Exactly what you were hoping for, give or take.

Updated July 30, 2012 because while the original online source of the article apparently did not make their Kickstarter goal, Ted Gioia has a knack for making sure you can still find his stuff.

Did Robert Johnson sell his soul to the devil in exchange for guitar lessons, or didn’t he? Over at Alibi Radio Silence, Ted Gioia does a very good job of explaining where such a story originated from in the first place (dirty, lying hippies!) at the same time as he makes a compelling case for the NAY side while 1) using the word ‘paucity,’ and 2) never once bothering with the most obvious reason it wouldn’t have gone that way (pssst! Because it COULDN’T have!)*.

And if you’ve never heard of Alibi, don’t feel bad, hipster. It’s pretty new and not everybody can be so completely on top of things as your friends here at the 68 Comeback Special. But, Neko Case is involved, and oh yeah, they’re trying to raise enough money over on Kickstarter to make themselves a reality, so if  you’ve got a little bit to contribute, hey, why not help? Unless you’d prefer they sell their souls to the devil?

*Then again, which is the more glamorous way to describe how you got good at playing the guitar – “I went down to the crossroads and made a deal with the devil himself” or “I stayed home and practiced”?