Syl Johnson’s apple never fell far from that tree. From Robert Johnson’s midnight bargain with the devil at the crossroads near Dockery Plantation to Bo Diddley’s divergent claims about the origin of his name, fabrication is fully ingrained in blues tradition. The blues was always a genre riddled with myth and legend-its half-truths muttered on sun-baked Mississippi porches have long-since morphed into biographical foundations. Resolving his life story for this collection became an exercise in patience and diligence, as we chased the rabbit through even more big-hole 45s than bear his name. His date of birth and place of birth, his surname change from Thompson to Johnson, the murky beginnings of the Twinight record label-Syl Johnson weaves them all into one convoluted narrative, a daunting challenge for historians and fans alike to follow. “Back up, hold on, slow down… Wu Tang, Kid Rock, Michael Jackson… Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Jones….” Johnson has a habit of insisting that everything printed before-every verbatim transcript read directly back to him-is a blatant misquote or misunderstanding…and sometimes both. Laced with that unique brand of bravado, the Syl Johnson interview tends to veer toward harrowing voyages through interruption, correction, and deliberate obfuscation. I rate right at the top, though I’ve been underrated all my life.” If I’d gone pop, you’d be talkin’ about me, not them. More soul than Marvin, more funk than James. “I made my opportunities, but I never got the breaks I should have gotten. Was it because he’s black? Not likely, though his inability to crossover to the pop charts never did him any favors. Something, someone, and sometimes-if you believe his lyrics-the sole of a shoe was holding him back. all within his reach, and yet never in his hands. #1 on the charts, top billing on the marquee, Hall of Fame inductions, tearful tributes. To hear him tell it, Syl Johnson could have been as big as James Brown or Al Green. “I wanna be somebody so bad, but you keep on putting your foot on me.” South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (USD $).
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