I began listening to Canned Heat in late February.
Canned Heat (1967): B+
Boogie with Canned Heat (1968): C+
Living the Blues (1968): C-
Hallelujah (1969): C+
Future Blues (1970): B-
John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat: Hooker 'n Heat (1971): B-
Canned Heat (1967):
Launched within a community of blues enthusiasts from California, Canned Heat is one of the most authentic white blues outfits of the mid-60s. They breath the blues, named themselves after a classic song by blues legend Tommy Johnson, and were instrumental in the rediscovery of many blues legends. Their musicianship is excellent and though their debut consists solely of covers, Vestine and Wilson’s guitar work and their favor for short interpretations are good signs that they'll soon further separate them stylistically from much of the blues they're pulling from. For now, however, as important as it is to their success, their reverence is also what's holding them back. B+
Boogie with Canned Heat (1968):
Canned Heat moved so quickly to common psychedelic cliches--have they listened to anything besides Are You Experienced since their last LP?--and meandering jamming that this album at first seemed to be one of the most indulgent examples of 60s psychedelic music ever released. But behind the fuzzed-out guitar, the blues influence keeps their songs grounded and their psychedelic sounds more unique than most of their California buddies. Nevertheless, a horrendous jam called "Fried Hockey Boogie" ends the track-list and leaves the hopeful worried that they'll soon desert all the good they have left. C+
Living the Blues (1968):
Side one is another C+ attempt and just as on the last one, Alan Wilson is the only one bringing something worthwhile to the table. The next three sides see my worst fears for this band come true. Side two is mostly made up of a stupid 20 minute studio suite while a single live jam stretches both sides three and four. This is exploitation, a sad way to earn an extra buck. C-
Hallelujah (1969):
Alan Wilson now takes four leads vocals, which makes this album a lot better than the two previous albums. But although there are no extended jams, all of Hite's songs are still dumb, indulgent, or boring. C+
Future Blues (1970):
For the first time since their debut, some of Hite's recordings impress but I'm most impressed with the band's alignment with Harvey Mandel. Vestine showed a lot more potential but he quickly turned into a gross showboat; Mandel is fine with sitting back with the rhythm section and just doing his job. I don't see what the big deal is with their version of "Let's Work Together" and even Wilson's songs aren't as inspired as they've been in the past but this is undeniably the best work they offered since their debut. B-
John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat: Hooker 'n Heat (1971):
The first two sides of this LP are Hooker playing electric guitar, sometimes with the accompaniment of Alan Wilson. By side three and four, the rest of the band joins in. I anticipated that this collaboration would be fairly worthwhile but alas I was wrong. Although Wilson's harmonica is often stellar (as Hooker points out), the album isn't as strong as it should be. Hooker is in pretty good shape but none of his solo songs are exceptional and when the band joins in, it's forgettable. B-
