Customer Reviews

Live At The Cafe Au Go-Go (And Soledad Prison)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THis album smokes. Half was recorded at the Cafe Au-Go-Go with Muddy Waters in support. The other half at Soledad Prison. And you should here these convicts! The Boogie Man gets 'em all fired up with steaming versions of "Boom Boom" and "I'm Bad Like Jesse James."

These versions of "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer," "Serves Me Right To Suffer," and "Seven Days" rank among Hooker's finest.

Intense live blues.

...but incredible nonetheless. There is a penomenon that occurs when listening to John Lee Hooker's music that can best be described with this analogy: Listening to a good Hooker set is kind of like a night at the bar after about 8-9 rounds of Guinness. There is no way in hell that you are going to make that 10th round a Smirnoff Ice. That's why I have never really been able to include any John Lee tunes on any mix tapes or compilations. Really, what are you going to follow them up with?

This disc is no exception, and I would even say that this might be the best intro to Hooker for the money. The Cafe Au-Go-Go portion is nothing less than smoking. 'Bad Like Jesse James' pretty much speaks for itself, and is absolutely BEGGING to be included on next season's Sopranos soundtrack. 'Heartaches and Misery' is scorching, and 'When My First Wife Left Me' is so sick that you should have to have written permission to listen to it. And, are you kidding me, Muddy-freaking-Waters is playing guitar on these tracks?
But as astounding as the first part of this disc is, the second part, recorded live at Soledad Prison, might be the real cream of the crop. You can feel the gears being shifted as Hook's band kicks into 'What's the Matter Baby,' which in itself blows away all the tracks on the first part of the album. The very next track, 'Lucille,' only makes things worse with its nasty guitar solo. But the real gem of the entire record is the second to last track, 'It Serves Me Right to Suffer.' When Hooker starts complaining of a broken heart, you almost expect it. But when he explains that his doctor has written him a "destription" for "gin-milk-cream&alcohol" to soothe his nerves, you just know everything is going to be all right.
The bottom line is this is a collection of two classic performances by one of the great performers of the 20th Century (regardless of genre). Snatch it up NOW, you will not be disappointed! R.I.P. Johhny Lee!...

This CD reissue combines John Lee Hooker's "Live At The Cafe Au Go-Go" album with five songs from his "Live At Soledad Prison" LP (the other two songs from that LP had John Lee Hooker, jr. doing lead vocals, which is probably why they aren't included).

The eight Cafe Au Go-Go-tracks feature Muddy Waters and his band backing John Lee Hooker, and Hooker performs some of his best songs in rough, tough arrangements, topped by his hoarse, expressive baritone voice.
It's a little bit unusual to hear the Hook backed by a full band, but the arrangements work very well, and Hooker is in no way overwhelmed by the presence of three more guitarists (Muddy Waters, Sammy Lawhorn and Luther Johnson), and pianist Otis Spann.

Highlights include a truly menacing "I'm Bad Like Jesse James", a swaggering, swinging "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", a tremendous, slow "I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive", and a soulful "When My First Wife Left Me", to which Otis Spann adds some truly magnificent piano playing.
On the Soledad tracks, which are also band-backed, Hooker lays down great renditions of "What's The Matter Baby" and "It Serves Me Right To Suffer", with the twin lead guitars of Luther Tucker and Charlie Grimes smouldering behind him.
"Lucille" is a great, mid-tempo boogie, and "Bang Bang Bang Bang" an alternative version of "Boom Boom", which rocks every bit as much as the MTV version did twenty years later.

If your idea of what the blues should sound like is latter-day B.B. King or Robert Cray, this might not be your thing. These recordings are far from polished and very much full of grit, but if you like your blues raw and ragged, this is indeed the real deal. One of the finest, most autenthic live blues records I have ever heard.

I own several John Lee CDs, and I think this one is my favorite. The sound quality is surprisingly good considering the time and venues of the recording, and it's chock full of Hooker's forte - slow, somber, powerful blues. It's hard even to pick out the best tracks - the quality is extroardinary throughout.

This is my favorite live recording of early John Lee Hooker material. The CD has two different live recordings. The first eight tracks were recorded at The Cafe au Go-GO in in 1966. The last five tracks were recorded inside Soledad Prison in 1972. The last song on the CD, "Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang" which was changed later in his career to "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom", is probably the best recording of this song that I have heard on any of Hooker's CDs. This recording is raw, rough, and powerful, just like the man himself!

John was right, way back in 1966, when he first sang the song (also on this CD) "I'll Never Get Out of These Blues Alive." Rest in Peace, I drink one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer to you.

John Lee Hooker is a rarity in the way in which his piercing vocals accompany his sudden and direct guitar perfectly, leaving the listener with either an achy stomach or bouncing feet. In the Cafe au Go-Go recordings, Hooker demonstrates his possessed style in songs "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" and "Heartaches and Misery." Then the listener is thrust into the boogie at Soledad Prison beggining with the soul driven "What's The Matter Baby" and ending with the bumbin' "Bang Bang Bang Bang," where the guitar work between Hooker and Hooker Jr. echoes the style of Hendrix in "Driving South". In the middle of these two is the addictive, heart-driven duet between Hooker and his son John Lee Hooker, Jr. in "Boogie Everywhere I Go" and the incredible downer classic "Serve Me Rigth To Suffer." The recordings are a force to be reckoned. Possibly the greatest blues recordings I have ever heard, John Lee Hooker demonstrates his everlasting effect on musicians to come and as long as you keep your ears open, you will experience John Lee Hooker.

Miles Davis once told John Lee that, "You sound like you're buried up to your neck in mud" (that's a good thing if you tell the blues). This CD is deep. Raw. Painful. In fact, "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" hits so hard that you get scared just listening to the song. This live compilation, especially the 8 tracks from the Cafe au Go-Go which are backed by Muddy Waters band (yeah, THAT Muddy Waters), is a must-own for anyone who wants to experience the depth and power of John Lee Hooker. This is the blues in its finest 70 minutes. Awesome.

What you see (or hear) is what you get! It doesn't get much better than this. If I were to pick any album that best represents John Lee, this would be the one! From the Cafe' au Go-Go set, to the Soledad Prison this will leave the listener begging for more! I love the intro to "Lucille", the mood of "Im Bad Like Jesse James", to the groove of "Boogie Everywhere I Go". On this track there is one section about six minutes in where they play in a pocket that would stop a Union Pacific freight train! A highly recommended venture!

Hearing John Lee Hooker backed by the Muddy Water's band from the 1960's is a real treat. The version of "I'm Bad Like Jessie James" that opens the CD is one of the most menacing songs I've ever heard; John Lee describes in detail how he will "take care of" a former friend he took in who went around town telling everybody that he slept with John Lee's wife. This song is a perfect example of how John Lee Hooker was the personification of badass. John Lee also runs through some of his classics like "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" and "Bang Bang Bang Bang". I prefer the Cafe Au Go Go set to the Soledad Prison set, but both sets are worth hearing and are full of good performances from John Lee and the band. This is definitely worth getting if you are fan of John Lee Hooker or the blues.

Classic John Lee. Worth it just for "Bad Like Jesse James".....gives me chills....