John Lee Hooker Jr. Blues Band
Blues With A Vengeance
This CD starts off with a warning to stand back from the stage because
of the hot grease coming off the stage. And, this CD warrants the warning because it is
one hot album. It is full of 12 blues songs that are all bubbling over with blues heat.
In John's own words "About the title Blues With A Vengeance: Why,
some may ask with a vengeance? Because we've been held back for so long by drugs, alcohol,
divorce, incarceration and death that we collectively wanted to go to the extreme in
working on this project. Someone once said, 'use some soft songs to get you through the
project'. Well, of course, that advice was not taken. We went out bounds, beyond
limitations, broke barriers and broke the 'blues rules' in working on this CD."
With that being said, this is a CD for hard core blues fans. The instruments are full and
rich with lead guitar, piano and a full horn section. It has some traditional blues songs
like John's version of two of his Dad's, "Boom Boom" and "One Bourbon, One
Scotch, One Beer". These songs have a great new feel from John Lee's namesake.
"Boom Boom" gets rocking, but keeps it's same old beat thru a new perspective.
"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" is a humorous look at becoming clean and
sober. "I'm Leaving" is a soulful slow blues. "Groove Thang" is a
funky blues song full of hot guitars and soul. The song "Blues Ain't Nothin' But A
Pimp" is from an idea that John Lee Sr. told his son, "The blues is a pimp
because every time you have 'em, you go do something or get something to get rid of
'em." The other songs on here are just as good.
This is not a John Lee Hooker Sr. knockoff CD. John Jr. is his own man
with his own style. He definitely earned his 2005 WC Handy Award for Best New Blues
Artist. If you want something soft and easy, pass this one up. But if you want a rocking
blues CD with old and new blended together, then go and cook with the Hook.
- Matt Steel -
Southwest Blues CD Review - July 2005
Current Reviews - 2005 Reviews - available at our store
