Customer Reviews

Healer

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Forget "value for money" and buy this album for its first two, quite superb tracks: "The Healer" - one of the most distinctive and atmospheric records ever made, featuring marvellously controlled & quite electrifying interactions between Hooker's deep chanting vocals, Carlos Santana's soaring guitar breaks and their wonderfully tight latin/blues backing band - and, "I'm in the Mood" - an equally electrifying, broodingly erotic interaction between a very old man and a much younger lady (Bonnie Raitt) whose shared love of the blues makes the tension of their implausible combination permeate every bar of its vocal & guitar cross-talk. Breath-taking stuff !

As for the rest ?... a set of fairly standard blues work-outs with contributions from Robert Cray, George Thorogood, Keith Richard & Charlie Musselwhite that you may never play more than a couple of times. But so what, the reason you won't is because they're blown away by the sheer power of the two openers. And... if you're looking for something just as good, go straight to John Lee Hooker & Carlos Santana's "Chill Out" (the title track of Hooker's follow-up album) for another equally outstanding example of two highly skilled artists pushing each other to the peak of their powers.

I have a massive John Lee Hooker CD collection, and while a lot of people know "The Healer" and it may have introduced many blues lovers to a great artist, the truth is it's hugely overrated and nowhere close to his best album. Hooker is best by himself and, well, younger. Early Hooker is almost always better. This is worth having, but not until you've purchased about 25 other Hooker discs. Even a few of the albums he made after this one are better. Try "The Legendary Modern Recordings" and be truly amazed.

John Lee only plays with the best. First, a smooth start with Carlos Santana. Then John Lee and Miss Bonnie (Raitt) heat things up a little with "I'm In The Mood". And on, and on. I picked this up when it was initially released and it's still a top pick when I'm looking to kick it and enjoy life. You can't miss with it for yourself or for a gift.

If you don't think its possible to wear out a CD, then you haven't listened to The Healer. The combo of Santana and Hooker is unreal.

Actual rating 3 1/2 stars -- rarely give 5 stars.

On 7 of the 10 songs, John Lee has his guests join him for some wonderful collaborations. The title song, teamed with Santana, is far and away the best cut, and will be a favorite of anyone who listens to it! (I have a feeling it was grammy nominated.) Also worth hearing are the duet with Bonnie Raitt, Think Twice Before You Go with Los Lobos, and John Lee's very poignant No Substitute. Couple of flat tunes keep it from being a superb effort, but still is a good album and a fine intro to John Lee Hooker if you've been curious.

If you like this album, I think "Mr. Lucky", also a collaboration effort, is better overall.

After listening to this album, I realised I had listened to a living legend of his time. This album is a bonus to any John-Lee dedicated fan such as I. I Have an extensive blues CD collection, mainly from the delta region and I would rate this album as one of the best I have heard. Track nine, 'My dream' will be one of my favourite tracks of all time - guaranteed to ensure the 'tingle factor! It was a pleasure and honour to write this review and I didn't get paid a cent for doing it!

John Lee Hooker and friends did an amazing job on this CD. It is one great piece of work. I have had friends listen to it, who do not really like blues and R&B, and within 2 songs were saying " Who IS THIS?" George Thorogood, Santana, and more - made a masterpiece of music with John Lee Hooker. It is a tribute to John - of what he can do and of the artists who play so well with him. Who else has been around so long that their first cuts were on 78's and can still make music that is not only damn good but is leading edge fresh. It is a gotta have album. I salute this man and his music.

This late-in-life multi-artist collaboration album from 1989 introduced John Lee Hooker to a new, younger audience and boosted his profile to such an extent that in his 70s and 80s (John Lee's birth date, usually quoted as 22 August 1917, is undocumented and uncertain) he became better known and more globally successful than ever before. Age ripened his trademark growling baritone and deep-from-the-soul blues sound, and some of his very best music is from this final period.

`The Healer' is worth buying for the first two numbers alone. The title track features the soaring guitar of Carlos Santana weaving round John Lee's simple, rich and wonderful vocal line over a slow-tempo, tight latin rhythm section to produce an instant classic. In the second number `I'm in the Mood for Love', Bonnie Raitt and John Lee perform a raunchy duet with the vocal lines and guitars in classic R&B interplay which shouldn't work as well as it does, but the result is in every way fabulous.

A series of additional collaborative numbers with Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Cray, George Thorogood and others fills the rest of the album: all good, but none as arresting as the two openers. Production values are first-class and overall, this is a classic with two real corkers you'll never tire of hearing. If you have only one album from John Lee Hooker's enormously prolific output in your collection, this is one you should consider for that cherished position.

This is Mr. Hooker at his best! Electric and cranked up with Carlos Santana, Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite and many others...one awesome album!

One of Hooker's best in the last decade. Many great collaborations with artist such as Bonnie Raitt, Santana, Los Lobos and more... His works in recent years have been group efforts with a variety of artist. With these joint efforts Hooker seems to be able to put out a sound that is fresh yet reminiscent of sounds of the past. A great alblum to add to your blues collection.