That this album has been out of print for a decade is absolutely staggering.
This was the second of the John Lee Hooker ‘comeback’ albums – essentially the Blues industry rediscovering one of its greatest and most original artists – and won both a Grammy and chart success for ‘In The Mood’. It has also been rated at #424 in the ‘1000 best albums of all time’ chart.
The album features a host of artists coming out to support Hooker – Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Los Lobos, Charlie Musselwhite, George Thorogood – yet somehow, and with some great contributions. the brooding voice and presence of Hooker is all you really take from the album. He was 73 when this was recorded but still has the same perfect sense of pace and timing as he ever did.
Every track sounds as fresh as it did back when this was first released (1989) but it also fits in to the Hooker canon as though it was recorded back in the fifties.
Personal favourites abound: the horn laden and jumping ‘Think Twice Before You Go’ featuring Los Lobos, or ‘I’m In The Mood’ with Bonnie Raitt playing some ‘sexy as hell’ slide guitar as well as backing Hooker on vocals. ‘Sally Mae’ has George Thorogood on guitar and the track sounding raw and spare like a throwback to his ‘Boogie Chillun’ period in the forties and fifties. ‘Rockin’ Chair’ is probably my favourite, just Hooker singing and playing, no supporting artists, just pure Blues.
This reissue sounds sumptuous with the vinyl getting the 180gm treatment and it really should be in any collection of Blues music.
This was the second of the John Lee Hooker ‘comeback’ albums – essentially the Blues industry rediscovering one of its greatest and most original artists – and won both a Grammy and chart success for ‘In The Mood’. It has also been rated at #424 in the ‘1000 best albums of all time’ chart.
The album features a host of artists coming out to support Hooker – Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Los Lobos, Charlie Musselwhite, George Thorogood – yet somehow, and with some great contributions. the brooding voice and presence of Hooker is all you really take from the album. He was 73 when this was recorded but still has the same perfect sense of pace and timing as he ever did.
Every track sounds as fresh as it did back when this was first released (1989) but it also fits in to the Hooker canon as though it was recorded back in the fifties.
Personal favourites abound: the horn laden and jumping ‘Think Twice Before You Go’ featuring Los Lobos, or ‘I’m In The Mood’ with Bonnie Raitt playing some ‘sexy as hell’ slide guitar as well as backing Hooker on vocals. ‘Sally Mae’ has George Thorogood on guitar and the track sounding raw and spare like a throwback to his ‘Boogie Chillun’ period in the forties and fifties. ‘Rockin’ Chair’ is probably my favourite, just Hooker singing and playing, no supporting artists, just pure Blues.
This reissue sounds sumptuous with the vinyl getting the 180gm treatment and it really should be in any collection of Blues music.
