My least favourite tracks, ironically, are the two with Carlos Santana - who I usually like a lot. Even guitar maestros Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan show relative restraint on their respective tracks. Same with the two numbers featuring Ry Cooder, This Is Hip and Big Legs Tight Skirt, and Burnin' Hell with Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite. Los Lobos supplies the fun Dimples with plenty of muscle but also seems content to not show off too much. I tend to gravitate to the songs where the guests treat themselves like supporting cast instead of co-stars. Would John Lee Hooker's gruff growl be overwhelmed by the likes of Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana?įortunately, this still feels like John Lee Hooker's album - and, even though it's a compilation, it feels like an album because of the unifying theme of special guests on most tracks. So I was a little worried about this week's pick. Mike Canoe: For me, what differentiates the blues (a musical form) from "the blues" (a marketing concept) is the emphasis on the human voice over someone's prowess with the electric guitar. It’s a reminder that, even in his 70s, he still possessed that trademark brooding magnetism." ( Record Collector (opens in new tab)) ![]() To prove it, the finest moment here is Tupelo, where Hooker is accompanied by nothing more complicated than his guitar and his tapping foot. ![]() "The only real stinkers are Chill Out and The Healer, which are practically embalmed by shiny 80s production and widdly guitars.If anything, these recordings reveal how Hooker’s solo material didn’t need these superfluous flourishes to be engaging. And hey, give the drummers some – eight all told, every one of a single mind and a single beat, a beat that only gathers detail when it's stated outright." ( Robert Christgau (opens in new tab)) ![]() Special kudos to Hispanic interpreters Los Lobos, who rock into his boogie, and Carlos Santana, who with two different bands bends The Healer and Chill Out into polyrhythmic workouts. "The guests, all instrumental except for Raitt and his old fan Van Morrison, open it up. Which means this disc is primarily for listeners who like to think they like Hooker, but they really just want to hear Eric Clapton wail away." ( AllMusic (opens in new tab)) "The title refers to the superstar duets, and while this very well may be the best of those cuts - well, almost all of the duets are here, including both the sublime ( I Cover The Waterfront, with Van Morrison) and the mediocre - this stuff still isn't as good as Hooker's solo recordings from this era.
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