Tag: John Lee Hooker

Title: John Lee Hooker – It Serve You Right To Suffer (1966) [Analogue Productions’ Remaster 2010]
Genre: Blues
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Given Hooker’s unpredictable timing and piss-poor track record recording with bands, this 1965 one-off session for the jazz label Impulse! would be a recipe for disaster. But with Panama Francis on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, and Barry Galbraith on second guitar, the result is some of the best John Lee Hooker material with a band that you’re likely to come across. The other musicians stay in the pocket, never overplaying or trying to get Hooker to make chord changes he has no intention of making. This record should be played for every artist who records with Hooker nowadays, as it’s a textbook example of how exactly to back the old master. The most surreal moment occurs when William Wells blows some totally cool trombone on Hooker’s version of Berry Gordy’s “Money”. If you run across this one in a pile of 500 other John Lee Hooker CDs, grab it; it’s one of the good ones.

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Title: John Lee Hooker – Boogie Chillen’: Original 1948-1954 Blues Masterpieces (2003) [Audio Fidelity]
Genre: Blues
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

For Boogie Chillen’, Audio Fidelity went back to the original 1948-1954 recording session tapes of these “Detroit Blues Masterpieces” for the SACD edition. The only exception will be the title track since recording tape was not in use in 1948 at the United Sound recording studio in Detroit when it was recorded. In that case, “Boogie Chillen’” was transferred from the surviving 78 RPM acetate record. The SACD compilation and remastering work for the album was done by Steve Hoffman at Kevin Gray’s AcousTech Mastering Studio with Lon Neumann serving as the DSD Technician on the remastering session.

As the story is told, back in 1948, a young, little known blues singer by the name of John Lee Hooker arrived at the Detroit, Michigan offices of Bernard Besman, owner of Pan American Record Distributors with a 78-RPM acetate disc. Besman wasn’t too enthused with what he heard but he knew that, with some tutelage, John Lee Hooker had potential. Fortunately, Besman didn’t have to wait long. Within a span of four years, Besman produced over 200 sides of what most consider “the best of John Lee Hooker”. Although John Lee Hooker’s music has been duplicated over the years, one could never duplicate the originator’s masterful craft of telling a story and singing with such enigmatic tone. On this album, Boogie Chillen, it’s impossible to listen without bobbing your head a little or stomping your foot at the same tempo with Hooker. This album is a quintessential must for blues lovers, old and young. With the conversion to SACD, Boogie Chillen becomes more compelling and more gratifying. The clarity is especially impressive with the guitar providing the illusion that the blues master himself just might be in the room with you. Audio Fidelity did a fine job converting this classic into SACD purity. John Lee has to be looking down on us and smiling knowing that’s exactly how he wanted to his blues to be heard and appreciated. Most amazing however is John Lee Hooker’s Boogie Chillen’, the album. Every song is a foot stompin’ barnburner making it extremely difficult to determine which song may be superior. Without a doubt however, “Boogie Chillen” (the song) may be the ultimate winner as ‘best of show’. “Boogie Chillen’” was transferred from the same surviving 78 RPM acetate record that John Lee Hooker once presented to Bernard Besman upon their first introductions making it historically the first recorded song that Hooker made. “Baby Baby” has vintage guitar plucking brought to brilliant life by DSD. Even the blues musicians today can never replicate the same sound. You just cannot get that vintage tone on a modern recording studio. “Down Child” is another stellar piece where you can hear raw guitar playing that will make your jaw drop. “Hey, S The House Rent Boogie” is another foot tapper that I’m sure, at a live venue, must of brought the house down. When this album was recorded, they placed a microphone at John Lee Hooker’s feet so you can actually hear his foot tapping in rhythm to the song. “I’m In The Mood” has been covered by virtually everyone with an acoustic guitar and a notion for blues. Despite this adulation, however, Hooker’s original version is still the best. “Do My Baby Think Of Me?” contain stellar guitar licks, played while asking God about what I’m sure every guy has been through. This album is a timeless blues masterpiece that all blues enthusiasts will need in their private collection. Audio Fidelity has done a phenomenal job with Boogie Chillen. It stands to reason that you need this SACD release. I look forward with anticipation to other Audio Fidelity releases that will feature blues greats.

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