That's Where It's At!

Performer: John Lee Hooker
Engineer: Ron Albert
Producer: Henry Stone
Distributor: Fantasy (distributor)

Notes: Personnel: John Lee Hooker (vocals, guitar). Includes liner notes by Milton "Butterball" Smith. Digitally remastered by Kirk Felton (1990, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT finds Hooker settling into elder statesman status without sacrificing an ounce of the quiet intensity that made him one of the most riveting blues artists of the 20th century. He opens things up by playing mentor on "Teachin' the Blues," an unusual, absorbing track where he talks about the derivation and practical application of his distinctive guitar sound. The driving beat and ominous riffs of "My Love Comes Down For You" are classic Hooker, combining passion with an unsettling ferocity of intent. "Two White Horses" is one of Hooker's many death-obsessed songs--a chilling allegory in which his guitar imitates the death knell of a church bell as he begins to tell his affecting tale. This is a solid, unforgettable album.

Q (11/92, p.133) - 3 Stars - Good - "..Stark and sensuous, this is the blues at its most subterranean.."

John Lee Hooker is the most elemental of the electric blues giants. His spooky musical minimalism--plaintive yet powerful vocals coupled with guitar work alternately haunting and toe-tapping--has inspired countless artists, from contemporaries like Slim Harpo to acolytes the Rolling Stones. Few, however, can summon up the inexplicable erotic charge at the heart of Hooker's best performances. The patented "boogie" rhythm upon which seemingly every blues-rock and hard rock band of the 1970s wrought variations was virtually invented by Hooker. One of the most-recorded post-war bluesmen, Hooker released records on countless labels, working much of the time in Detroit and Chicago. He kept working well into his eighties, his style growing ever more refined and penetrating.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25