John Lee Hooker:

The Best Of:(1987)

John Lee Hooker was a different kind of cat. Never as flashy as some of his Blues peers, instead coming across as so Earthy and real that his feet seemed planted in the good dirt. His were down and dirty grooves that could be unrelenting. There wasn't the big guitar solos, instead there was a ditch diggin' groove for that sweet thundering voice to ride upon. There's no B.S. from a John Lee Hooker record. Also unlike some of peers, John Lee wasn't afraid to get political in his lyrics, tackling issues like race, and war in a down home way, almost like your Grandfather was talking to you. This is a nice overview kind of album.

Hooker 'N Heat:(1971)

Team a versatile powerhouse of a band like Canned Heat with someone they admire as much as John Lee Hooker, and you've got a seriously classic album on your hands. This album starts off with Hooker by himself playing, seemingly waiting for the band to show up. When they do the camaraderie and the music takes off like a steady rollin' plow. The production values on this album are killer, and take on a cinema verite/fly on the wall style that allows us to hear the conversations before and after songs. This makes for an intimate listening experience.  

One of my favorite quotes came when John Lee was asked why he almost always wore sunglasses on stage, and he replied, they hide the frequent tears that come when I play.

Canned Heat:

Boogie With Canned Heat:(1968)

The music of Canned Heat brings up memories of family vacations. I've said before, I'm lucky my folks had decent taste in music. There have been few white blues bands that could groove the way Canned Heat (in the original line-up) could. But what always seemed to set them apart was Bob Hite's amazing voice. The way he could go from gruff and gravel to high and sweet was otherworldly. Key songs here are Fried Hockey Boogie, and On The Road Again. As a side note, I'd like to say, Larry Taylor, alias 'The Mole', is one of my favorite Bass Players of all time, ha has made his presence known on many Tom Waits albums I hold dear.

Historical Figures And Ancient Heads:(1971)

Canned Heat suffered many line-up changes, all the way up to the present. On this album, only Bob Hite, Henry Vestine, and Aldolfo de la Parra are left from the original line-up, but that don't mean they can't still tear it up. Check out the lead off track, Sneakin' Around. Or how about, Rockin' With The King? That's Little Richard on piano. How about that?