Review of Hooker 'n Heat
1. Messin' With The Hook
2. The Feelin' Is Gone
3. Send Me Your Pillow
4. Sittin' Here Thinkin'
5. Meet Me In The Bottom
6. Alimonia Blues
7. Drifter
8. You Talk Too Muc
9. Burning Hell
10. Bottle Up And Go
11. The World Today
12. I Got My Eyes On You
13. Whiskey and Wimmen'
14. Just You And Me
15. Let's Make It
16. Peavine
17. Boogie Chillen No. 2
Released in 1970, this is a great example of "hippy blues". The first few songs on this album are strictly Hooker. Canned Heat joins in when they can but they let him run away with it. I imagine that they are in awe of him as they watch a legend right that in front of their eyes showing them the real blues. Stuff legends are made of. Hookers voice sounds great. And there is some small talk recoded between him and the band. The guitar playing by Hooker is flat out great as well. All the songs sound new and have a bite to them, though they are all remakes of older tunes. This is rugged blues. Blues of someone hurting. The blues that defines the blues. This is the blues that makes me want to play the blues. I often wonder what albums come out and inspires musicians and bands to play what they play. What makes them tick. And in this one, what happened to John Lee Hooker to make him hurt like this. This is an album I can hear someone say " This made me want to be a rock and roll star!"
There is a lot of back bone here. It's not your average everyday XXY blues songs. This is coffee and cigarettes blues. Getting over your girlfriend blues.
Canned Heat starts to really kick in on Drifter. The music picks up but the songs still hurt the soul. Sadly, radio stations won't play this. Instead, they stick with two songs from Canned Heat that have no guts to them. Typical. This is a band that has so much to offer. There are many bands from the hippy time period that claimed to play the blues but reality says "No!" Very few bands could play the blues, and those that did were following Canned Heat.
It is because of the limited songs and air play that they get that I held a unfavorable prejudice against them for practically my whole life. I owe a great deal of thank to YouTube and whoever posted their Woodstock videos.
Thusly , I found this gem of an album about three years ago. And I had been wondering why Canned Heat popped up every time I was searching for blues music.
The second half of the album is more upbeat in the play but not style. And the banter is a bit more frequent. How I wish I had been there.
This is my secret album. This is what I listen to on a long drive or when I'm just feeling blah. This is the album I tell everyone to buy if they love the blues. People that get it, GET IT.
It'll never be up in the rafters with Texas Flood, Live At The Regal, or Layla And Other Love Songs but is sure as heck should be.
As always, I'm listen to the album I'm writing about. And I keep dazing off listening to the music instead of writing. What a distraction.
Oddly, when people hear of John Lee Hooker, they think slow blues and drinking. And Canned Heat brings up images of the unwashed, long hair, anti-Vietnam Nam war, trouble makers and drum circles. This album disposes of those impressions. What you hear is completely professional musicians applying their trade to the best they can and blowing all others away. I have a few albums with the new kids playing with the old kids but this is by far the best of the best.
Here is a link to the complete album:
link