Customer Reviews

Complete Aladdin Recordings

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No praise can be too high for this landmark set. This is where it all started; if Lightnin' Hopkins had made no other music, these 43 tracks recorded from 1946-48 in Los Angeles and Houston would have cemented his reputation as a blues great. As it is, you see where everything came from. Four of the first nine tracks feature pianist Thunder Smith on vocals, and these are less enjoyable. The rest feature Lightnin' playing clever, conversational, concise Texas blues with verve and brilliance. Sound on a couple cuts is rough, but generally is quite good. Don't listen to all this music at once, but do listen. And the price for these 43 gems is astonishing. Get this set!

Learning at the knee of legendary Bluesman Mance Lipscomb, Sam "Lightnin" Hopkins blazed an incendiary trail through the urban Texas landscape.

These early tracks show the base upon which he built through the 60's and 70's. His concerts were often legendary, including one unforgettable night when he played at the University of Houston, on the same night as Abbie Hoffman was giving a speech across town at Rice University, at a far more ballyhooed event.

I know for a fact, because I saw them, and I was one, that most campus politicos chose to attend to Lightnin' instead of Abbie. Us Texans do know our roots.

Unforgettable moments of his concerts included such nicities as his swigging from a half-pint of Bourbon, and playing for as long as the tips came in. Late in the evening, his foot would become loose and begin pounding out the rhythm of the bass lines which his drop-thumb played. And a sly grin would sneak across his life-worn face. This was when he would impart his greatest wisdom to us.
He's a legend who has been missed.

This is an exceptional price for a really great collection of songs from a master of the blues. My personal favorite blues artist, Lightnin' Hopkins, gives so much texture to his music. The songs probably seem simple to the uneducated listener but they are complex beyond description. Mr. Hopkins gives so much creedence to this form of music, through his gravelly voice and the lyrics he sings. The blues were never so aptly performed or more heartfelt than when passed through the lips of this great artist. If you are a fan of the blues don't hesitate to purchase this collection wherever you see it avaialble.

Absolute brilliance from the king of the laid-back Texas blues, with a few of his more rock-and-roll-tinged stylings thrown in for good measure. Beyond essential for any blues fan.

Sam Hopkins was a throwback - a vanishing breed, the troubador, the street musician...and his music was/is intensely personal. Lightning's lyrics and delivery combined with his guitar licks and irregular measures are unique. It's not music to boogie to although I have; it's music to reflect on, to enjoy Lightning's wry humour and observations. Rough around the edges but that's part of its appeal. Most fans will tell you that he was like no other.

Many bluesmen have come and gone, but certain ones seem to have been around forever. Their music predates the fancy new singers, and while those new guys rise and fall, the old bluesmen stay the same, unchanged by time and just as beautiful and appealing as ever before.

Lightnin' Hopkins is one of those classic blues singers. Like Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, and all the rest, Hopkins is one of the founders of the blues - whoever plays the blues today is merely standing on the shoulders of these legends.

This collection of Lightnin' Hopkins recordings is truly worth investing in. The quality of the music cannot be contested, and the enjoyment of listening to them cannot be underestimated. And you can't beat the price! Where else can you get over 40 classic blues tunes for this price?

If you enjoy classic blues: get this album, sit back, and watch the world around you slow down for a while.

There is a lot of John Lee Hooker here, and a lot of other stuff as well...

There early stuff has the wonderful gritty feel of Hooker's early pieces like "Teachin the Blues," but then the two start to part company.

Lightnin' has an endearing high pitch vocal style that immediately seems wrong for a classic blues musician, but grows on the listener until you cannot imagine the music any other way.

The later recordings make use of fun upright piano and slightly rocky tempos.

Not as earthy as Hooker, not as blue as Muddy, not as orchestrated as B.B., Lightnin has nicely balanced sound that may not always stictly qualify as blues.

Please note: this is a two-disc set! For $12! Ka-Ching.

I love the assembly of songs, but to me they all seem too clean, too tame, and too "studio" ...versions of songs which he did better on other recordings. I have it and I'll keep it, but there are better sessions out there.