Original Folk Blues Of John Lee Hooker

Performer: John Lee Hooker
Engineer: Bill Lazerus
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Personnel: John Lee Hooker (vocals, guitar); Eddie Kirkland (vocals, guitar); John Hooks, Otis Finch (tenor saxophone); Bob Thurman, Boogie Woogie Red (piano); Buddy Johnson (organ); Thomas Whitehead (drums). Liner Note Author: Mike Akopoff. Recording information: Custom Records, Mfg. Co. This interesting release re-creates the look and contents of the 1964 Kent Records LP called Original Folk Blues of John Lee Hooker right down to the original sleeve art, and ups the ante by including a previously unreleased version of "Let Your Daddy Ride" as well as six other additional bonus tracks. Most of these cuts were recorded with Bernie Besman in Detroit in fascinatingly primitive fashion between 1948 and 1954, and were then shipped to the Bihari Brothers' Modern Records imprint for release as singles. Included here are Hooker's first versions of "Boogie Chillen'," "Crawlin' King Snake," and "Sally Mae," each of which is classic Hooker, as rough and raw as a Delta wind blowing shards of glass up the Detroit River. There are some odd experiments, too, like the spooky "Cold Chills," which features an absolutely huge-sounding organ played by Buddy Johnson and some eerie, multi-tracked vocals from Hooker, with the whole recording sounding like it was tracked in a massive cavern deep in the earth with a bank of thick fog rolling over everything. These Modern releases have appeared time and time again on various Hooker collections, but there is the feel of something special about this particular package. It's all ragged and delightfully unhinged, which is the only way to go with John Lee Hooker. ~ Steve Leggett

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.

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