Blind Willie Johnson was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who is widely recognised as having been the leading exponent of what was occasionally called “holy blues” – blues music with religious subject matter that as result could also be termed gospel music, which as a result was highly distinctive and unusual. Born in Texas in 1897, he was blinded by his stepmother during a domestic confrontation when he was seven, and turned to music, performing around his native state from the 1920s through to near his death in 1945, but was active as a recording artist only between 1927 and 1930, recording four sessions in Dallas and one in Atlanta. This 30-track 2-CD collection comprises his complete recordings for Columbia across his career, on occasions accompanied on vocals by his first wife Willie B. Harris. Among the titles it features the highly-acclaimed and influential recordings “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground”, “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed”, “It's Nobody's Fault But Mine”, “Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time”, and “John the Revelator”. It’s a comprehensive and worthy showcase for a distinctive and unique artist.
CD 1
1. I KNOW HIS BLOOD CAN MAKE ME WHOLE Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14276D) 3rd Dec. 1927
2. JESUS MAKE UP MY DYING BED Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14276D) 3rd Dec. 1927
3. IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14303D) 3rd Dec. 1927
4. DARK WAS THE NIGHT Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14303D) 3rd Dec. 1927
5. IF I HAD MY WAY I'D TEAR THE BUILDING DOWN Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14343D) 3rd Dec. 1927
6. MOTHER'S CHILDREN HAVE A HARD TIME Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14343D) 3rd Dec. 1927
7. JESUS IS COMING SOON Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14391D) 5th Dec. 1928
8. I'M GONNA RUN TO THE CITY OF REFUGE Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14391D) 5th Dec. 1928
9. LORD I JUST CAN'T KEEP FROM CRYING Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14425D) 5th Dec. 1928
10. KEEP YOUR LAMP TRIMMED AND BURNING Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14425D) 5th Dec. 1928
11. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE ON ME Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14490D) 10th Dec. 1929
12. GOD DON'T NEVER CHANGE Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14490D) 10th Dec. 1929
13. BYE AND BYE I'M GOIN' TO SEE THE KING Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14504D) 10th Dec. 1929
14. YOU'LL NEED SOMEBODY ON YOUR BOND Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14504D) 11th Dec. 1929
15. GOD MOVES ON THE WATER Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14520D) 11th Dec. 1929
CD 2
1. TAKE YOUR BURDEN TO THE LORD AND LEAVE IT THERE Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14520D) 11th Dec. 1929
2. YOU'RE GONNA NEED SOMEBODY ON YOUR BOND Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14530D) 20th Apr. 1930
3. JOHN THE REVELATOR Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14530D) 20th Apr. 1930
4. TROUBLE WILL SOON BE OVER Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14537D) 20th Apr. 1930
5. THE RAIN DON'T FALL ON ME Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14537D) 20th Apr. 1930
6. PRAISE GOD I'M SATISFIED Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14545D) 11th Dec. 1929
7. WHEN THE WAR WAS ON Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14545D) 11th Dec. 1929
8. CAN'T NOBODY HIDE FROM GOD Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14556D) 20th Apr. 1930
9. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR JESUS Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14556D) 20th Apr. 1930
10. CHURCH, I'M FULLY SAVED TODAY Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14582D) 20th Apr. 1930
11. THE SOUL OF A MAN Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14582D) 20th Apr. 1930
12. GO WITH ME TO THE LAND Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14597D) 20th Apr. 1930
13. EVERYBODY OUGHT TO TREAT A STRANGER RIGHT Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14597D) 20th Apr. 1930
14. SWEETER AS THE YEARS ROLL BY Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14624D) 10th Dec. 1929
15. TAKE YOUR STAND Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14624D) 11th Dec. 1929
