Customer Reviews

Boogie Up the Country

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It may take some searching to find this title, since it's out of print, but if you can find it for [$$] or less, please don't pass it up. This Heat lineup absolutely burned and boogied, and James T. was a great frontman who did The Bear proud. (He also played a mean slide.) Also, I disagree with the previous reviewer about sound problems with this release. I'm no major audiophile, but as far as live recordings go of bar/club shows, this sounds great. Every instument/vocal is easily heard and there is no muddiness, as he stated.

A live recording from W. Germany finds three original members with the addition of James Thornbury who handles a burnin' slide guitar as well as fine vocals. The recording quality is fine, forget that one star rating. As a quartet, the Heat are lean and Vestine is sizzlin' like high fat burgers on a high HEAT grill. This is unpretensious recording is a delight for any Heat fan as they pay homage to traditional songs as well as a few of their standards. You even get Larry playing an upright bass. Recorded in October 1987.

This is a good live recording from the fall of 1987. At that time Canned Heat was a four piece band, including three members (Fito de la Parra, Henry Vestine and Larry Taylor) from "the classical lineup" in the late sixties. Seventeen years earlier, just before the Woodstock festival, Larry Taylor had refused to ever again appear on the same stage with Henry Vestine, but he obviously changed his mind. This album was also the first album that singer/guitarrist/harmonica player James Thornbury recorded with Canned Heat. Thornbury fronted the band until 1995, when he was replaced by Robert Lucas (who in turn was replaced by Dallas Hodge in 2000). The album includes decent versions of their hits with some new material. My personal favorite is the last song "Boogie", which sounds just as good as it ever did in the 60s.

Although you may think me rather biased, I totally disagree with any negative 'critic' who thinks this is a 'dud' concert recording *( Maybe they are more into their Genesis records and have never been able to play a boogie/blues tune before, in their life).This is definitely one of the best touring 'live' Canned Heat gigs ever recorded!! Sure it's later in the piece...However..a very youngish James T.[Thornbury]not only performs brilliantly in the outfit,filling 'the Bears' shoes admirably,you can sense he was very appreciative of the late Al Wilson (RIP) and happy to be playing with guitarist Henry Vestine. Here he is enjoying this re-Heated combination not only with excellent and appropriate vocals,low down boogie harmonica, flute,slide & guitar. His participation seems to be totally re-energizing the band, who on this recording by the way, are all 'original Canned Heat members'.Dig the outstanding version of 'Take Me To The River'. It's a bit 'laidback' by todays standards but as usual, the Canned Heat backline: Fito [drums] & Larry [upright Bass] are right on the money in each groove. However,the real treat in my opinion, is to really hear Henry Vestine in fine form, leading guitar with his legendary electric psychedelic blues licks and firing up with more energy than you've ever heard before. NO wonder he was so important to the Canned Heat sound, no matter how much extracurricular trouble the 'brother may have created.
If you are genuinely into Canned Heat and want one of the great 'lost gems' this is it! They certainly never really were in as good form after James T. left in my opinion. However if your a fan, you'll forgive them for Boogie 2000 and some of the other later rather erratic CD's that followed. Hey what do you think was going down when James leaves Larry to play a rather extended bass solo? Buy it you won't regret it.I don't believe I heard these tracks released on The Boogie House Tapes 1,2 &3*(although I may be proved wrong)?
***Oh by the way James T. now, quietly lives with his family in Australia. I tend to believe, he won't see a dime from any of the Cd's he's on with Canned Heat USA. He still gigs regularly and has over 6 great solo albums independently released down here.***

This is a terrible technical miss, the mid-ranges are way over boosted and muddy, and the overall sound quality poor. Buy it only if you need one of the tracks for your collection.