House of the Blues

John Lee Hooker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 13, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chess
• ASIN: B000002O9Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,918 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #93 in Music > Blues > Regional Blues > Detroit Blues

Editorial Reviews

From Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD

In 1951 Delta emigre' John Lee Hooker was a Detroit resident enjoying the raging success of recent singles and gearing up to wax his urgent folk blues for a host of record companies under various noms de blooze. Chess was one of the firms, and twelve sides cut between 1951 and 1954 eventually turned up on this 1959 long-player. Hooker's singing, lubricious and steely, inveighs against annoying women; his rudimental guitar is exciting; and his stamping the plywood floor in ruttish insistence makes for exemplary blues rhythm. Most of the tracks have him solo. Caveat emptor: Two songs have atrocious sound. -- © Frank John Hadley 1993

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, March 26, 2005

By 

Hippie Smell "hippie_smell" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of the Blues (Audio CD)

John Lee Hooker is in my opinion the first true Detroit rock and roll artist that follows in a fine tradition of the Stooges, The MC5, and Motown. The music on this album is probably the heaviest type of blues of ever heard. A little more ferocius, and darker than most stuff I've heard. If you like your blues squeeky clean like something Eric Clapton would record these days then you'll probably feel like the reviewer below that only gave this album two stars. But if you're like me and can just appreciate an individual with a lot of soul then this album will shake the foundation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank the Lord for John Lee Hooker, February 19, 2010

By 

Ken Douglas (Landlocked in Reno) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of the Blues (Audio CD)

I didn't know any other white kids in Lakewood, California who listened to John Lee Hooker back in 1959, but I did. Don't get me wrong, I was a real fan of the new white rock stuff, you know, Ricky Nelson, Dion, Cliff Richard. And I liked country, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, others. But the blues, I loved the blues. It spoke to me. Still does. Don't know why. But I know this, this music moves me and John Lee Hooker is one of the best there is at it.

I must've played "Love Blues" a million and a half times. I've worn out several copies of this record. Thank the Lord for CDs. Thank him for iTunes too. Thank him for J.L.H. as well. This man can make you feel. He chills you. Don't believe me, give a listen to "Sugar Mama". If Mr. Hooker's praying for her to come back to him doesn't get to you, you have no emotions.

In "Down at the Landing" J.L.H. is wondering where his baby can be and it just about tears your heart out the way he sings it. "Louise" is the sweetest girl Mr. Hooker knows, the song's sweet too. This record ends with a couple songs about women and money. Got money, you get the women. Ain't that the truth.

This Record is Number 11 on my list of the Best Thirteen Records of 1959.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Music., January 19, 2002

By 

"jbluezz" (Forest Hills, N.Y. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of the Blues (Audio CD)

This album is awesome! Listen to the music not the recording quality! Probably half of the greatest music was recorded poorly. Buy this and feel the music. John Lee rules.