Search - Lightning Hopkins :: Forever Gold

Master bluesman and poet

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 03/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sam Lightnin' Hopkins (1912-1982) spent years performing in Texas bars before being discovered in the late '40s, and then became an incredibly prolific recording artist, recording hundreds of songs which have been released in numerous compilations, and this 1999 release is a marvelous collection at a bargain price of this great blues master, and contains his well known "Mojo Man", several guitar solos: "Just Pickin'", "Black Mare Trot" and the fabulous "Walk a Long Time" which contains some spoken lines from Hopkins ("she said I'll walk with you if you walk with me...I like the way she's walkin' too"), and one that features Hopkins on piano, "Have You Ever Loved a Woman", which is one of the best tracks on the CD.



Most of the songs have Hopkins singing and playing guitar with the accompaniment of bass and drums, and the package contains no information on who the other musicians are, or who the terrific female singer is on "I'm Leaving You Now".

The sound is a little "old", as probably most of these were made in the '50s and '60s, and Hopkins recorded in various settings (like his own home) that didn't have perfect sound conditions, but his voice, well distilled in his favorite beverage, gin, has a gritty, soulful sound that rings true through the ages, and makes the sound quality irrelevant.

A great collection at a good price of one of the most important and influential blues artists of the 20th century, total playing time is 53'48.

"