http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4048&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rssMuch more than just a finalist in the "Greatest Musician Named 'Blind Willie'" sweepstakes, Johnson is a Gospel pioneer whose name is spoken in hushed tones by slide guitarists and early blues fans alike. Technically speaking he wasn't a blues man -- his lyrics spoke of salvation and the Bible, not booze and women, and his music avoided typical blues forms. Alternating between radiantly joyful major pentatonic melodies and equally haunting minor-key ones, he sang in a coarse, bass-dwelling croak that sometimes gave way to a more soothing mid-range tone. His performances sometimes featured a female vocalist, but were otherwise solo, and he backed himself with a mix of steady low-string fingerpicking and precise slide maneuvering. His recorded output clocks in at a mere ninety minutes or so, with all of it being waxed in the late 1920s, but what's there contains a sense of purity and humility capable of softening the most hardened cynic. - Will YorkAcoustic Bluesen720Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:25:47 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4048&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Much more than just a finalist in the "Greatest Musician Named 'Blind Willie'" sweepstakes, Johnson is a Gospel pioneer whose name is spoken in hushed tones by slide guitarists and early blues fans alike. Technically speaking he wasn't a blues man -- his lyrics spoke of salvation and the Bible, not booze and women, and his music avoided typical blues forms. Alternating between radiantly joyful major pentatonic melodies and equally haunting minor-key ones, he sang in a coarse, bass-dwelling croak that sometimes gave way to a more soothing mid-range tone. His performances sometimes featured a female vocalist, but were otherwise solo, and he backed himself with a mix of steady low-string fingerpicking and precise slide maneuvering. His recorded output clocks in at a mere ninety minutes or so, with all of it being waxed in the late 1920s, but what's there contains a sense of purity and humility capable of softening the most hardened cynic. - Will York http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941723&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941723 tra.1941723 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true Dark Was The Night tra.1941723 200000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941723&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941723&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941729&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941729 tra.1941729 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true John The Revelator tra.1941729 199000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941729&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941729&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.364264&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Early American Blues Tue, 8 Mar 1994 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 364264 tra.364264 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Gospel Sound alb.144681 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/8/1/4/1304181_170x170.jpg 1994-03-08 00:00:00.0 1994-03-08 00:00:00.0 true Motherless Children tra.364264 204000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.364264&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.364264&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941724&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941724 tra.1941724 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true Lord I Just Can't Keep From Cryin' tra.1941724 182000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941724&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941724&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2902654&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2902654 tra.2902654 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Great Depression: American Music In The '30s alb.263039 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/3/0/7/2/1302703_170x170.jpg 1993-10-26 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Dark Was The Night (Cold Was The Ground) tra.2902654 202000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2902654&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2902654&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941732&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941732 tra.1941732 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true Trouble Will Soon Be Over tra.1941732 188000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941732&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941732&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941737&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941737 tra.1941737 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning tra.1941737 184000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941737&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941737&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941726&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941726 tra.1941726 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed tra.1941726 193000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941726&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941726&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941722&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941722 tra.1941722 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down tra.1941722 189000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941722&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941722&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151638&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2151638 tra.2151638 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Complete Blind Willie Johnson alb.229377 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/5/1265148_170x170.jpg 1993-04-27 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Mother's Children Have A Hard Time tra.2151638 203000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151638&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151638&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28947556&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Sat, 4 Jul 2009 08:53:14 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 28947556 tra.28947556 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Home Sweet Blues alb.28942701 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/7/4/2/1722478_170x170.jpg 2009-05-26 00:00:00.0 null true Jesus, Make Up My Dying Bed tra.28947556 193000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28947556&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.28947556&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2198115&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2198115 tra.2198115 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Creole Kings Of New Orleans Vol. 2 alb.314893 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/2/4/0/410424_170x170.jpg 1993-09-08 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Say Baby tra.2198115 137000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2198115&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2198115&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2174118&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Mon, 1 Jan 1990 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2174118 tra.2174118 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Sweeter As The Years Go By alb.162470 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/7/5/3/1333572_170x170.jpg 2005-06-21 00:00:00.0 1990-01-01 00:00:00.0 true I'm Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge tra.2174118 205000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2174118&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2174118&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151645&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2151645 tra.2151645 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Complete Blind Willie Johnson alb.229377 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/5/1265148_170x170.jpg 1993-04-27 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Praise God I'm Satisfied tra.2151645 193000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151645&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151645&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151637&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2151637 tra.2151637 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Complete Blind Willie Johnson alb.229377 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/5/1265148_170x170.jpg 1993-04-27 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true It's Nobody's Fault But Mine tra.2151637 191000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151637&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151637&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2122261&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Mon, 1 Jan 1990 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2122261 tra.2122261 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives & Steel alb.117510 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/9/5/3/1303591_170x170.jpg 1990-08-28 00:00:00.0 1990-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Dark Was The Night tra.2122261 201000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2122261&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2122261&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941735&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 1941735 tra.1941735 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Dark Was The Night alb.218031 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/6/1/5/1265161_170x170.jpg 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 1998-06-30 00:00:00.0 true It's Nobody's Fault But Mine tra.1941735 190000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941735&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.1941735&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151634&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2151634 tra.2151634 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Complete Blind Willie Johnson alb.229377 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/5/1265148_170x170.jpg 1993-04-27 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole tra.2151634 184000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151634&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2151634&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2529129&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 8 Mar 1994 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2529129 tra.2529129 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Gospel Sound alb.144681 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/8/1/4/1304181_170x170.jpg 1994-03-08 00:00:00.0 1994-03-08 00:00:00.0 true Nobody's Fault But Mine tra.2529129 191000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2529129&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2529129&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.3385732&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 9 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 3385732 tra.3385732 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: The Soul Of... alb.289548 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/7/6/9/1289672_170x170.jpg 2003-09-09 00:00:00.0 2003-09-09 00:00:00.0 true Soul Of A Man tra.3385732 195000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.3385732&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.3385732&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.22605052&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Sun, 2 Nov 2008 23:13:35 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 22605052 tra.22605052 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The History of the Blues alb.22598293 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/5/5/7/4/1374755_170x170.jpg 2008-09-16 00:00:00.0 null true Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground tra.22605052 202000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.22605052&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.22605052&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.333455&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Fri, 1 Jan 1993 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 333455 tra.333455 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Complete Blind Willie Johnson alb.229377 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/4/1/5/1265148_170x170.jpg 1993-04-27 00:00:00.0 1993-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Take Your Burden To The Lord And Leave It There tra.333455 177000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.333455&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.333455&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29611055&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 29611055 tra.29611055 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Roots Of Led Zeppelin alb.29606020 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/7/3/0/1770378_170x170.jpg 2009-09-01 00:00:00.0 2009-04-21 00:00:00.0 true Nobody's Fault But Mine tra.29611055 191000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29611055&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.29611055&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.14340546&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Mon, 4 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 14340546 tra.14340546 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 Gimme Dat Harp Boy - Roots Of The Captain alb.14329123 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/8/7/8/2/1012878_170x170.jpg 2002-11-04 00:00:00.0 2002-11-04 00:00:00.0 true You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond tra.14340546 188000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.14340546&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.14340546&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2122260&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss Acoustic Blues Mon, 1 Jan 1990 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Blind Willie Johnson on Rhapsody Online 2122260 tra.2122260 Blind Willie Johnson art.4048 0.99 The Slide Guitar: Bottles, Knives & Steel alb.117510 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/1/9/5/3/1303591_170x170.jpg 1990-08-28 00:00:00.0 1990-01-01 00:00:00.0 true God Don't Never Change tra.2122260 179000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2122260&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2122260&variant=data&rws=%2Fblind-willie-johnson%2Ftop-tracks.rss