Rory Block - Crossroads Blues

[MadGuitarJunior]

if you compare Eric CLaptons version of this song

to this one

you will see

that he is a pussy

[nickcg]

reborn robert johnson oO? ahahahha

[wernerkonings]

man, she is good!

[Guitarorpheo]

5 people have sold their souls already.

[surfstomp]

You ain't groovin if you ain't movin!

[gusrg550]

You've really catch the robert jhonson rythim!

[MegaNavek]

i love this woman....please come to england..so i can propose...x

[hoopteechooptee]

A true blues musician would not be having the silly debate Audio and Ciano are having. Like all blues, R&B, rock, country, metal and so on, it's not always about what note you hit and when, it's about your passion getting to the note.

[IpCrackle]

@hoopteechooptee true that, my friend.

[dominicmmarasco]

blues can be simple ,yet complicated, feeling someones pain can sometimes lighten your own.It's more about feeling then a musical structure. But she is good ,don't she look a bit like Darryl Hannah?

[Audiodemonz]

This isnt true blues........ You are way to excited and taking it way to hard. Blues is nice and easy and sad.... Blues is a good man feelin' sorry for himself. You put a country attitude twords it. Wrong type of emotional projection of music.

[ciano15]

@Audiodemonz just stop.... you have no idea what blues is.. or country for that matter. country music is basically the same as blues music. go listen to some REAL delta blues. Sounds pretty much like this.... an out of tune guitar, slide, and simple lyrics about having the blues... go listen to some ROBERT JOHNSON and stop acting like some kind of music scholar.

[Audiodemonz]

@ciano15 Fag. I am voicing my musical opinion and country and blues arnt the same thing you fucking idiot if they where why are they different genre? If you knew anything at all it is that rock and all the other genre's are branches from blues. That dosnt make it blues. Thats like saying classical renisance is equvilant to modern metal because they both use the same keys. Fucking idiot. Blues is based off of a pentatonic progression and its arpeggios.New genres are varitions of a previous prog.

[ciano15]

@Audiodemonz modern blues music is based off progressions and scales, the old delta blues music(which came first) is based off of what sounds good. any jackass can get a scholarship for music, i know people in my college band program who suck and are getting scholarships... but they arent music MAJORS. so they arent taking music history, music literature, or theory. youre probably just one of those fags thinking they know something. ignorant fuck. daring to say robert johnson music isnt blues...

[ciano15]

@Audiodemonz BTW, opinions usually involve words like "i think", "i believe" or "i like". stating something in a factual way like "This isnt true blues" is not an opinion, its a jackass who thinks that his opinion is fact. Too bad video cameras werent around when the original people played these songs.... if you think shes excited, you have no clue. those old blues players would be crying and breaking things while they played. i know... i learned about it in music history.

[Audiodemonz]

@ciano15 BTW I am getting a music scolarship at the end of my semester... So kind of am some kinda music scholar? Idk man get yo shit together.

[ciano15]

@Audiodemonz oh and you obviously suck ass at guitar. so i really hope that "scholarship" is for a different instrument or something, because where i come from, people who play like that would never get any kind of scholarship. get better and get educated before you go disrespecting great people like this woman. she would play circles around you.

[IpCrackle]

She just sucks you in as soon as she starts jammin'...

[TheSvenien]

Wish i remeber all Lyrics like you ..On English :)

[JoeWhy1]

damn! she even makes tuning sound good!! that's a true sign of the greats

[whitecranecanada]

wow!!



[SupernalOne]

she would have played well with Rory Gallagher; and they both would have enjoyed it

[wendellhoff]

She slides real smooth with a 11/16 socket

[jwaldron0071]

John Hammond would surely approve. You're the greatest, baby

[aerycksmusic]

Serious mood, I love it. Thanks for sharing this with us. 

[Ylviste]

Too bad about her selling her soul and all, but it seems to me she made a good deal.

[sdenny]

fantastic live performance , you would believe that this woman is in her sixties (62) .

great great great !!!

[caesarhauntsbrutus]

Maybe the best "Crossroads" cover ever ! Not to change the subject, but ....will you marry me ?!

[zzacksback]

I  LOVE HER !!!!

[richardcorysghost]

Shes great, you're right.

The background to the song (as told by Scott Ainslie), is important

With a curfew on blacks being out after dark, musicians and audiences had to go home through the woods - get caught by the local sherrif, landowner or the Klan (often the same guys) and you were in serious danger - The song crackles with the feelings of danger and uncertainty which no doubt Johnson himself experienced.

We can never truly appreciate what it was like to be a Bluesman back then!

[johnny4blues]

fantastic!! she's so great in all respects that I would advice Mr J.Mayer to take a close look at her. A real musician, gifted with talent and so expressive..... Thanks for sharing this!

[OsamaTheMamaLama]

i really wish i had money. i wouldn't usually pay for music but she is really amazing. I hope she has a website or a mailing address or something. i really have to let her know.

[nickypeeps]

@OsamaTheMamaLama you couldn't muster up like ten bucks to send to her? compliments don't pay the rent. and if "i wouldn't usually pay for music," means that you just download it for free illegally, then art really is dead

[speakwhnspkn2]

've been reading about this lady for over twenty years in various guitar publications, but never heard her until now. I wasn't disappointed. This lady is the real deal. This is the epitome of musicianship. One lady sitting down with just an acoustic guitar and her voice. These young fly-by-nights could certainly learn something about perseverance and longevity from this lady. And also about staying true to one's self, instead of forsaking your vision just to sell records.

[whiteaxxxe]

@speakwhnspkn2, many thanks for pointing this out. exactly this is the point. she IS the music when she is playing. THIS IS IT!

[speakwhnspkn2]

've been reading about this lady for over twenty years in various guitar publications, but never heard her until now. I wasn't disappointed. This lady is the real deal. This is the epitome of musicianship. One lady sitting down with just an acoustic guitar and her voice. These young fly-by-nights could certainly learn something about perseverance and longevity from this lady. And also about staying true to one's self, instead of forsaking your vision just to sell records.

[thallassocracy]

Rory Block can get more music out of an acoustic guitar than comes out of most electric five piece bands.

But then - so could Robert Johnson.

[rockminister2007]

The lady is spankin' that Martin .. lawdy mercy

[johndoe5743]

hell yeaaahh! :) ... If I am goin' to hell... I am goin' there playin' the blueeeesss :)

[Wshuwrhr]

I first saw Rory in 1998 in Chester, NY, I have been in awe of this woman ever since. She is one of the greatest singers, song writers and guitarists you've never heard of or just never heard.

All of her music is on iTunes and is a must for anyone who truly loves the blues.

[woodie62]

Damn, she's choppin it up!!! Don't need no pick, na. . . Gimme my five digits pleezzz!!!

[TheRedGryphon]

Wow! This lady can play!

[FromChelsea]

I saw Rory Block at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival about 12 years ago or so and I recall just sitting there mesmerized. It was really an amazing, pure, and powerful performance.

[toomuchrose]

how to murder the blues LOL

it's crap.

[unobadhombre]

@toomuchrose WHAT A MORON! too much rose is right, I have had enough of this moron! 2muchrose wouldn't know the blues if it jumped up and bit him in the ass!

[toomuchrose]

@unobadhombre Yeah right, you know best. Just because she can play the guitar parts (way too fast) don't make it good blues. Her singing just doesn't cut it. I applaud her for giving it shot though.

[Oliveirex1]

@toomuchrose ??????????? can you play that slide guitar?????????????????

let's do this way! how about you explain what is blues for you? can you explain when and how she murdered the blues? I am pretty sure you are the smartest person regarding to blues, I hope you can answer my humble questions, I am sure you will, because you know a lot about the blues... do not disappoint me, fella :)

[GoingCamando20]

@toomuchrose if you're saying she murdered the blues then you're saying robert johnson murdered the blues that's almost close to what exactly he played so you need to learn the blues my friend

[aswtx75]

God that was so awesome! This was the first song I learned to play on guitar (I was obsessed with R.J. for a couple of years) but I never could get that assaulting, driving quality he had to his playing.

[PHJimY]

Rory was about 58 years old when this was made. She has aged well.

[PHJimY]

I love it. I had an LP that Rory and Stepjhan Grossman put out about 40 years ago called How To Play Blues Guitar. I think Rory was bout 15 years old and already a major blues guitar player.

[grokei]

Al mlati u pičku materinu...

[madogblue]

I could connect with Cory on this one, Nice.

[bluesdog88]

Love it!!! Any artist who gets into what they're doing has my utmost respect..

[elpanchito421]

I'm a blues purist, and hate a lot of modern "bastardised" blues, but this is just fantastic. Rory really feels it.

[Ridller]

no shit sherlock!

[kanaima23]

I don't like that

[dontfitinnobox]

nice sure would like to set some harp to this ^5

[rrrrockin]

Hi Im rockin and you are" very nice "and if your in vanc BC can we jam together ,,or have a coffee ?? xo Rob 45 and honest ...peace

[vaibanez17]

How can you say someone "never gets close to the real thing" ??? A statement like this would imply that you think a true cover would be note for note without a hint of originality or personality. Do you really think a person should completely become the other person when covering songs because if that were the case we wouldn't have Clapton's Crossroads cover or Nirvana's cover of Leadbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night...People, Let her do her thing and don't hate originality and flavor!

[checkmybigboobs]

The real thing happened long time ago..those Missisippi guys were from a special american history and nobody gets close to those guys...this girl is damn good though and she has charisma also..very nice combo!

[crazyrabbit84]

Rory does a nice job. But she never gets close to the real thing. If you really want to feel the blues and you are not an audio freak, go to those old records: Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James and some Howlin Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (I & II) and Lightnin´ Hopkins. Listen carefuly and you´ll begin to get close to the real thing. Anyway, let Rory keep trying. I think she still has to find her own voice.

[thailow117]

quite a few people here that demand 'the blues' for themselves, eh?

quite a shame. it's a thin line between hardliner and music lover. i personally appreciate rory's work. whatever, i shouldn't have commented ayways.

[DelsFan]

I appreciate the comment. It seems like the "real" Delta Blues artists only recorded many years ago. And I'll get a couple of their CD's so I can hear and learn about the genre. If there are artists recording something similar to the Delta Blues today I'd like to know about them. (Similar, like The Brian Setzer Orchestra is similar to swing, but offends the swing purists.) Thanks for the help, and Peace.

[DelsFan]

OK all you flamethrowers. Or dipsh!its... I'm new to the blues and I love listening to people playing slide guitar... I appreciate hearing what Robert Johnson and Son House really sounded like, BUT I don't want to spend hours upon hours listening to tinny 1937 recordings transferred to CD.

So, Please Tell Me: What current bluesy slide guitar artist should I be listening to if not Rory Block?

[thefringthing]

If you don't want to listen to hours upon hours of tinny 1937 recordings, the Delta Blues may not be your thing.

You could always try the "bad blues", with saxophones and keyboards and crap.

[vaibanez17]

you're talking about city blues and urban blues which have popularized the airwaves the last 50 years...to call this bad blues is to say that players who used them are bad musicians...and you'd be dead wrong and a laughing stock to the real blues musicians who love the style like Buddy Guy, BB King, Albert King, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters and others who used it in their careers...the blues is not about what instruments you se, it's about how you make them sing your emotions in I-IV-V style

[hhbluesfan]

You all must be quite youthful (not like me)!  You might try checking out Johhny Winter, although his is not a delta genre.

[keepingitrandom]

Rory Block's art is transcendent.She embodys the complete spirit of the blues.What she does goes WAY beyond that of "performance".Hers is an incantation like that of the authentic blues artists that have gone before her.

[bodiespizza]

good, bad or indifferent. When she's palying this, I just want to dive in and let her crush my head between her legs. den she be singin' sumpin fo sho....play it Rory

[MarijnvdZaag]

eh?

[brewereric]

people are so dam stupid.....u go rory they wished they had your skillz....lol u have a good ear for the music i hold dear to my heart. besides im thinking robert johnson is really diggin your effort of keeping it alive...reguardless of who likes it or not. those boys are so insecure cause im sure no one asked for their fuckin opinion.....lol and im a man....go figure....peace babygirl do youd dam thing

[Doobierollerz]

Thanks alot for screwing up a blues legend. You went to the what? The 'Troj' roads?

[hoopercraig]

Dude—you hit the nail on the head. The "trog" roads. Check out my other comments on her RJ covers. Her guitar playing is incredible, but this is forced, whiny, mumbled horseshit. People freak when I leave comments like this on her clips, but sorry—she sounds like she's got a bad cold, and not matter how hard she tries, she always sounds like a white lady trying way to hard, and playing way to fast...

Sorry Rory, you ain't meeting anyone at the crossroads, and you don't know Willie Brown...

[pacificnorthwester]

@hoopercraig +1

[badboyboogie20080212]

*b*l*u*e*s

[lenaspieltblues]

She alway was and will be one of my very first guitar player favorites. Very good video, thanks a lot for sharing this :=))

[jimblues21]

great playing and good feel,Thanks man

[parapedal1]

Rory plays this amazingly, I'd give my soul to see her live!