Lightnin' Hopkins
Blowin' The Fuses
(RE/Universal 545 450 634-2)
Lightnin' Hopkins needs no introduction to fans of Texas blues. He along
with T-Bone Walker are towering figures in the state's musical history whose influence are
still being felt today. Perhaps no other blues artist other than John Lee Hooker or BB
King has more recorded output than Lightnin' Hopkins.
The recordings featured on this CD were culled from the vaults of the
Everest/Tradition vaults and were taken primarily from the albums Country Blues (1960),
Autobiography in Blues (1961) and Lightnin' Strikes (1962). On these cuts, Lightnin'
performs solo with his acoustic guitar and spotlights his extraordinary songwriting
abilities, his emotional voice and idiosyncratic guitar playing. Other cuts featured on
this disc include Lightnin' backed by a band which included the great Earl Palmer on
drums, Jimmy Bond on bass and on some cuts, John Ewing playing trombone. These tracks were
cut in New Orleans for the Imperial label and features Lightnin's electric guitar in a
band setting. The final cut on the disc was recorded live at The Ash Grove in Los Angeles
and features Lightnin' backed by Sonny Terry on harp. Overall, there are 20 cuts on this
compilation with 17 of these tunes being original compositions by Hopkins.
This is an excellent CD to get for a newcomer to Lightnin's music. Though not as
comprehensive and wide-ranging as the Rhino set released several years ago, this set still
captures Lightnin' at his peak and offers listeners a glimpse at both his solo work and
his work as part of an ensemble. Highly recommended.
- Barry Gober -
Southwest Blues CD Review - March 2005
Current Reviews - 2005 Reviews - available at our store
