Search - John Lee Hooker, Lightnin Hopkins :: Blue on Blues

The first in the Fuel 2000 label's Blue on Blues series, this collection features six tracks apiece from two musicians who though frequently compared are quite distinctive musically. The first six are from Lightnin' Hopkins, whose deceptively lazy, meandering style touches on a variety of moods, from the resignedly mellow "I Hate I Got Married" to the surprisingly uptempo "Pneumonia Blues," played at what is, for Hopkins, a feverish pace. Then, with no transition, the listener is plunged into John Lee Hooker's earth-deep voice and somewhat spooky guitar work on "Sally Mae," before things pick up a bit with "Rock with Me." If there's a logic to the selection of material in this collection, it isn't apparent, and the liner notes, interesting as they are, offer no real hints. Nonetheless, the album as a whole does establish a mood that's in keeping with both of these artists' respective styles. Although there's no new ground here for fans of Hooker and Hopkins, it's an excellent introduction to both. --Genevieve Williams