God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson

by Blind Willie Johnson

Overview

God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson almost didn't happen. Though producer Jeffrey Gaskill assembled the award-winning collection You Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan in 2002, the narrowing focus of the recording industry made it necessary to undertake a Kickstarter campaign for this set to become reality. (The crown jewels for top contributors were ten cigar box guitars made from three boards acquired from one of Johnson's residences.) Gaskill first heard Johnson's haunting, knife-like slide guitar and moaning gospel-blues in 2003, then made two investigative trips to Texas to learn more. There wasn't much: Michael Corcoran's excellent historical liner essay here admits that what we don't know about Johnson "could sink the Titanic." The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Cowboy Junkies, Rickie Lee Jones, Luther Dickinson (with Sharde Thomas, granddaughter of blues godfather Othar Turner, and Amy LaVere), Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Maria McKee, and Sinead O'Connor (with Relish). God Don't Never Change is not necessarily about unique interpretations of Johnson's work, but his influence on these specific artists. Of Waits' two appearances, his reading of "The Soul of Man" is most effective, backed by Kathleen Brennan and son Casey. Williams (who issued two acoustic blues-inspired records on Folkways before her Rough Trade date in 1984) delivers the title cut and the oft-covered "Nobody's Fault But Mine" convincingly with her own band. The Cowboy Junkies sample Johnson's own growl on their spooky, melodic read of "Jesus Is Coming Soon." His ghost not only introduces the cut but duets with Margo Timmons on the refrain. The Blind Boys' take on "Motherless Children Have a Hard Time" remains true to their iconic gospel sound, but Jason Isbell's slide adds poignancy to that sweetness. Tedeschi, Trucks, and Mike Mattison on backing vocals offer a gutbucket "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning." Tedeschi displays ample evidence of Johnson's influence as a singer as well as guitarist. Sinead O'Connor and Relish offer an emotionally resonant, Celtic take on the Delta gospel-blues that rocks with "Trouble Will Soon Be Over." Maria McKee does a revivalist's read of "Let Your Light Shine on Me," and plays everything herself. Jones restores the searing lyrics that the 1792 hymn "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" was based on. Accompanied only by her guitar and Lee Thornburg's dubbed New Orleans-style funeral brass, her version is thoughtful rather than raucous, but remains raw and immediate. Most of the artists here are caucasians interpreting an African-American artist. That's not an oversight. When Gaskill produced the Dylan tribute, the only white performer was the man himself, dueting with Mavis Staples. This is the mirror image of that recording: like its predecessor, God Don't Never Change reflects the enduring, mercurial influence of the artist, but also the weight the Christian gospel imposes on questions of the human condition as it encounters suffering, joy, mercy, loneliness, death, and resurrection. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	02/26/2016
Label:	Alligator / Alligator Records
UPC:	0014551496823
Rank:	127319

Tracks

1. Soul of a Man  - Kathleen Brennan  - Karl Derfler  - Blind Willie Johnson  -  Traditional  - Casey Waits  - Tom Waits  - Jodie Wilson
2. It's Nobody¿¿¿s Fault But Mine  - David Bianco  - Butch Norton  - Tom Overby  - Doug Pettibone  - David Sutton  - Lucinda Williams
3. Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning  - Mike Mattison  - Mark Rivers  - Susan Tedeschi  - Bobby Tis  - Derek Trucks
4. Jesus Is Coming Soon  - Alan Anton  -  Cowboy Junkies  - Margo Timmins  - Michael Timmins  - Peter Timmins
5. Mother¿¿¿s Children Have a Hard Time  -  Blind Boys of Alabama  - Billy Bowers  - Jimmy Carter  - Chad Gamble  - Jimbo Hart  - Jason Isbell  - Peter Levin  - Jimmy Nutt  - Joey Williams
6. Trouble Will Soon Be Over  - Sinead O'Connor  - Carl Papenfus  - Joanne Papenfus  - Ken Papenfus  - Nicola Papenfus
7. Bye and Bye I¿¿¿m Going to See the King  - Luther Dickinson  - Kevin Houston  - Amy LaVere  -  Rising Star Fife & Drum Band  - Sharde Thomas
8. God Don¿¿¿t Never Change  - David Bianco  - Butch Norton  - Tom Overby  - Doug Pettibone  - David Sutton  - Lucinda Williams
9. John the Revelator  - Kathleen Brennan  - Karl Derfler  -  Traditional  - Casey Waits  - Tom Waits  - Jodie Wilson
10. Let Your Light Shine on Me  - Jim Akin  - Maria McKee
11. Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground  - Sheldon Gomberg  - Rickie Lee Jones  - Lee Thornburg

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Luther Dickinson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Derek Trucks   Primary Artist,Guitar,Handclapping
Rickie Lee Jones   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Tambourine
Sinead O'Connor   Primary Artist,Vocals
Maria McKee   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion
Cowboy Junkies   Primary Artist
Tom Waits   Primary Artist,Banjo,Vocals
Lucinda Williams   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Susan Tedeschi   Primary Artist,Vocals,Handclapping
The Blind Boys of Alabama   Primary Artist
Blind Willie Johnson   Primary Artist
Doug Pettibone   Guitar
Kathleen Brennan   Vocals (Background)
Michael Timmins   Guitar
Amy LaVere   Vocals,Bass (Upright)
Jason Isbell   Slide Guitar
Alan Anton   Bass
Margo Timmins   Vocals
Joey Williams   Guitar
The Rising Star Fife & Drum Band   Featured Artist
Lee Thornburg   Horn
Mark Rivers   Vocals,Handclapping
Butch Norton   Drums
Mike Mattison   Vocals,Handclapping
Peter Timmins   Drums
Carl Papenfus   Bass,Drums,Vocals (Background)
Sharde Thomas   Fife,Drums,Vocals
Chad Gamble   Drums
Jimmy Carter   Vocals
Jimbo Hart   Bass
Ken Papenfus   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Nicola Papenfus   Vocals (Background)
Joanne Papenfus   Vocals (Background)
Billy Bowers   Vocals
Peter Levin   Keyboards
Casey Waits   Drums
David Sutton   Bass

Technical Credits

Sheldon Gomberg   Engineer,Producer,Mixing
Toby Mountain   Mastering
Kathleen Brennan   Producer
Jim Akin   Mixing,Engineer
Rickie Lee Jones   Arranger
Karl Derfler   Engineer
Michael Timmins   Engineer,Producer
David Bianco   Mixing,Engineer
Jason Isbell   Producer
Lucinda Williams   Producer
Bobby Tis   Mixing,Engineer
Kevin Niemiec   Package Design
Jodie Wilson   Production Coordination
Michael B. Borofsky   Associate Producer
Jimmy Nutt   Mixing,Engineer
Jeffrey Gaskill   Producer,Liner Notes,Executive Producer
Tom Overby   Producer
Marc Burckhardt   Cover Illustration
Nicola Papenfus   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Mila Bagry   Executive Producer
Tom Waits   Arranger,Producer
Traditional   Composer
Blind Willie Johnson   Composer
Kevin Houston   Engineer
Casey Waits   Producer