Artist: John Lee Hooker Release Date: 1992
Format: CD Record Label: MCA Records (USA)
Genre: Blues UPC: D101958
Sub-Genre: Acoustic
NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
BEST OF JOHN LEE HOOKER
Track listing
1. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
2. Decoration Day
3. Back Biters and Syndicators
4. Doin' The Shout - (with Steve Miller)
5. Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive - (with Van Morrison)
6. I'm In The Mood
7. Mr. Lucky
8. I'm Bad Like Jesse James - (live, with Muddy Waters Band)
9. Shake It Baby
10. Bluebird - (with Tower Of Power)
11. Motor City Is Burning, The
12. It Serves You Right To Suffer
13. Think Twice Before You Go
14. House Rent Boogie - (with Steve Miller)
15. Waterfront, The
16. Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang
Details
Playing time: 72 min.
Contributing artists: Eddie Taylor, Elvin Bishop, Milt Hinton, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Steve Miller, Tower Of Power, Van Morrison
Distributor: Universal Distribution
Recording type: Mixed
Recording mode: Stereo
SPAR Code: AAD
Album notes
Personnel includes: John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters (guitar, vocals); Van Morrison (vocals); Elvin Bishop, Steve Miller, Eddie Burns, Eddie Kirkland, Eddie Taylor, Barry Galbraith, Wayne Bennett, Dan Alexander, Paul Asbell, Sammy Lawhorn, Luther Johnson, Hollywood Fats, Jim Kahr (guitar); Louis Myers, Dave Barger, Jeff Carp (harmonica); Emilio Castillo, Lenny Pickett (tenor saxophone); Steve Kupka (baritone saxophone); Greg Adams (trumpet); Mic Gillette (trumpet, trombone); Otis Spann, Mark Naftalin (piano); Clifford Coulter (Hohner Clavinet, electric piano, Moog bass); Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (keyboards); Robert Hooker (organ); Milt Hinton, Gino Skaggs, Phil Upchurch, Mac Arnold (bass); David "Panama" Francis, Al Duncan, Ken Swank, Roosevelt Shaw, Francis Clay (drums).
Producers: Ralph Bass, Bob Thiele, Al Smith, Bill Szymczyk, Ed Michel.
Reissue producer: Andy McKaie.
Recorded between November 1965 and May 1974. Includes liner notes by Colin Escott.
Digitally remastered by Robert Stoughton (MCA Studios, N. Hollywood, California).
In the '60s and early '70s, Hooker experienced an enormous surge in popularity as folk and rock audiences began to discover the joys of traditional blues. Though the days of Hooker's classic Chess sides-which featured only the bluesman's raw voice, wiry, distorted electric guitar, and a rhythm track consisting of Hooker's foot pounding a miked 2x4-were long gone, the artist had attained a new fluency with full backing bands.
The tunes included here are culled from some of Hooker's finest '60s releases, including IT SERVES YOU RIGHT TO SUFFER, THE REAL FOLK BLUES, and URBAN BLUES. The disc is packed with favorites-"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," "I'm In The Mood," "House Rent Boogie," and an incendiary live version of "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" that features the mind-boggling line-up of Otis Spann on piano and Muddy Waters, Sammy Lawhorn, and Luther Johnson on guitars. Many of the sessions, in fact, are studded with stars, as Elvin Bishop, Steve Miller, and even Van Morrison (who duets with Hooker on "Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive") all put in appearances. This set is probably the finest single disc introduction to Hooker's work from this period.
Editorial reviews
...This filleting of the years from 1965 to 1974 includes his pointed, poignant 'Motor City is Burning' as covered by the MC5...
Mojo (10/01/2001)
4 Stars - Excellent - ...over 70 minutes of high-octane moaning from Hooker's more coherent catalogue...the set stands up well for both blues anthologists and '60s enthusiasts alike...
Q (08/01/1993)
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