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Best of

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One of the best American blues bands from the late '60's, Canned Heat could have even been greater and more successful, except for one thing: they were the original hard-luck boys. On the verge of breaking out after their first album, the Heat was busted in Denver and had to sell the rights to their songs to get out. (To this day, drummer and current bandleader Fito de la Parra relies on live work, not royalties, to help him make ends meet.) Plus, even though most of their songs were sung by the fabulous growl of Bob "the Bear" Hite, their two most famous numbers featured the vocals of Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson. Now, "Blind Owl" was a musical genius, the best harpist in the world according to John Lee Hooker, but some fans feel his falsetto vocals are an acquired taste. Their most famous song, "Going Up the Country," with the equally famous flute solo, might give the casual listener the expectation of a completely different style of music; say, the Grateful Dead at their most tribal, rather than a hard-core blues-boogie band. Wisely, "Blind Owl" is limited to three numbers on this disc (all are excellent). Luckily, "the Bear" is at his most playful and fun-living on his numbers, with "Same All Over," "Let's Work Together" (his only hit as singer), and the morality tale "Amphetimine Annie" the standouts of his seven songs. The album closes with the wonderful jam "Fried Hockey Boogie," featuring a segment from each instrumentalist. Here, Henry Vestine's guitar work will blow your mind, sending it out to orbit the solar system before bringing it back gently to earth. The band would never sound better than this. Sadly, the final reason Canned Heat never achieved the success they deserved is that both Alan Wilson and Bob Hite (and, much later, Henry Vestine) would die too young from their self-destructive lifestyle. Thankfully, they left a pretty good legacy for a band that was kicked in the can by life once too often.

Best of Canned Heat is a great collection of the best of this great blues band which formed in the late-60's. Many music fans know the band today from their inclusions on several '60s compliations that have been released like Revolution Rock and their participation at Woodstock in 1969. While Woodstock was certainly their high point, Canned Heat were different from many bands from that era, concentrating on their blues roots rather than singing of free love, psychedelia, or protesting the changing times.

While Canned Heat were a blues band, they also knew of the importance of having a memorable hook in their tracks. This shows prominently on this collection, whether it's the harmonica solos on "On The Road Again", the flute (!) on their biggest hit "Going Up The Country", the horn section on "Boogie Music", or the piano on "Same All Over." But there is also some great raw blues here such as "Amphetamine Annie", and their smokin' versions of "Let's Work Together" and Muddy Waters' oft-covered classic "Rollin' And Tumblin." Having two lead vocalists in the band also worked to their advantage as well as Alan Wilson's falsetto vocals on "Going Up The Country" and "Time Was" complimented Bob "The Bear" Hite's rougher vocals on "Let's Work Together" and "Bullfrog Blues" very well. The album closes with the 11-minute "Fried Hockey Boogie" which gives all the band members their chance to shine. There's also a longer and better version of this track on the soundtrack album Woodstock Two. An excellent compilation, highly recommended to fans of the blues, and to fans who loved the music from the Woodstock era.

This CD is a good representation of the group's most well known tunes. Classic stuff here. They were in my opinion one of the best in the business for boogie/blues music. Authentic characters. From Alan Wilson on the harp and rhythm guitar to Henry Vestine on lead guitar to Mole Taylor on bass, Bob (The Bear) Hite on lead vocals and Fito De Lepara on drums, they were simply amazing. This CD belongs in any serious collectors collection. Excellent material here from a fantastic band and one of a kind.

For many years I have been a fan of this somewhat overlooked band from the 60's and 70s'. This "Best Of" effort is a good introduction for the uninitiated. They were a bad of exceptional talents who gelled together. Canned Heat covered a lot of classics and added their own songs to the blues standards of our times. This cd is a good remastering of the original tunes. It is fun to listen to and a showcase for the talents of each member. Well worth a listen. Hopefully, it will help introduce Canned Heat to a whole new slew of fans.

This was a great rockin' blues band, and it's amazing to realize that they actually had hit singles. Today's music audience doesn't even understand why musical ability makes a damn bit of difference. But here is a band that had 3 or 4 hit singles in an ancient musical style, just because they played so convincingly. I'll admit it, I sought this record out because I heard the wonderful "Lets Work Together" on a TV ad. All I can say is, there are many paths to enlightenment.

Interesting band from the deph of the Woodstock era, and way short lived, due to the deaths of Blind Owl Wilson and Bear Hite what a tragedy. Anyways lets not bum you out too much with this review, they had some funfilled blues in this set, perfect driving song like On The Road Again, or a cool little peaceful jingle like Let's Work Together, from an anthem to Woodstock Going Up The Country, or to the stay away from the evil drugs Amphetamine Annie. This album really packs the punch of pure blues and jugband pleasures. I would recommend this for any 60's rock and roll lover, and would also recommend the Woodstock album that has them performing Change Is Gonna Come, that's a good number too.

Since the reviews that are already here seem to say just about anything I could add, I'll just offer this website: http://www.cannedheatmusic.com

Anyone hearing this band for the first time was immediately a fan.They mixed a classic sound with blues and rock to earn a nitch in many a fans heart.

Who would have thought that a blues band could have Top 40 hit singles?
This group of musicians led by gruff blues shouter Bob "The Bear" Hite and falsetto vocalist/guitarist/harpist Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson hit the AM charts several times during the years(1966-1970) represented in this compilation. With the crack musicianship of guitarist Henry "Sunflower" Vestine, drummer Adolpho "Fito" De La Para, and session bassist Larry "The Mole" Taylor, the group produced a series of solid, consistent albums as well.
This ten song EMI Manhattan anthology, "The Best Of Canned Heat", offers selections from the first four Canned Heat LP releases.
The 1967 debut LP "Canned Heat" is represented by the traditional blues classics "Rollin' and Tumblin'" and "Bullfrog Blues". In concert, the group members took lengthy solos. "Fried Hockey Boogie" gives a hint of the extended jams that occurred live.
1968 brought the LP "Boogie With Canned Heat" and the catchiness of the "On the Road Again" single(#16) combined with the driving "Amphetamine Annie".
A double LP release (also from 1968) entitled "Living The Blues" produced the Woodstock flute-driven anthem "Going Up The Country". This #11 single was joined by the chugging "Boogie Music".
From the "Hallelujah" LP release of 1969 came the call and response of "The Same All Over" and the sublime Al Wilson vocal on "Time Was".
1970's "Future Blues" LP featured new guitarist Harvey Mandel and another hit single, "Let's Work Together"(#26), pushed by Hite's lead vocal. After the release of this work, the troubled Al Wilson died of a drug overdose and the "classic" Canned Heat line-up came to an end.
This CD sampler is a great introduction to the basic catalog songs of Canned Heat.

I really wanted to like this album and I do really like about three of the songs, but the rest didn't do anything for me. Maybe this is just not my style of music and it's not fair for me to be reviewing the album, but I have listened to it several times and own a copy. In spite of the untimely deaths a long time ago of two of the important band members (Alan Blind Owl Wilson and Bob Hite), the band is still around, kept going by Fito de la Parra. I still think this rates 4 stars, even though it didn't thrill me that much.