Mileage

John Hammond | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder
• ASIN: B00000032E
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,147 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. My Babe

2. Standing Around Crying

3. Riding in the Moonlight

4. Big 45

5. Seventh Son

6. Red Hot Kisses

7. Help Me

8. It Hurts Me Too

9. 32-20 Blues

10. You'll Miss Me

11. Mr. Luck

12. Hot Tamales

13. Diddley Daddy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine straight-ahead effort, July 26, 2000

By 

Tyler Smith (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mileage (Audio CD)

Hammond has been out there a long time, and he has earned his spurs as a straight-from-the-heart interpreter of the blues. "Mileage" is one of many fine albums he's released over the past 30-plus years, and it will make a fine addition to your blues library.

Hammond delivers the goods, as usual, on both guitar and harmonica, and he effectively adds piano and drums for some tunes. His best moments come when he gets a chance to show off his rough, exciting voice, most notably on "Red Hot Kisses" and "Hot Tamales." Another high point is his rendition of the classic "Standin' Around Cryin'," which he delivers with heartfelt emotion, both vocally and on harmonica.

Hammond reprises some earlier material on "Mileage," which he has tended to do on albums throughout his career, and his rework of "Seventh Son" probably could have afforded to be shelved. Still, leftovers sometimes taste better than first servings, and this is the case on "Help Me," originally recorded on the unfortunately deleted Columbia release "Source Point." I loved the tune in its original form, but Hammond improves on it on this album. It's a simmering blues boiler that sustains a sense of tension and menace from start to finish.

Listeners not familiar with Hammonds' work will find "Mileage" to be a useful starting point. His is an authentic blues voice that is fortunately still going strong.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixing it up, April 28, 2009

By 

Christopher Bushman (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mileage (Audio CD)

Mileage finds John Hammond treading the middle path, not a solo acoustic set nor a full-blown blues rock effort. The drums, bass and piano combo backing him here provides spare accompaniment on a tour through the blues cannon.

Personal favorites here are a wonderful, wrenching acoustic take on It Hurts Me, the rollicking opener My Babe and a joyous tip of the hat to Bo Diddley to close out the record.

All John Hammond releases are worthwhile and this one is a keeper too.