, only once before has he made it the sole focus of an
album (on 1994's From the Cradle). Clapton doesn't stray far from the
fountainhead on this 14-song set, which is entirely devoted to Robert
Johnson, perhaps the most myth-shrouded man in American music history.
Not surprisingly, Clapton spends most of Me and Mr. Johnson traversing
life's dark side, pleading purposefully on a poignant "Love in Vain"
and mustering up his most threatening delivery in quite some time on
"Me and the Devil Blues." Wisely, he keeps guitar heroics to a minimum
here, lacing the lusty "Little Queen of Spades" with a sharp solo and
flexing some slide muscle on "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day"
but otherwise focusing on gritty rhythm riffing. Guests like Billy
Preston -- who steals the show on "They're Red Hot" -- offer plenty of
support, but by the time the last notes of "Hell Hound on My Trail"
wind down, Clapton's vision is all you hear. Me and Mr. Johnson is a
respectful document, and while not as fiery as the guitarist's previous
forays into his idol's work (particularly those early versions of
"Crossroads"), it paints a clear and powerful picture of an American
icon whose work resounds even decades after his death.
David Sprague, Barnes & Noble
Ten years after his first all-blues album, From the Cradle, Eric
Clapton released Me and Mr. Johnson, an album-length tribute to his
hero, the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Not that this is the first
time Clapton has paid tribute to Johnson. Throughout his career,
Clapton has not only drawn on Johnson for inspiration, but he has
covered his songs at pivotal moments: "Ramblin' on My Mind" on his
classic album with John Mayall, Bluesbreakers; "Four Until Late" on the
first Cream album; and, most memorably, the rampaging cover of
"Crossroads" on Wheels of Fire that became his anthem and arguably his
defining moment. Considering this long history, perhaps a full-length
tribute was inevitable, yet Me and Mr. Johnson still is welcome, in
part because it's been a long time since this guitarist has sounded so
comfortable and relaxed, as if he was having fun making music. With the
possible exception of the spotty yet charming B.B. King duet album
Riding With the King, this is simply the most enjoyable record he's
made since From the Cradle, and in some respects it's a better blues
album than that since it never sounds as doggedly serious as that
guitar-heavy affair. Given the somber, sometimes chilling lyrics
Johnson wrote -- Clapton admits that "At first [his music] scared me in
its intensity," an accurate summary of the haunting nature of those 29
sides the bluesman cut in the '30s -- it's a little ironic that this
tribute winds up being fun, not somber, but the light touch makes for a
better album. That lightness comes from the deep love Clapton holds for
this music, since the enthusiasm and enjoyment he and his band -- all
the old regulars like Andy Fairweather-Low plus Billy Preston on
keyboards -- give the performance results in the album's light,
infectious feel. While that does result in versions of "If I Had
Possession Over Judgement Day" and "Hell Hound on My Trail" that sound
anything but haunted, they do sound nicely next to the up-tempo
rave-ups of "They're Red Hot," "Last Fair Deal Gone Down," and "Stop
Breaking Down Blues" since all of them sound like Clapton is having a
hell of a good time. Some might take issue with this, and others may
find the album too slickly produced -- admittedly, blues albums should
never boast a credit for Pro Tools, as this does -- but this is a
heartfelt tribute that's among Clapton's most purely enjoyable albums.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
When he finds Satan on his doorstep in "Me and the Devil Blues," you
can hear in Clapton's deep, scarred howl that he is confronting an old
acquaintance.
David Fricke, Rolling Stone
Clapton sounds reinvigorated in these 14 songs by crossroads
soul-salesman Robert Johnson, with phlegm in his throat and (relative)
fire in his belly.
(B+) Chris Willman, Entertainment Weekly
It's impossible to overemphasize the importance of
singer-guitarist-songwriter Robert Johnson's contribution to blues
music. The same can be said of Eric Clapton, one of Mr. Johnson's most
dedicated interpreters. From his work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
to Cream and beyond, Clapton has arguably attracted more widespread
attention to Johnson's music than any other living musician. A decade
after his all-blues From the Cradle (which included no Johnson
material), Clapton jumps into the icon's catalog with both feet by
covering 14 Johnson tunes. With a stripped-down veteran band that
includes such longtime associates as drummer Steve Gadd, keyboardist
Billy Preston, and harmonica ace Jerry Portnoy, the guitarist attacks
these songs with passion, intelligence, and a refreshing lack of
blues-rock pretense. From the upbeat jump of "32-20 Blues" and "They're
Red Hot" to the slower, grinding "Little Queen of Spades" and
"Milkcow's Calf Blues," Clapton acquits himself well, eschewing his
slicker inclinations with arrangements that underscore Johnson's rawest
tendencies--although perhaps he doesn't seem sufficiently terrified
when walking with Lucifer on "Me and the Devil Blues." Still, this is a
successful and admirable return to his roots, one that will hopefully
introduce an even larger audience to Johnson's seminal work.
Hal Horowitz, Amazon.com
Amazingly, given his weighty reputation as a blues guitarist, Eric
Clapton has previously released only one all-blues collection in a solo
career spanning 30 years. That album, 1994's From the Cradle, may have
topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, but Clapton certainly
betters it with this interpretation of 14 Robert Johnson classics. The
reason for this is primarily in the vocals. Clapton's voice has always
been too soft, too undamaged to convincingly tell such tales of woe.
Now though, veteran of various personal catastrophes, he can give a
fair impression of a man who has seen too much. Surrounded by an
impressive musical team including Andy Fairweather Low and Billy
Preston, with Jerry Portnoy playing a blinder on blues harp, Clapton
delivers a deep, pulsing "When You Got a Friend", a searing "Little
Queen of Spades", a boogilicious "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and a
bucking "They're Red Hot". "Come on in My Kitchen" and "Me and the
Devil Blues", meanwhile, are tough acoustic efforts, more in keeping
with the legend of Johnson at the crossroads at midnight. Clapton fans
will love this--it's his best in ages.
Dominic Wills, Amazon.co.uk
Of the many reasons why middle-class white boys such as Eric Clapton
and Aerosmith flocked to the music of older, impoverished black men in
the 1960s and early 1970s, here is one of the best: The great bluesmen
were also great pop songwriters. Robert Johnson, Willie Dixon and
Mississippi Fred McDowell, to name just three, told real-life stories
in hot, tight packages of poetic vernacular and hard-won joy. Clapton
and Aerosmith take different routes back to blues school on these
covers albums, but they do so with mutual fealty and honest delight.
Johnson has been Clapton's steady rollin' muse since 1966, when he cut
Johnson's "Ramblin' on My Mind" with John Mayall. That song is not
among the fourteen Clapton covers on his all-Johnson program; nor is
"Crossroads," which he turned into high-speed-guitar spectacle with
Cream. In fact, Clapton keeps his solos in "When You Got a Good Friend"
and "Little Queen of Spades" to a blistering chorus or two, to better
show off the dirty-rubber swing of his longtime road-and-studio band.
Clapton pays broad tribute to Johnson as a composer and public-domain
synthesist, spicing the sorrow of "Love in Vain" with the carnal sport
of "They're Red Hot." But he recalls his own passage through darkness
in these songs, too. When he finds Satan on his doorstep in "Me and the
Devil Blues," you can hear in Clapton's deep, scarred howl that he is
confronting an old acquaintance.
Aerosmith don't have much time for pain on Honkin' on Bobo. The songs
are mostly about gettin' some, then gettin' outta there -- Dixon's "I'm
Ready," Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" -- and the attack is heavy Sixties
shindig: snarling guitars, thunderclap drumming, Steven Tyler's 3-D
snake hiss and widescreen yowl. Bobo is really a combined tribute: to
the originators of the blues' core repertoire and the explosive,
electric inventions of 1960s British bands such as the Yardbirds,
Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac.
Aerosmith's devil's-army gallop through "Baby Please Don't Go" is a
lunatic escalation of Them's 1965 cover of the Big Joe Williams song.
There is a tightness to this mania; Bobo is a celebratory attack on the
canon, not a violation of it. And there are moments of exotic
restraint, such as the misty-mountain noir of Perry's hurdy-gurdy in
McDowell's "Back Back Train." But Aerosmith's specialty is jubilant
overkill, and Bobo is a huge, affectionate spoonful. You want
scholarship and propriety? You're barking at the wrong doghouse.
When you got a good friend, that will stay right by your side.
When you got a good friend, that will stay right by your side
Give her all of your spare time, love and treat her right
I mistreated my baby, and I can't see no reason why
I mistreated my baby, but I can't see no reason why
Everytime I think about it, I just wring my hands and cry
Wonder could I bear apologize, or would she sympathize with me
Mmmmmm mmmm mmmm, would she sympathize with me
She's a brown skin woman, just as sweet as a girl friend can be
Mmmm mmmm, babe, I may be right ay wrong
Baby it's yo'y opinion, oh, I may be right ay wrong
Watch your close friend, baby, then your ene'ies can't do no harm
When you got a good friend, that will stay right by your side
When you got a good friend, that will stay right by your side
Give her all of your spare time, love and treat her right
Little Queen Of Spades
Mmm, she is a little queen of spades, and the men will not let her be
Hoo ooo ooh, she is the little queen of spades, and the men will not let her be
Everytime she makes a spread, hoo, cold chill just runs all over me
Well, I'm gon' get me a gamblin' woman, if its the last thing that I do
Ooh hoo eee, gon' get me a gamblin' woman, if its the last thing that I do
A man don't need a woman, hoo, fair brown, he got to give all of his money to
Well1 everybody say she got a mojo, baby, you've been usin' that stuff
Hmm hmm hmm, everybody say she got a mojo, 'cause she been usin' that stuff
She got a way trimmin'2 down, hoo we', babe, and I mean it's most too tough
Well, well, little girl, since I am the king, fair brown, and you is a queen
Hoo ooh ooe, since I am the king, baby, and you is a queen
Let's we put our heads together, hoo, fair brown, then we can make our money green
They're Red Hot
Hot tamales1 and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
I got a girl, say she long and tall
She sleeps in the kitchen with her feets in the hall
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale, I mean
Yes, she got'em for sale, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
She got two for a nickel, got four for a dime
Would sell you more, but they ain't none of mine
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale, I mean
Yes, she got'em for sale, yes, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
I got a letter from a girl in the room
Now she got something good she got to bring home soon, now
Its hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got em for sale, I mean
Yes, she got'em for sale, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got em for sale
(spoken: They're too hot boy!)
The billy got back in a bumble bee nest
Ever since that he can't take his rest, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes you got'em for sale, I mean
Yes, she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
(spoken: Man don't mess around em hot tamales now
'Cause they too black bad, if you mess around em hot tamales
I'm gonna upset your backbone, put your kidneys to sleep
I'll due to break away your liver and dare your heart to beat bout my)
Hot tamales cause they red hot, yes they got em for sale, I mean
Yes, she got em for sale, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
You know grandma loves them and grandpa too
Well I wonder what in the world we children gonna do now
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale, I mean
Yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Me and my babe bought a V-8 Ford
Well we wind that thing all on the runnin' board, yes
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale, I mean
Yes she got'em for sale, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
(spoken: They're too hot boy!)
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes, now she got em for sale
You know the monkey, now the baboon playin' in the grass
Well the monkey stuck his finger in that old 'Good Gulf Gas', now
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale, I mean
Yes she got'em for sale, yeah
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale
I got a girl, say she long and tall
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feets in the hall
Hot tamales and they're red hot, yes she got'em for sale, I mean
Yes she got'em for sale, yeah
Me And The Devil Blues
Early this mornin', when you knocked upon my door
Early this mornin', ooh, when you knocked upon my door
And I said, "hello, satan, I believe it's time to go"
Me and the devil, was walkin' side by side
Me and the devil, ooh, was walkin' side by side
I'm goin' to beat my woman, until I get satisfied
She say you don't see why, that I will dog her 'round
[Spoken:] Now, baby, you know you ain't doin' me right, now
She say you don't see why, ooh, that I will dog her 'round
It must-a be that old evil spirit, so deep down in the ground
You may bury my body, down by the highway side
[Spoken:] Baby, I don't care where you bury my body when I'm dead and gone
You may bury my body, ooh, down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit, can get a Greyhound bus and ride
Traveling Riverside Blues
If your man get personal, want you to have your fun
If your man get personal, want you to have your fun
Best come on back to Friars Point1, mama, and barrelhouse all night long
I got women's in Vicksburg, clean on into Tennessee
I got women's in Vicksburg, clean on into Tennessee
But my Friars Point1 rider, now, hops all over me
I ain't gon' to state no color but her, front teeth crowned with gold
I ain't gon' to state no color but her, front teeth is crowned with gold
She got a mortgage on my body, now, and a lien2 on my soul
Lord, I'm goin' to Rosedale3, gon' take my rider by my side
Lord, I'm goin' to Rosedale3, gon' take my rider by my side
We can still barrelhouse baby, on the riverside
Now you can squeeze my lemon 'til the juice run down my...
(spoken: 'til the juice rune down my leg, baby, you know what I'm talkin' about)
You can squeeze my lemon 'til the juice run down my leg
(spoken: That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, now)
But I'm goin' back to Friars Point1, if I be rockin'to my head
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
It's the last fair deal goin' down,
last fair deal goin' down
It's the last fair deal goin' down, good Lord,
on that Gulfport Island Road1
Please, Ida Belle, don't cry this time
Ida Belle, don't cry this time
If you cry about a nickel, you'll die 'bout a dime
She wouldn't cry, but the money won't2 mine
I love the way you do,
I love the way you do
I love the way you do, good Lord,
on this Gulfport Island Road1
My captain's so mean on me,
my captain's so mean on me
My captain's so mean on me, good Lord,
on this Gulfport Island Road
Take camp tain he and see, camp ain't he and see
At scal ain't be at seen3, good Lord,
on that Gulfport Island Road
Ah, this last fair deal goin' down,
it's the last fair deal goin' down
This' the last fair deal goin' down, good Lord,
on this Gulfport Island Road1
I'm workin' my way back home,
I'm working my way back home
I'm workin' my way back home, good Lord,
on this Gulfport Island Road
And that thing don't keep-a ringin' so soon
That thing don't keep-a ringin' so soon
And that thing don't keep-a ringin' so soon,
good Lord, on that Gulfed-and-Port Island Road
Stop Breakin' Down Blues
Everytime I'm walkin', down the streets, some pretty mama start breakin' down with me
Stop breakin' down, yes stop breakin' down
The stuff I got'll bust your brains out, baby, hoo hoo, it'll make you lose your mind.
I can't walk the streets now con, consolate my mind,
some no-good woman she starts breakin' down
Stop breakin' down, please stop breakin' down
The stuff I got it gon' bust your brains out, baby, hoo hoo, it'll make you lose your mind
Now, you Saturday night women's, you love to ape and clown,
you won't do nothin' but tear a good man reputation down
Stop breakin' down, please stop breakin' down
The stuff I got'll bust your brains out, baby, hoo hoo, it'll make you lose your mind
Now, I give my baby, now, the ninety-nine degree,
she jumped up and throwed a pistol down on me
Stop breakin' down, please stop breakin' down
Stuff I got'll bust your brains out, baby, hoo hoo, it'll make you lose your mind
I can't start walkin' down the streets, but some pretty mama don't start breakin' down with me
Stop breakin' down, yeah stop breakin' down
The stuff I got'll bust your brains out, baby, hoo hoo, it'll make you lose your mind
Milkcow's Calf Blues
Tell me, milk cow, what on earth is wrong with you?
Ooo ooo eee, milk cow, what on earth is wrong with you?
Now, you have a little calf, hoo hoo, and your milk is turnin' blue
Now, your calf is hungry, I believe he needs a suck
Now, your calf is hungry, hoo hoo, I believe he needs a suck
But your milk is turnin' blue, hoo hoo, I believe he's outta luck
Now, I feel like milkin' and my, cow won't come
I feel like churnin' it and my, milk won't turn
I'm cryin', please, please, don't do me wrong
If you see my milk cow, baby, now-how, please, drive her home
My milk cow been ramblin', hoo hee, for miles around
My milk cow been ramblin', hoo hoo, for miles around
Well, now, can you suck on some other man's bull cow,
hoo hoo, in this strange man's town
Kind Hearted Woman Blues
I got a kindhearted woman, do anything in this world for me
I got a kindhearted woman, do anything in this world for me
But these evilhearted women, man, they will not let me be
I love my baby, my baby don't love me
I love my baby oooh, my baby don't love me
I really love that woman, can't stand to leave her be
There ain't but one thing, makes Mr. Johnson drink,
I's worried 'bout how you treat me, baby, I begin to think
Oh, babe, my life don't feel the same
You breaks my heart, when you call Mr. So and So's name
She's a kindhearted woman, she studies evil all the time
She's a kindhearted woman, she studies evil all the time
You well's to kill me, as to have it on your mind
You better come on in my kitchen, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Ah, the woman I love, took from my best friend, some joker got lucky, stole her back again
You better come on in my kitchen, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Ohah, she's gone, I know she won't come back
I've taken the last nickel out of her nation sack
You better come on in my kitchen, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
(spoken: oh, can't you hear that wind howl?)
Oh y', can't you hear that wind would howl?
You better come on in my kitchen, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
When a woman gets in trouble, everybody throws her down
Lookin' for her good friend, none can be found
You better come on in my kitchen, it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Winter time's comin', it's gon' be slow
You can't make the winter, babe, that's dry long so
You better come on in my kitchen, 'cause it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day
If I had possession, over judgment day
If I had possession, over judgment day
Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' wouldn't, have no right to pray
And I went to the mountain, lookin' as far as my eyes could see
And I went to the mountain, lookin' as far as my eyes would see
Some other man got my woman, and these lonesome blues got me
And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long
And I rolled and I tumbled and I, cried the whole night long
Boy, I woke up this mornin', my biscuit roller gone
Had to fold my arms and I, slowly walked away
(spoken: I didn't like the way she done)
Had to fold my arms and I, slowly walked away
I said in my mind, "Yo' trouble gon' come some day1"
Now run here, baby, set down on my knee
Now run here, baby, set down on my knee
I wanna tell you all about the way they treated me
Love In Vain
I followed her to the station with a suitcase in my hand
And I followed her to the station with a suitcase in my hand
Well it's hard to tell it's hard to tell, when all your love's in vain
All my love's in vain
When the train rolled up to the station, I looked her in the eye
When the train rolled up to the station, and I looked her in the eye
Well I was lonesome I felt so lonesome, and I could not help but cry
All my love's in vain
When the train it left the station, 't was two lights on behind
When the train it left the station, 't was two lights on behind
Well the blue light was my blues and the red light was my mind
All my love's in vain
Ooh... [vocalized verse]
All my love's in vain
32-20 Blues
I sent for my baby, and she don't come
I sent for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure can't help her none
And if she gets unruly, thinks she don't want do
If she gets unruly, and thinks she don't want do
Take my 32-20, and cut her half in two
She got a thirty-eight special, but I believe it's most too light
She got a thirty-eight special, but I believe it's most too light
I got a 32-20, got to make the camps alright
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure can't help her none
I'm gonna shoot my pistol, gonna shoot my Gatlin' gun
I'm gonna shoot my pistol, gonna shoot my Gatlin' gun
You made me love you, now your man have come
Aw baby, where you stay last night?
Ah baby, where you stay last night?
You got your hair all tangled, and you ain't talkin' right
Got a thirty-eight special, boys, it do very well
Got a thirty-eight special, boys, it do very well
I Got a 32-20 now, and it's a burnin' --
If I send for my baby, man and she don't come
If I send for my baby, man and she don't come
All the doctors in Wisconsin sure can't help her none
Hey hey baby, where you stay last night
Hey hey baby, where you stayed last night
You didn't come home until the sun was shinin' bright
Ah boys, I just can't take my rest
Ah boys, I just can't take my rest
With this 32-20 layin' up and down my breast
Hell Hound On My Trail
I got to keep movin'
I got to keep movin'
blues fallin' down like hail
blues fallin' down like hail
Umm mmm mmm mmm
blues fallin' down like hail
blues fallin' down like hail
And the days keeps on worryin' me
there's a hellhound on my trail
hell hound on my trail
hell hound on my trail
If today was Christmas Eve
If today was Christmas Eve
and tomorrow was Christmas Day
If today was Christmas Eve
and tomorrow was Christmas Day
spoken: Aow, wouldn't we have a time, baby?
All I would need my little sweet rider just
to pass the time away, huh huh
to pass the time away
You sprinkled hot foot powder, mmm
mmm, around my door
all around my door
You sprinkled hot foot powder
all around your daddy's door, hmm hmm hmm
It keep me with ramblin' mind, rider
every old place I go
every old place I go
I can tell the wind is risin'
the leaves tremblin' on the tree
Tremblin' on the tree
I can tell the wind is risin'
leaves tremblin' on the tree
hmm hmm hmm mmm
All I need's my little sweet woman
and to keep my company, hey hey hey hey
my company