“I went down to the crossroads…”

Yesterday, I watched a great documentary about Robert Johnson and myth about selling his soul at the crossroads.

It’s been well documented that Johnson’s music became the foundation for modern blues and rock and roll. That said, it’s incredible to actually trace the inspiration back to its source. I’d never paid Johnson much mind, but after watching the documentary, I took his recordings out for a spin. Safe to saw, I was blown outta the damn water.

You can hear everyone from The Rolling Stones to John Mayer in Johnson’s guitar playing. It’s spectacular. Even his lyrics pop up in places. (Go listen to “Traveling Riverside Blues” and “The Lemon Song” side-by-side.)

We all steal from someplace. In this case, all the greats stole from one guy.