Boom Boom [Original recording reissued]

John Lee Hooker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 22, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: K-Tel
• ASIN: B000000RU1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,448 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Boom Boom

2. I'm in the Mood

3. Boogie Chillen'

4. Maudie

5. Crawlin' King Snake

6. Time Is Marching

7. Dimples

8. I'm So Excited

9. Hobo Blues

10. Onions

11. Blues Before Sunrise

12. Dusty Road

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome raw blues, March 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Boom Boom (Audio CD)

Hooker doesn't play by the rules, and that distinguishes him from most other blues players. His style is raw and gritty, with his right foot stomping. I was only getting to know Hooker when I got this CD, and I was seruiously surprised by the songs where it's just his guitar and his voice: "I'm Bad Like Jesse James", "Sugar Mama", "Hittin' the Bottle Again", and "Thought I Heard". He's clearly not afraid of the imperfections, and that makes these raw guitar-only blues so real. The first time I heard a track like "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" or "Sugar Mama", I was shocked. I listened to it many more times, and the more I listened, the more I loved there blues.

The only problem with some of Hooker's recordings is that there's not enough Hooker on them. His vocals are always there, but I am real hungry for his unmistakable guitar. More often than not on his most recent recordings, he lets his collaborators take the front seat with their guitar (i.e., Robert Cray, Jimmy Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Morrison, etc). I thought that Healer, which a seriously excellent Hooker disk, was more main-stream, for the masses, which made Hooker more popular. But THIS disk, Boom Boom, is about as real and raw as Hooker gets on his recent recordings. That being said, if you are a Hooker novice, Healer or Don't Look Back are the best CDs to start with. After that, you should be more ready for this disk. For fans, this disk is a must.

I like many tracks on this CD, so it's tough to choose a favorite. I'd have to pick from two different styles used on this CD. One style - with a several-piece band, more "blues-as-you-know-it" style. Other style - just Hooker and his guitar. As the song with the band, I'd choose "I Ain't Gonna Suffer No More" because, while with the band, it's got the most of Hooker on it. His vocals got fire in them, his guitar is rough and raw and right by his side. As the song alone, I'd choose "Thought I Heard". The only other person playing on this song is Charlie Musselwhile on harmonica, which only adds to the strange wild-west mystery of this song. Excellent track. Sugar Mama is also an excellent, excellent alone track. Same Old Blues Again is very appropriated named - it's just about same old blues. The casual, rolling blues as you know them. The highlight of that song is Cray's nice long solo.

This disk isn't main-stream, as I said above. It's somewhat of an acquired taste if you are new to Hooker. If you already know Hooker, you'll love it. If you don't know much of his work yet, start with "Don't Look Back" or "Healer". The former is mostly a collaboration with Van Morrison and is an excellent piece of work - Hooker's last CD before his passing. The latter has a host of different guests on it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More than one Boom Boom, April 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Boom Boom (Audio CD)

There is a Pointblank/Charisma CD titled Boom Boom. Its tracklist differs from the K-Tel CD by the same name. Some of the other reviews refer to it instead of the K-Tel release based on the references to song titles. It includes 1.Boom Boom 2. I'm Bad Like Jesse James 3. Same Old Blues Again 4. Sugar Mama 5. Trick Bag (Shoppin' For My Tombstone) 6. Boogie at Russian Hill 7. Hittin' The Bottle Again 8. Bottle Up and Go 9. Thought I Heard 10. I Ain't Gonna Suffer No More. Don't be misled by those reviews into thinking the K-Tel release is better than it is.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooker delivers basic blues-raw, January 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Boom Boom (Audio CD)

This CD is raw basic blues delivered with John Lee's complicated guitar strokes and rythms. His use of silence leaves you hanging on the edge of your foot tap. The raw gritty sound of the revisited Jesse James cut gives this song an additional dark side. Bottle Up and Go has you dancing in your seat from the snappy acoustic begining. Boogie on Russian Hill inspires a house party. I highly recommend this album to anyone interested in getting to know Hooker's music and it is a must for a fan.