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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2019 8:49:05 GMT
As a side issue, I believe Cerys also gave a shout out to forum member Ajay on her show last night. TT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2019 9:23:54 GMT
I'll wait to hear the opinions of those who bought the book but having listened to the aptly named Mr.ConForth's interview my blood pressure is way off the scale due to the large pinch of salt I took. Here's a bit from RJ's Wiki page "The 1991 documentary The Search for Robert Johnson by John Hammond, Jr. was another attempt to document his life, and demonstrated the difficulties arising from the scant historical record and conflicting oral accounts". Definitive? Hmmm. Not often you hear it said but I suspect Wikipedia has published the most accurate,if briefest,biography.
(Yes -- another miserable old slide player)
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Post by jono1uk on Jun 11, 2019 9:46:31 GMT
mmm Mr Conforth claims that Son House never said that "Robert must of sold his soul to the devil to be able to play like that" ..wondering how he can categorically say that seeing that Son died over 30 years ago..
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Post by jono1uk on Jun 11, 2019 22:44:06 GMT
Damn you RJ ..All this interest has "forced" me to crack open the whisky and practice "Me and The Devil Blues" on the parlour.
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Post by blueshome on Jun 12, 2019 12:31:06 GMT
There seems a lot of cynicism here.
Both the authors are respected researchers and field workers and their work is supported by documentation and references and has been peer reviewed. They are about as far away from the Steve La Vere money machine as possible. The book has been warmly welcomed by many other respected blues researchers.
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 12, 2019 13:18:41 GMT
Phil,
I would be very happy to be proved wrong and find that I learn more about this extraordinary artist.
The reason for my cynicism is, as you well know, due to the constant flow of products and rumours that are mostly created to sell more RJ to us in various ways. It has always been about the publishing in most of these that I know of.
I might have to eat my hat!
Shine On Michael
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Jun 12, 2019 13:35:11 GMT
Both the authors are respected researchers and field workers and their work is supported by documentation and references and has been peer reviewed. They are about as far away from the Steve La Vere money machine as possible. The book has been warmly welcomed by many other respected blues researchers. Thanks Phil. That, in a nutshell, is why I bought the book. - and I will only comment further when I have read it.
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Post by jono1uk on Jun 14, 2019 10:04:13 GMT
ok so earlier in the week i asked Bruce Conforth the following question and this morning he replied;
"Good morning..Bruce . interesting interview with yourself on Radio 2 last night here in the UK. I was wondering how you categorically know that Son House didn't claim that Robert sold his soul to the devil as widely claimed?"
Answer below:
"Because there are absolutely no documented reports that he did. Pete Welding made that up in his early House interview, and neither I, nor Dick Waterman ever heard Son say that. Johnny Shines, who knew Robert far better than Son did, also said that Robert never said it, as did Robert Lockwood. We have no evidence from any credible witness that Robert ever said it.
Now, having said that, is it possible that some night, many decades ago, while drunk or something, Son may have said it! Sure, anything is possible. But evidence for such an event simply does not exist. Our book was not based on what might have been possible, but rather what we were able to prove, and we could not prove that Son ever said it. No one we interviewed, knew, or read about ever claimed Son said that except for Welding, and that was a fabrication."
Jon.
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Post by tallsailor on Jun 14, 2019 11:59:23 GMT
... which doesn't answer your question. The assertion may well be correct, but absence of evidence isn't proof. Only SH's denial would (possibly) constitute that.
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Post by slide496 on Jun 14, 2019 12:51:49 GMT
ok so earlier in the week i asked Bruce Conforth the following question and this morning he replied; "Good morning..Bruce . interesting interview with yourself on Radio 2 last night here in the UK. I was wondering how you categorically know that Son House didn't claim that Robert sold his soul to the devil as widely claimed?" Answer below: "Because there are absolutely no documented reports that he did. Pete Welding made that up in his early House interview, and neither I, nor Dick Waterman ever heard Son say that. Johnny Shines, who knew Robert far better than Son did, also said that Robert never said it, as did Robert Lockwood. We have no evidence from any credible witness that Robert ever said it. Now, having said that, is it possible that some night, many decades ago, while drunk or something, Son may have said it! Sure, anything is possible. But evidence for such an event simply does not exist. Our book was not based on what might have been possible, but rather what we were able to prove, and we could not prove that Son ever said it. No one we interviewed, knew, or read about ever claimed Son said that except for Welding, and that was a fabrication." Jon. That statement right there from Conforth would make me very leery about reading the book, to me it blurs the line between fact and opinion. Offering The speculation on the actual state of Son House when, according to Conforth, House might have said something does not adhere to any kind of "what we were able to prove" standard. I wonder how much of the book is like that - full of nis "authoroitative researcher" conjectures.
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Post by jono1uk on Jun 14, 2019 13:09:26 GMT
yup ..he says above" I, nor Dick Waterman ever heard Son say that" yet page 3 of the book states that Son house( amongst others) were never personally interviewed"
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Post by slide496 on Jun 14, 2019 13:23:10 GMT
yup ..he says above" I, nor Dick Waterman ever heard Son say that" yet page 3 of the book states that Son house( amongst others) were never personally interviewed" !!! Careless.
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Post by jono1uk on Jun 14, 2019 14:02:03 GMT
i went back for clarification ... conversation below.. Me: i get ya .. but u state in the book that Son was never" personally Interviewed ".also in John Hammond's "Search" film there are other references to it being said ..not by Son ..
Bruce:
Those "references" are specious at best... Willie Mae Powell said Honeyboy told her... That's secondary and not very reliable, especially since Honeyboy changed his story so many times... Sometimes he said Robert said it, other times he said Robert never said it... Queen Elizabeth, according to the people who were there, was really drunk when she was interviewed... Not terribly reliable... The point us we never found a single "credible" account of Robert actually saying it to anyone... People may want to believe he said it but in literally hundreds of interviews with people who knew him we didn't find one credible account of him doing so... We knew that there would always be people who want to believe it no matter what evidence there is... Just like there will always be people who believe we never landed on the moon, or who believe the Earth is flat.. but there is simply no credible evidence that Robert or Son ever said it Look, I spoke to Son on several occasions and asked him directly and he always said Robert never told him that
Me: ok fine but page 3 of you book states i quote" Musicians or friends of Robert we never personally interviewed but who new him include Son House ,Henry Townsend" thats why i asked
Bruce: That's in the acknowledgements... I spoke to Son many times but never actually "interviewed" him... There's a scholarly difference You and I are having a conversation but I would never call this an interview
I wish I HAD interviewed Son, with a take recorder or even just taking notes, but it was usually just two guys having a short chat There are lots of people I knew i wish I had formally interviewed:. Muddy, B.B., John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, etc... But in those days they were just friends and it just seemed odd to "interview" them I heard Son tell the story about Robert just being a little boy who couldn't play at least a half dozen times... Knowing what I know now I could kick myself for not asking for more clarification... But at that time I was happy just to listen to him spin his tales.
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Post by bonzo on Jun 14, 2019 14:43:21 GMT
Jono, let it go mate.
Best wishes to you all, John
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Post by jono1uk on Jun 14, 2019 14:57:38 GMT
Jono, let it go mate. Best wishes to you all, John I have .. now he has clarified it ..
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