Me and Mr. Jones (album)

Me and Mr. Johnson is the 16th studio album by Eric Clapton released in 2004. The album is a tribute to legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. According to Clapton's autobiography, the recordings weren't intended to become an album. The band had rented the studio, but Clapton didn't have any songs written, so he suggested they record Robert Johnson songs. They recorded enough songs for an album and it was decided to release them as such.

Critical reception
The album was warmly received by several critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that, apart from Riding with the King, that Me and Mr. Johnson was his greatest album since From the Cradle. Entertainment Weekly ' s Chris Willman said that Clapton sounded inspired by the songs. Darryl Sterdan, in his review of Sessions for Robert J for Jam! CANOE, feels that several of the DVD recordings sound better than the songs on Me and Mr. Johnson. The Uncut magazine reviewer felt that it made sense for Clapton to wait until he was older to make a Robert Johnson tribute album, that his voice sounds more the part of a bluesman on the album than on From the Cradle, and that the album has a good variety of songs. The USA Today review by Edna Gundersen gave the album a slightly higher rating than Aerosmith's Honkin' on Bobo and commented that Clapton's understanding of Robert Johnson's music made the recordings seem both "greasy" and "graceful".

Track listing
All songs written by Robert Johnson.


 * 1) "When You Got a Good Friend" – 3:20
 * 2) "Little Queen of Spades" – 4:57
 * 3) "They're Red Hot" – 3:25
 * 4) "Me and the Devil Blues" – 2:56
 * 5) "Traveling Riverside Blues" – 4:31
 * 6) "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" – 2:35
 * 7) "Stop Breakin' Down Blues" – 2:30
 * 8) "Milkcow's Calf Blues" – 3:18
 * 9) "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" – 4:06
 * 10) "Come on in My Kitchen" – 3:35
 * 11) "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day" – 3:27
 * 12) "Love in Vain" – 4:02
 * 13) "32-20 Blues" – 2:58
 * 14) "Hell Hound on My Trail" – 3:51

Personnel

 * Eric Clapton – guitar, slide guitar, vocals, producer
 * Lee Dickson – guitar technician
 * Andy Fairweather-Low – guitar
 * Doyle Bramhall II – guitar, slide guitar
 * Jerry Portnoy – harmonica
 * Billy Preston – organ
 * Chris Stainton - piano
 * Nathan East – bass
 * Steve Gadd – drums
 * Simon Climie – producer
 * Pino Palladino – bass on "Traveling Riverside Blues"
 * Jim Keltner – drums on "Traveling Riverside Blues"

Sessions for Robert J
Sessions for Robert J is the 17th studio album by English rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Clapton.In late 2004, a companion project, Sessions for Robert J, was released on CD/DVD. It features Clapton and the band performing additional takes of songs from Me and Mr. Johnson, as well as others not on the album, including "From Four 'Til Late", "Terraplane Blues", "Ramblin' on my Mind", "Sweet Home Chicago", and "Stones in my Passway". Several songs are performed in duet by Clapton on acoustic guitar and Doyle Bramhall II on steel string acoustic and dobro guitars. Between sessions, Clapton discusses Johnson's profound influence on him and other musicians. One notable segment features Clapton performing in the 508 Park Avenue building (http://508park.org) in Dallas, Texas, that served as a makeshift studio in 1937 for Johnson to cut his legendary recordings.

Track listing
All songs by Robert Johnson.

CD

 * 1) "Sweet Home Chicago" – 5:17
 * 2) "Milkcow's Calf Blues" – 3:49
 * 3) "Terraplane Blues" – 3:36
 * 4) "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day" – 3:23
 * 5) "Stop Breakin' Down Blues" – 2:56
 * 6) "Little Queen of Spades" – 5:27
 * 7) "Traveling Riverside Blues" – 4:26
 * 8) "Me and the Devil Blues" – 2:50
 * 9) "From Four Until Late" – 3:01
 * 10) "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" – 5:39
 * 11) "Ramblin' on My Mind" – 2:42

DVD

 * 1) "Kind Hearted Woman Blues"
 * 2) "They're Red Hot"
 * 3) "Hell Hound on My Trail"
 * 4) "Sweet Home Chicago"
 * 5) "When You Got a Good Friend"
 * 6) "Milkcow's Calf Blues"
 * 7) "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day"
 * 8) "Stop Breakin' Down Blues"
 * 9) "Terraplane Blues"
 * 10) "Hell Hound on My Trail"
 * 11) "Me and the Devil Blues"
 * 12) "From Four Until Late"
 * 13) "Love in Vain"
 * 14) "Ramblin' on My Mind"
 * 15) "Stones in My Passway"
 * 16) "Love in Vain"
 * 17) "Little Queen of Spades"
 * 18) "Traveling Riverside Blues"