Track Listing

1. I'm Bad Like Jesse James
2. She's Long She's Tall (She Weeps Like A Willow Tree)
3. When My First Wife Left Me
4. Heartaches And Misery
5. One Bourbon One Scotch And One Beer
6. I Don't Want No Trouble
7. I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive
8. Seven Days
9. What's The Matter Baby
10. Lucille
11. Boogie Everywhere I Go
12. Serve Me Right To Suffer
13. Bang Bang Bang Bang

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84902 in Music
• Released on: 2000-09-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
Perhaps it's a tribute to the visceral nature of the blues that Hooker's live performances are usually more powerful than his studio recordings. Whatever the reason, this disc is no exception. This two-fer includes eight tracks from a 1966performance at The Cafe Au Go-Go, then five from an appearance at Soledad Prison six years later, with Hooker in raw, dramatic form throughout. With Muddy Waters and his band lending heavy backbeats and textured guitar and piano work at the first gig, Hooker weaves narratives in tracks like "I'm Bad Like Jesse James", a chilly moral about retribution for disloyal friends, and, as he calls it, the "real blues" of "When My First Wife Left Me".
The Soledad Prison tracks, particularly "What's The Matter Baby" and Hooker's trademark "Bang Bang Bang Bang", are characterised by a high, gritty energy. With throbbing, slow tempos and Hooker's flat, growling delivery, there isn't the slightest tinge of artificialityon this disc. It's genuine blues through and through.

Customer Reviews

Arguably the best live CD of John Lee Hooker
I own a lot of John Lee Hooker's CD's. Having listened to his live performance on Live at Cafe au GoGo in the late 80's, i was looking for that disc, but found that it's also available as a bundle with some tracks taken from Soledad Prison. So this is more a "2 for 1" deal. Some prefer John Lee Hooker with band, others prefer to listen him solo. I like his songs best with a band, just like on this CD.

The audio captured on this CD will make you be there with the crowd. You can hear how small the venue is, which gives it that extra live vibe. If you like the blues, you must own a CD of John Lee Hooker. I personally think that this CD, together with his CD called "The Cream" is a must have.

You will not be disappointed.

Two fine performences from Mr. Hooker
The first track really sets a scene for the whole cd. In it's chilling sincerity, I'm Bad, Like Jesse James, really shows you that the man means what he sings from track 1 to the boom boom finale...met with rather polite applause from a bunch of cons!