Critic's Review
Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
Robert Johnson may not have been as innovative in the country blues field as many people think, but as one of the last of the great Delta players to record, he brought a late-era refinement to his material, and with striking songs like "Stones in My Passway," "Cross Road Blues," and "Love in Vain," he certainly deserves his lofty position in the early blues canon. All three of these songs are included on Guitar & Bass, but other essential Johnson cuts like "Hellhound on My Trail" and the stately "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" are missing. There is really no reason not to simply pick up the double-disc Complete Recordings on Columbia. It has the best sound, the best liner notes, and everything is there, alternate takes and all.
