mikeweil Posted January 23, 2004 Report Posted January 23, 2004 Has anybody heard and can recommend this one? I'm curious about how Sam Jones and Louis Hayes come across with Hooker, they're fine on Eddie Vinson's Riverside date, but with Hooker? As always, thanks in advance! Quote
BFrank Posted January 24, 2004 Report Posted January 24, 2004 I downloaded it from eMusic a while ago, but never got around to listening to it. Thanks for the reminder. Quote
jlhoots Posted January 24, 2004 Report Posted January 24, 2004 I had this on vinyl. Sold my collection several years ago. Haven't heard it since. Certainly was a unique item in Hooker's discography. As I recall it was pretty laid back. Seemed like Hooker was pretty oblivious to what was going on behind him. Jones & Hayes were somewhat reticent sounding. Overall worth a listen, but not in the pantheon of any of those present IMO. Quote
JSngry Posted January 24, 2004 Report Posted January 24, 2004 How' it compare to IT SERVE YOU RIGHT TO SUFFER, another one w/jazz players in the mix? That one comes off ok, imo. Quote
John L Posted January 24, 2004 Report Posted January 24, 2004 (edited) My opinion: I consider "That's My Story" to be one of the less interesting Hooker recordings. Jones and Hayes just slum through it, laying down a steady beat. In fact, if they had tried to do anything more, it probably would have been worse. As a result, it is certainly highly listenable Hooker, just not anything approaching his most powerful work. On the other hand, I think that "It Serves You Right to Suffer" is prime product. John Lee is clearly inspired by his musical surroundings on this one. Edited January 24, 2004 by John L Quote
mikeweil Posted January 25, 2004 Author Report Posted January 25, 2004 Thanks for the opinions. What Hooker CDs would you recommend besides "Suffer"? Quote
John L Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 I am partial to the earlier recordings that appeared on Modern, King, and various other labels. They have been packaged and repackaged so many times that it is difficult to recommend single disks. On the other hand, this one is a fine single disk collection of vintage Hooker that includes all the early hits: On the other hand, It would be more than worthwhile to pay 10$ more and get the whole shabang: Most of his Vee Jay recordings are excellent too, although (as is pretty much the case with the early recordings too), you want to listen in small doses. As good as it is, it can get a bit repetitive. They are available on various collections. His more recent comeback albums with guest stars have interesting moments. The Healer is probably the place to start. An alternative top notch sampler of his whole career would be: Quote
BFrank Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 Is there one particular disk that is better than the others in the JSP set? They have it on emusic, but the new policy limits my interest in d/l'ing the whole thing. Quote
John L Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 I personally have this music on other disks. If you can print out the contexts of each JSP disk here, I will give you my opinion. Quote
BFrank Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 John Lee Hooker The Classic Early Years 1948-1951 Vol. 1 Boogie Chillen Sally Mae See See Baby She Was In Chicago Stomp Boogie Who's Been Jiving You Black Man Blues Poor Joe Good Business Boogie Woogie Helpless Blues Goin' Mad Blues Low Down Midnite Boogie Landing Blues Morning Blues Drifting From Door To Door Hobo Blues Howlin' Wolf Crawling King Snake She Ain't Good For Nothin' Cotton Pickin' Blues Must I Wait til Your Man Is gone We Gonna Make Everything Alright Miss Rosie Mae Highway Blues Vol. 2 Hoogie Boogie Graveyard Blues Whistlin' And Moaning Blues I Love To Boogie Miss Eloise Burnin' Hell I Had A Dream Nightmare Blues Late Last Night Wandering Blues Don't go Baby Devil's Jump I'm Gonna Kill That Woman Moaning Blues The Numbers Weeping Willow Miss Sadie Mae Sometime Forgive Me Heart Trouble Blues Slim's Stomp Miss Lorraine Talkin' Boogie Road Trouble 609 Boogie Vol. 3 No Friend Around Wednesday Evening Canal Street Blues Playin' The Races Huckle Up Baby Let Your Daddy Ride Goin' On Highway 51 The Moon Above She Left Me By Myself No Mortgage On My Soul My Baby's Got Somethin' Decoration Day Blues Boogie Chillen No. 2 Roll 'n' Roll Crying All Night One More Time I Don't Be Welcome Here Welfare Blues Turnin' Gray Blues The Story Of A Married Woman Mad Man Blues Boogie Now Thinking Blues Don't You Remember Me Give Me Your Phone Number Vol. 4 Notoriety Woman Never Satisfied Moon Is Rising Please Have Mercy John L's House Rent Boogie Queen Bee You've Got Another Man If You Need My Lovin' Baby Nobody To Talk To Me Prison Bound Bumble Bee Blues Questionnaire Blues Real Gone Gal Little Boy Blues My Daddy Was A Jockey Mean Old Train Catfish Louise I'm Going Away Tease Me Baby Streets Is Filled With Women Me And My Woman Whistle Done Blown How Can You Do It I'm In The Mood Quote
John L Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 (edited) Well, you might start with disk 1. That is the beginning, and it never really got any better. Disk 2 also has some very strong material, really equally strong. If you don't have it, be sure and also bring in "I'm in the Mood" from disk 4. If fact, if you want to mix up tracks from disks 1 and 2, prime tracks from disk 1 include: Boogie Chillen Sally Mae Stomp Boogie Black Man Blues Poor Joe Helpless Blues Goin' Mad Blues Landing Blues Morning Blues Drifting From Door To Door Hobo Blues Crawling King Snake and from disk 2: Graveyard Blues Whistlin' And Moaning Blues Miss Eloise Burnin' Hell I Had A Dream Nightmare Blues Late Last Night Wandering Blues Devil's Jump I'm Gonna Kill That Woman Moaning Blues The Numbers Weeping Willow Heart Trouble Blues Slim's Stomp Edited January 25, 2004 by John L Quote
jazzbo Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 (edited) That's good advice. The Flair disc IS a wonderful single disc compilation. Some of my favorite blues this Modern/Bihari Brothers material, though I really do enjoy the VeeJay material, and the latest reissues of the VeeJay stuff on Collectables sounds really good--I have two from the Collectables series, and all the others on an earlier late eighties cd series that sounds fine as well. John Lee (along with T-Bone Walker and B. B. King) I find truly inspiring! Edited January 25, 2004 by jazzbo Quote
JSngry Posted January 25, 2004 Report Posted January 25, 2004 No Hooker collection is complete, though, w/o "I'm Bad Like Jesse James", recorded @ Cafe Au GoGo. Ain't nothin' like it. Quote
John L Posted January 26, 2004 Report Posted January 26, 2004 (edited) No Hooker collection is complete, though, w/o "I'm Bad Like Jesse James", recorded @ Cafe Au GoGo. Ain't nothin' like it. Good point! I should have added a warning that one drawback of the first recordings discussed above is that they have poor-mediocre sound quality. If sound quality is extremely important to you, there exist early recordings almost as powerful as those listed above in excellent sound on the various early collections on Chess, most notably: Then there is this gem of major significance on Atlantic: Edited January 26, 2004 by John L Quote
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