Gold

Performer: John Lee Hooker
Artist: Canned Heat; Van Morrison; Carlos Santana; Bonnie Raitt
Producer: Ed Michel; Jim Gaines; Al Smith; Orrin Keepnews; Ralph Bass; Roy Rogers; Bob Thiele; Carlos Santana; Andy McKaie (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: John Lee Hooker (vocals, guitar); Van Morrison (vocals, guitar); Bonnie Raitt (vocals, slide guitar); Joseph Barry Galbraith, Eddie Kirkland, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Eddie Taylor, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Muddy Waters, Randy California, Sammy Lawhorn, Wayne Bennett, Roy Rogers , Lefty Bates, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana (guitar); Elvin Bishop (slide guitar); Alan Wilson , Louis Myers (harmonica); Ivory Joe Hunter, Bob Thurman, Lafayette Leake, Mark Naftalin, Otis Spann (piano); Robert Hooker, Booker T. Jones (organ); Chester Thompson (keyboards, synthesizer); David "Panama" Francis, Richard G. Johnson, Francis Clay, Fred Below, Ken Swank, Scott Matthews, Bruce Grey, Al Duncan , Louis Hayes, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Benny Benjamin (drums); Armando Peraza (congas); Jos� Chepit� Areas (timbales). Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl. Recording information: Chicago, IL (11/03/1948-07/??/1993); Detroit, MI (11/03/1948-07/??/1993); Los Angeles, CA (11/03/1948-07/??/1993); New York, NY (11/03/1948-07/??/1993); San Francisco, CA (11/03/1948-07/??/1993); Sausalito, CA (11/03/1948-07/??/1993). Photographers: David Gahr; Val Wilmer; Jan Persson; Paul Natkin. John Lee Hooker never abandoned his raw, gut bucket Mississippi-Delta-comes-to-the-city approach to the blues throughout his fifty-year career, and if he got a tad bit slicker towards the end of that career, it was only a tad and only by degree. There are innumerable Hooker collections on the market, and this two-disc set wouldn't be anything particularly special except that it actually charts through his entire history, beginning with the ageless "Boogie Chillen," which was recorded in 1948 and topped the R&B charts for Modern Records in 1949, through "Tupelo," which was recorded in 1993 and released on the Pointblank LP Chill Out in 1995. In between these two are most of Hooker's essential tracks, including 1949's "Crawlin' King Snake" from Modern, 1962's "Boom Boom" from Vee-Jay Records, 1964's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" from Chess and "The Healer" from 1989's Chameleon Records LP of the same title that paired Hooker with various musical celebrity guests like Bonnie Raitt and Carlos Santana and gave Hooker yet another opportunity to trot out his amazingly durable song catalog. A single-disc of either Hooker's Modern or Vee-Jay sides would probably deliver more quality John Lee bang for the buck, but the historical sweep of this collection, which truly spans Hooker's whole career (which admittedly didn't vary a whole lot), gives it a good deal of added credence. ~ 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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