The Best of John Lee Hooker 1965 to 1974

by John Lee Hooker

Product Description:

Personnel includes: John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters (guitar, vocals); Van Morrison (vocals); Elvin Bishop, Steve Miller, Eddie Burns, Eddie Kirkland, Eddie Taylor, Barry Galbraith, Wayne Bennett, Dan Alexander, Paul Asbell, Sammy Lawhorn, Luther Johnson, Hollywood Fats, Jim Kahr (guitar); Louis Myers, Dave Barger, Jeff Carp (harmonica); Emilio Castillo, Lenny Pickett (tenor saxophone); Steve Kupka (baritone saxophone); Greg Adams (trumpet); Mic Gillette (trumpet, trombone); Otis Spann, Mark Naftalin (piano); Clifford Coulter (Hohner Clavinet, electric piano, Moog bass); Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (keyboards); Robert Hooker (organ); Milt Hinton, Gino Skaggs, Phil Upchurch, Mac Arnold (bass); David "Panama" Francis, Al Duncan, Ken Swank, Roosevelt Shaw, Francis Clay (drums).

Producers: Ralph Bass, Bob Thiele, Al Smith, Bill Szymczyk, Ed Michel.

Reissue producer: Andy McKaie.

Recorded between November 1965 and May 1974. Includes liner notes by Colin Escott.

Digitally remastered by Robert Stoughton (MCA Studios, N. Hollywood, California).

In the '60s and early '70s, Hooker experienced an enormous surge in popularity as folk and rock audiences began to discover the joys of traditional blues. Though the days of Hooker's classic Chess sides-which featured only the bluesman's raw voice, wiry, distorted electric guitar, and a rhythm track consisting of Hooker's foot pounding a miked 2x4-were long gone, the artist had attained a new fluency with full backing bands.

The tunes included here are culled from some of Hooker's finest '60s releases, including IT SERVES YOU RIGHT TO SUFFER, THE REAL FOLK BLUES, and URBAN BLUES. The disc is packed with favorites-"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," "I'm In The Mood," "House Rent Boogie," and an incendiary live version of "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" that features the mind-boggling line-up of Otis Spann on piano and Muddy Waters, Sammy Lawhorn, and Luther Johnson on guitars. Many of the sessions, in fact, are studded with stars, as Elvin Bishop, Steve Miller, and even Van Morrison (who duets with Hooker on "Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive") all put in appearances. This set is probably the finest single disc introduction to Hooker's work from this period.