|
i thought that the cd was no better than ok. if you've never heard lightnin' sam, it will expose you to his work but i thought the selection was mediocre and the quality of the recordings was average to poor.
Just wanted to say that Item was every thing I expected of it and your attention and response to order was outstanding. will most probably be ordering from you again.
The instrumentation is spare, with--normally--only Hopkins or playing or only a couple other backing players (sometimes we don't even know who the other musicians were). He begins the song, as with "Baby please don't go" with a repeat of the title four times.Finally, "Mojo Hand," one of his better known works. The songs on this CD were recorded between 1946 and 1961. I say that made him greater.I saw how he turned technical limitations to aesthetic advantage." He repeats the title line several times to set a tone and atmosphere and implores her not to go to New Orleans. At a time when big-city blues was electrifying the world, Lightnin' brought us back to the basics. This is unelectrified blues, hearkening back to an earlier era in the history of the blues.A handful of examples of his work on this CD:"Baby please don't go." The cut features simple and spare guitar work by Hopkins. He surely displays a "lived in" voice.
This has some of the best recording quality on the CD. They cover a wide range of his songs. This cut features a nice rhythm section backing him (musicians' names not known). The liner notes comment that (page 12): "They say he only knew three chords on the guitar. Hopkins plays alone, with no backing instruments."Mighty Crazy", too, features no backing musicians. He shows animated singing and spare but effective guitar work.The liner notes summarize Hopkins' place in the blues world (pages 11-12): "Lightnin' Sam Hopkins was one of the towering geniuses of American music. He infused his country sensibility and singular personality into every song he sang." This represents a nice introduction to the work of one of the finest blues players.
The blues do not get any bluer than this. The album covers Hopkins career for a 20 year period, from 1941 to 1961, and is ideal for anyone who is starting out their Hopkins' collection(as I was).Sam "Lightning" Hopkins learned the blues, at least in part, from Blind Lemon Jefferson, and for a time even became his guide. Surely there can be no better guide for an introduction into this genre. One of my favorite songs is a song sung by both Hopkins and Sonny Terry, Conversation Blues. A must have.One thing to note however: If you believe from the outset that you will come to love Hopkins' music, Rhino's release of "Mojo Hand" is recommended; it is a 2-CD set of Hopkins career. If you do not like this song, the blues are simply not for you. This was my first foray into Texas/folk blues, and it will most certainly not be my last, as the music on this CD are some of the most representative blues music I have ever heard. Let the music on this CD be your guide to Texas/folk blues.
But every song on here is exceptional, something I had not expected as I picked this up more out of curiosity than anything else. Now, it is one of my favorites to listen to, right up there with Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters. A definite 5 star pick, especially for all that Rhino has managed to pack on here for the inexpensive price. Either way, you will not go wrong.
Bought this CD as a gift and he really loves it. He grew up listening to Lightnin' Hopkins, so it really brought back some good memories for him.
|
