May 13: John Lee Hooker, "I'm John Lee Hooker"

Artist: John Lee Hooker
Album: I'm John Lee Hooker
Year: 1959
Label: Vee Jay


There are certain artists who are simply inseparable from their musical genre. These artists have shaped the genre in ways that no other had even dreamed. Since the days of Robert Johnson, the blues had been a very simply genre. You either played slow blues, or fast blues, there was little other variation. Then, John Lee Hooker came along and brought the boogie to the blues. Having recorded under dozens of aliases throughout the late 1940's and 1950's, the best way to enjoy the early work of John Lee Hooker is via one of the many collections of his recordings. High atop the countless "best of" CD's is the finest of the bunch, the stellar 1959 album, I'm John Lee Hooker.

An overwhelming majority of the songs on I'm John Lee Hooker were recorded during the early 1950's at Los Angeles' Modern Records studio. At the time, the Mississippi native was recording under the name "The Hook." These recordings represent "authentic" blues as well as anything out there and do not suffer from the "diluting" that plagued the genre following the "British Invasion." I'm John Lee Hooker presents Hooker playing a still primitive combination between Detroit and Chicago style blues. To call the sound "straight forward" is an understatement, as there is truly nothing else on the recording but pure blues bliss. Hooker's legacy is almost immeasurable, and his songs have been covered from everyone from The Doors to Elvis Costello to Ray Charles. Hooker's style, and many of the songs found on the record formed the base for later bands like The Animals and the Allman Brothers Band.

The sound of John Lee Hooker is unmistakable across any musical genre. The steady strumming of his guitar, with only minimal backing instrumentation makes his recordings instantly recognizable. Hooker's guitar rarely gets anywhere in the neighborhood of "loud" and he rarely solos, sticking to simple, blues rhythm. A majority of the percussion on the recordings comes from Hooker tapping out the rhythm on his guitar or with his own foot, further solidifying the mood of "true" blues. On songs like "Crawlin' King Snake" (which Big Joe Williams recorded decades earlier), Hooker is almost whispering, with soft guitar and a slow tapping, the songs' intimacy is nothing short of stunning. Later recordings of the songs, as with many songs found on I'm John Lee Hooker were over produced, and the simple beauty of many of the songs became lost.

The voice of John Lee Hooker is soulful, strong, and just a bit gritty; everything one could want in a blues singer. Singing clearly, so every line can be felt, Hooker's blues are often a bit ironic as the upbeat, bouncing boogie sound plays contrast to the standard blues-style lyrics. Mostly songs of love, lust, and loss, Hooker sings of the most universal blues, and this helps to draw the listener in further to the music. There are countless points on the record where the music is so pure and simple that it feels like you are sitting in a small bar listening to Hooker perform. I'm John Lee Hooker features some of Hooker's most famous songs, including classics like "Dimples" and "Boogie Chillun'." The latter of these songs was famous featured (as well as Hooker himself) in the cult classic film, "The Blues Brothers."

The name John Lee Hooker is almost synonymous with the word blues and the entire genre. His fusion of "boogie" into the blues genre changed the form forever and his influences are still felt to this day. Hooker's recorded catalog is truly like no other, recording over 100 albums up until his death in 2001. His early recordings, from the 1940's and 1950's represent his finest work, as he had yet to be led in other directions by record labels and producers. There are literally hundreds of recordings from his era, and they have been preserved on countless collections over the years. Without a doubt, the finest of these collections is the 1959 release, I'm John Lee Hooker, and it is an absolute essential record for every collection.



Standout tracks: "Boogie Chillun," "I'm In The Mood," and "Crawlin' King Snake."