Customer Reviews

Boom Boom & Other Classics

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Great CD--highly recommend it. John hasn't lost a thing with age--he keeps getting better. This CD is a few years old (he's had a couple of releases since this one) but I love to pull this one out and crank it up!

Anyone who knows Hooker only from his mid-'80s and '90s albums knows absolutely nothing about him. While this is one of the better "modern" Hooker albums, minus most of the annoying guest appearances, this is not even remotely close to being prime Hooker. Everyone knows that (don't they?) Get the real thing. With few exceptions, the earlier the Hooker, the better; and the fewer musicians, the better.

"Hittin' the Bottle Again" is just Hook and his guitar. I liked the simple arrangement and the powerful delivery John Lee gives to this song.

Pointblank is one of the best blues labels. Check out their Albert Collins CD, "Iceman".

John Lee Hooker provided some early memorable historic cuts but this album does not include any. The Healer was a milestone in his revival, Mr Lucky less so and this followup album loses even more of that impact. The album has guests: Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Charlie Musselwhite and John Hammond among others. The only tracks which approach being memorable are 'Same old blues' and 'Boogie at Russian hill'. This album is not often played from my collection.