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BLUES & GOSPEL
 Lightnin' Hopkins

LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS
THE HOPKINS BROTHERS		 LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS, BROWNIE & SONNY
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS/ MEMPHIS SLIM
 

 

LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Ace CDCHM 546 California Mudslide (And Earthquake) ● CD $13.98
Excellent set recorded in 1969 and originally issued on Vault 129 - produced by outstanding blues producer Bruce Bromberg. Lightnin' was in great form singing and playing electric guitar, piano and, on one cut, organ. The opening song is one of those wonderful topical songs Sam was able to come up with at a moments notice. There are revamped versions of some of the songs he had recorded in the 40s & 50s Rosie Mae (a version of his classic Katie Mae), New Santa Fe/ No Education. Easy On Your Heels is one of those wonderfully infectious boogies and his electric organ playing on the almost wordless spiritual Jesus, Would You Come By Here is wonderfully moving and effective. Excellent! (FS)

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Ace CDCHD 697 Jake Head Boogie ● CD $18.98
31 tracks, 79 mins, essential
At last, the classic recordings that Lightnin' made for RPM in the late 40s and early 50s are finally on CD. This is truly incredible music by one of the great blues originals. Most of these sides were recorded at Bill Quinn's Gold Star studios in Houston. 13 of these were issued on RPM 78s in the early 50s, additional titles showed up on a Crown LP in 1961, some more turned up on a Kent LP in 1970 and still more were found by P-Vine Records in Japan and issued on a CD in 1998. This disc has all these recordings plus a few additional alternate takes unearthed by Ace. With the exception of the alternate takes of Candy Kitchen and Needed Time every track is a gem and includes such great performances as Jake Head Boogie/ Lonesome Dog Blues/ Santa Fe/ War News Blues/ Candy Kitchen/ Give Me Back That Wig/ Everyday I have The Blues/ Needed Time/ Drifting Blues/ Last Affair, etc. The tracks originally issued on 78 rpm often had excessive artificial reverb added - wherever possible, Ace have used the original acetates which sound much better as they only had the natural room echo. At 79 minutes this is one of the longest CDs out there but the time just flies by! (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Another Fool In Town/ Bad Luck And Trouble/ Bad Luck And Trouble (Previously Unissued - Short Take)/ Beggin' You To Stay/ Black Cat/ Candy Kitchen/ Candy Kitchen (With Guitar OverDub)/ Don't Keep My Baby Long/ Drifting Blues/ Everyday I Have The Blues/ Everyday I Have The Blues (Previously Unissued Short Take)/ Give Me Back That Wig/ Give Me Back That Wig/ House Upon The Hill/ Jake Head Boogie/ Jake Head Boogie/ Last Affair/ Last Affair (Previously Unissued - Short Take)/ Lonesome Dog Blues/ Lonesome Dog Blues/ Mistreater Blues/ Mistreater Blues/ Needed Time/ Needed Time/ One Kind Favor/ Santa Fe/ Someday Baby (Worried Life)/ Tell Me Pretty Mama/ Ticket Agent/ Ticket Agent/ War News Blues

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Arhoolie 302 Texas Blues ● CD $12.98
16 superb tracks from the king of of Texas country blues recorded between 1961 and '69 and previously available on Arhoolie 1011, 1034, 1039 and 1063.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Bald Headed Woman/ Black And Evil/ Bud Russell Blues/ Come On Baby/ Have You Ever Loved A Woman/ I Would If I Could/ Love Like A Hydrant/ Mama's Fight/ Meet You At The Chicken Shack/ Money Taker/ My Woman/ Once Was A Gambler/ Send My Child Home To Me/ Slavery Time/ Tom Moore Blues/ Watch My Fingers

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Arhoolie 330 The Gold Star Sessions, Vol. 1 ● CD $12.98
Texas singer/ guitarist Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins was possibly the greatest country blues artist to record in the post war era. He was a truly creative genius with a knack for original observations of the world around him, he was a wonderful singer and a unique guitarist with an immediately recognizable style in which every notes seems to be a blue note! His recordings for Bill Quinn's Gold Star label in Houston, Texas between 1947 and 1950 are among his finest and these two exemplary discs represent almost his entire output for the label and includes quite a few titles not originally issued on 78 rpm though many were subsequently issued on Arhoolie. Although quite a few songs are traditional or learned from Lightnin's close associate Texas Alexander they are all transformed into something that is pure Lightnin'. Wherever possible the recordings on these discs were taken from the original 16" acetates the songs were recorded on though some had to be dubbed from 78s rpm or other LPs. Most of the tracks are just Lightnin' accompanied by his own guitar though there are two tracks with second guitar by his brother Joel, two with Frankie Lee Sims on slide guitar, three on which Sam plays some very effective organ and two where he is accompanied by a jazzy trio with Lightnin' trying to play T. Bone style blues guitar - and almost succeeding. Because the chronology of Lightnin's Gold Star recordings is uncertain no attempt has been made to order the songs chronologically but rather for listening pleasure. It is impossible to pick one of the discs over the other - both are essential. The first includes Short Haired Woman/ Going Home Blues/ Big Mama Jump/ Seems Funny Baby/ Grosebeck Bllues/ Lightning Boogie/ Goodbye Blues/ Fast Life Woman/ You Don't Know/ Somebody Got To Go/ Mad With You and others including his remarkable protest song Tim Moore's Blues. The second volume includes Walking Blues/ Ida Mae/ Automobile Blues/ All I Got Is Gone/ European Blues/ Lonesome Home/ Lightning Blues/ Rollin' Woman Blues/ T-Model Blues/ Ain't It A Shame/ Untrue Blues/ Jackstropper Blues, etc. In all 48 truly classic country blues recordings. Sound is generally very good and there are informative notes by Chris Strachwitz. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Airplane Blues/ Automobile Blues/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Big Mama Jump/ Death Bells/ Fast Life Woman/ Going Home Blues/ Goodbye Blues/ Grosebeck Blues/ Lightning Boogie/ Loretta Blues/ Mad With You/ Racetrack Blues/ Seems Funny Baby/ Short Haired Woman/ Somebody Got To Go/ Thunder And Lightning Blues (Coolin' Board LIGHTNIN'/ Tim Moore's Farm/ Traveler's Blues/ Treat Me Kind/ Unkind Blues/ Unsuccessful Blues/ You Don't Know/ Zolo Go (Zydeco)
 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Arhoolie 337 The Gold Star Sessions, Vol. 2 ● CD $12.98
See above review.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Ain't It A Shame/ All I Got Is Gone/ Appetite Blues/ Automobile Blues/ European Blues/ Glory B. Blues/ Grievance Blues/ Hammond Boogie/ Henny Penny Blues/ Ida May/ Jackstropper Blues/ Jail House Blues/ Lightning Blues/ Lonesome Home/ Mercy/ No Mail Blues/ Old Woman Blues/ Rollin' Woman Blues/ Shining Moon/ T-Model Blues/ Untrue Blues/ Walking Blues/ What Can It Be/ Whiskey Blues

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Arhoolie 390 Lightnin'! ● CD $12.98
Recommended The ever-prolific Sam Hopkins never was greater than in his early Aladdin and Gold Star recordings, but nearly all of his most ferocious and direct later performances were cut for Chris Strachwitz, who founded Arhoolie at least in part to record Hopkins. Most of these tracks, recorded from 1967 to '69, appeared on original Arhoolie LPs, but Lightnin' ups the ante considerably on these recordings. The small band here is supportive and suggestive; Strachwitz and Hopkins' accompanists encourage performances that are among Lightnin's loosest and least affected of the period. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: / Ain't It Crazy/ Annie's Boogie/ At Home Blues/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Come On Baby/ Cut Me Out Baby/ Good Times Here, Better Down The Road/ Hello Central/ Hold Up Your Head/ I Hear You Calling Me/ Little And Low/ Little Antoinette/ Little Girl/ Mojo Hand/ My Starter Won't Start This Morning/ One Kind Favor I Ask Of You/ Rock Me Baby/ Take A Walk/ Trouble In Mind/ What'd I Say?

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Arhoolie 403 Po' Lightnin' ● CD $12.98
More fine sides from the Arhoolie vaults.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Brand New Lock/ Burnin' In L.A./ California Showers/ Candy Kitchen/ Do The Boogie/ Gin Bottle Blues/ Goin' Out Number/ Hurricane Carla & Esther/ I'm Leaving You Now/ Ice Storm Blues/ Jesus Will You Come By Here/ My Baby's Gone/ Please Settle In Vietnam/ Selling Wine In Arizona/ Speedin' Boogie/ Up On Telegraph Avenue/ Wake Up Old Maid/ Wine Drinking Woman/ Wipe Your Feet On The Floor

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Arhoolie 499 The Best Of Lightnin' Hopkins ● CD $12.98
17 track compilation of the great Texas bluesman - seven tracks recorded for Gold Star between 1947 and 1951 and the rest recorded for Arhoolie between 1961 and '69. Includes Whiskey Blues/Grosebeck Blus/ Mojo Hand/ Jesus Will You Come By Her/ Tim Moore's Farm/ Big Mama Jump/ Bald Headed Woman/ Zolo Go/ Short Haired Woman/ Once Was A Gambler, etc.

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Blues Collection 157 792 Forever ● CD $13.98
Some of the last recordings of the great Texas bluesman cut live in Houston in 1981 with bassist Larry Martin and drummer Andy McCobb. Lightnin' was in good form playing some heavily amplified guitar on a selection of mostly familiar pieces like Watch Yourself/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Mojo Hand/ Trouble In Mind. Recording quality is not very good and Lightnin's vocals are pretty much buried. Worthwhile but a long way from a being a significant release of this great artist. (FS)
 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Candid 79010 Lightnin' In New York ● CD $12.98
8 tracks, 43 mins, highly recommended
Available again as an inexpensive U.S. release but lacking the six bonus cuts that are on the Japanese reissue (P-Vine 2356 - $23.98). This session was cut for Nat Hentoff's Candid label in New York in 1960. Lightnin' was just beginning to come to the attention of a white folk audience and was in great form singing, playing acoustic guitar and piano and, on one track, playing guitar and piano together! Songs include such magnificent slow blues as Take It easy/. Your own fault Baby and Wonder Why along with his risqué boogie Mighty Crazy and the tremendous story song Mister Charlie. The sound is fabulous with lots of presence on Lightnin's vocals and instruments. If you can afford it, it's worth getting the Japanese issue but, if not, this is a most worthwhile purchase. (FS)

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5111 Mojo Hand ● CD $11.98
9 Fire label sides from 1960. Also available as a more expensive Japanese import with extra tracks. Includes Mojo Hand/ Awful Dream/ Black Mare Trot/ Have You Ever Loved A Woman and more.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Awful Dream/ Black Mare Trot/ Coffee For Mama/ Glory Bee/ Have You Ever Loved A Woman/ Mojo Hand/ Santa/ Shine On Moon!/ Sometimes She Will

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5121 The Herald Recordings 1954 ● CD $11.98
Lightnin's Herald sides are the rawest, rockinest records he ever produced. Previously released as 2 LP's on Diving Duck, then on Collectables as a condensed single record, and now on CD at last, although the selection here is the same as the LP. If you're not afraid of Lightnin's raunchy guitar grinding out the hard boogie in front of a stripped down and sweaty band, this is for you. Highly recommended. (MB)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Blues For My Cookie/ Don't Think 'Cause You're Pretty/ Evil Hearted Woman/ Flash Lightnin'/ Hear Me Talkin'/ Hopkins' Sky Hop/ Life I Used To Live/ Lightnin' Don't Feel Well/ Lightnin's Boogie/ Lightnin's Stomp/ Lonesome In Your Home/ My Baby's Gone/ My Little Kewpie Doll/ Nothin' But The Blues/ Shine On Moon/ Sick Feelin' Blues/ Sittin' Down Thinkin'

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5143 From The Vaults Of Everest, Part 1 : Drinkin' In The B ● CD $11.98
16 tracks recorded for Tradition and Society in 1959 and '60.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Ball Of Twine/ Big Black Cadillac Blues/ Brand New Car/ Coffee House Blues/ Drinkin' In The Blues/ Early In The Mornin' Blues/ Fugitive Blues/ G String Blues/ Goin' To Dallas/ Grandma Told Grandpa/ I've Been Buked And Scored/ Last Night/ Rain/ Shake It Baby/ Shining Moon/ Stool Pidgeon

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5144 From The Vaults Of Everest, Part 2 : Prison Blues ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Baby!/ Backwater Blues/ Bluebird Bluebird/ Dillon's Store/ Goin' Back Home/ Gonna' Pull A Party/ Good Times/ Keep Movin' On/ Long Gone Like A Turkey/ Long Time/ Prison Blues Come Down On Me/ Rainy Day Blues/ See See Rider/ That's My Story/ Til The Gin Gets Here/ Worrying My Mind

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5145 From The Vaults Of Everest, Part 3 : Mama & Papa Hopkins ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: 75 Highway/ Bottle Up And Go/ Bunion Stew/ Don't Wake Me/ Get Off My Toe/ Go Down Old Hannah/ Hear My Black Dog Bark/ In The Evening, The Sun Is Going Down/ Mama And Papa Hopkins/ Short Haired Woman/ That Gambling Life/ The Food Race Is On/ Trouble In Mind/ What Did I Say/ When The Saints Go Marching In/ You Got To Work To Get Your Pay

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5146 From The Vaults Of Everest, Part 4 : Nothin' But The Blues ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Big Car Blues/ Cotton/ Guitar Lightnin'/ Hurricane Betsy/ I'll Be Gone/ Little Waif/ Mojo Hand/ Nothin' But The Blues/ Santa Fe Blues/ Shaggy Dog/ Shake Yourself/ So Long Baby/ Take Me Back/ Talk Of The Town/ Woke Up This Morning

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5181 The Herald Recordings, Vol. 2 ● CD $11.98
14 tracks, 35 min., recommended. Lightnin's Herald sides are the rawest, rockinest records he ever produced. Previously released as 2 LP's on Diving Duck, then on Collectables as a condensed single record, and now on 2 CD's at last, although the first volume (#5121) was issued long ago. If you're not afraid of raunchy guitar grinding out the hard boogie in front of a stripped down and sweaty band, this is for you. Numerous instrumentals, and two slamming blues featuring singer Ruth Ames are plusses. They could have put all 28 cuts on one CD (and earned an essential rating), but that's the way it goes. (MB)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Blues Is A Mighty Bad Feeling/ Boogie Woogie Dance/ Don't Need No Job/ Early Mornin' Boogie/ Finally Met My Baby/ Grandma's Boogie/ Had A Gal Called Sal/ I Love You Baby/ Let's Move/ Lightnin's Special/ Please Don't Go Baby/ Remember Me/ Shine On Moon/ That's Alright Baby

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5203 The Lost Texas Tapes, Vol 1 ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: From Man To Man/ I Wish I Was A Baby/ Lightnins Love/ Little Boy Blue/ Take It If You Want It/ That Man From New York City/ The Crazy Song

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5204 The Lost Texas Tapes, Vol 2 ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Gonna Move Off This Street/ Help Yourself (Christmastime)/ How Can You Love Me And Another Man Too/ I Got A Letter/ Let's Work Awhile/ The Jet/ This Time We're Gonna Try

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5205 The Lost Texas Tapes, Vol 3 ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Chicken Mary/ Goin' To Heaven When I Die/ I Heard My Baby Crying/ My Baby Laid Out All Night/ Rock Me Late At Night/ Sam's Blues/ You And Your Man Don't Get Along

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 5206 The Lost Texas Tapes, Vol 4 ● CD $11.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Baby Don't Tear My Clothes/ Little Rose/ Load The Train/ Love Me Or Leave Me/ Possum Hunt/ Sam And Curley Talking/ Sam Talking And Strumming/ Sam Talking To The Group/ With You On My Mind

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Collectables 7128 Lightnin' Strikes ● CD $11.98
Reissue of Vee-Jay 1044 from 1962. This features two great and chaotic sides featuring Lightnin' on electric guitar with Elmore Nixon on piano and Ivory Semien on drums on Got Me A Louisiana Woman and the topical War Is Starting Again and eight excellent acoustic cuts froma 1962 session - Mary Lou/ Rolling And Rolling/ Please Don't Quit Me/ Heavy Snow and others.

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Document DOCD 5609 The Remaining Titles, Vol. 1 : 1950-1961 ● CD $15.98
25 tracks, 73 mins, essential
A wonderful collection of rarities from this great Texas country bluesman that are not on any other CDs. During the period of these recordings (1950-1961), Lightnin' could do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. The set opens with three beautiful cuts from 1950 that were not originally issued on 78. There are several cuts with bassist Donald Cook and some accompaniments to fine vocalist L.C. Williams. It includes all four of his 1955 sides for TNT which features some of his most exciting electric guitar work and one of his last commercial singles for the Chart label in 1956 and the set winds up with a never before issued acetate from 1961, a sung reply to a letter from an Austrian enthusiast. And much more. All of it great music to treasure. (FS)

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Ember EMBCD 006 Remember Me ● CD $15.98
26 tracks, 75 mins, essential
At last, all of Lightnin's great Herald recordings from 1954 together on one CD with excellent sound. You can now throw out those Collectables CDs with their omissions and duplications and less than stellar sound. These are among his last commercial recordings and find him somewhat adapting to the times with heavier amplification on his guitar and accompaniment throughout by bassist Donald Cooks and drummer Ben Turner. The result is some of his fiercest and most intense recordings particularly on the second session where he really cranks up the volume and adds some distortion. Whether he is singing introspective slow blues like Lonesome In Your Home/ Sittin' Down Thinkin'/ Don't Think Cause You're Pretty/ Sick Feeling Blues/ Evil Hearted Woman and the appropriately titled Nothin' But the Blues or letting loose with raucous rockers like Grandma's Boogie/ Don't Need No Job/ They Wonder Who I Am and My Little Kewpie it's all down home Texas blues at it's very finest. Even if you've already got a whole lot of Lightnin' you've got to have this one too. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Blues For My Cookie/ Don't Need No Job/ Don't Think 'cause You're Pretty/ Early Mornin' Boogie/ Evil Hearted Woman/ Finally Met By Baby/ Grandma's Boogie/ Had A Gal Called Sal/ Hopkins' Sky Hop/ I Love You Baby/ Life Is Used To Live/ Lightnin's Boogie/ Lightnin's Special/ Lonesome In Your Home/ Moving On Out Boogie/ My Baby's Gone/ My Little Kewpie Doll/ Nothin' But The Blues/ Please Don't Go Baby/ Remember Me/ Shine On Moon/ Sick Feeling Blues/ Sittin' Here Thinkin'/ That's Alright Baby/ They Wonder Who I Am/ Wonder What Is Wrong With Me

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Fantasy 24702 Double Blues ● CD $16.98
2-LP reissue on one CD featuring Prestige recordings. Mostly "folk blues" material but still worthwhile.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Black Ghost Blues/ Darling, Do You Remember Me?/ I Asked The Bossman/ I Got Tired/ I Mean Goodbye/ I Was Standing on 75 Highway/ I Woke Up This Morning/ I'm A Crawling Black Snake/ I'm Going To Build Me a Heaven of My Own/ I'm Taking A Devil of a Chance/ Just A Wristwatch On My Arm/ Let's Go Sit On the Lawn/ Lonesome Graveyard/ My Babe/ Rocky Mountain Blues/ The Howling Wolf/ Too Many Drivers

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Indigo 537 Rainy Day In Houston ● CD $13.98
20 track compilation of sides recorded by the great Texas bluesman. Most of these have been out before. It includes two of his fabulous TNT sides from 1955 (also on Document 5609), three chaotic sides from '61 with Elmore Nixon/piano, five from January, 1968 with Billy Bizor/ harmonica and ten from April '68 with a small group. The '68 sessions come from the vaults of Roy Ames and have been issued on a variety of labels over the years. If you don't already have them they are certainly worth having though certainly not among Lightnin's best.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: A Man Like Me Is Hard To Find/ Born In The Bottoms/ Cryin' For Bread/ Go Ahead/ Good As Old Time Religion/ Got Me A Louisiana Woman/ I Feel Like Balling The Jack/ I Went To Louisiana/ I Wonder Where She Can Be Tonight/ Late In the Evening/ Lightning Jump/ Mojo Hand/ Old Man/ Pine Gum Boogie/ Rainy Day In Houston/ The World's In A Tangle/ Vietnam War/ Wake Up The Dead/ War Is Starting Again/ You Just Gotta Miss Me

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Just A Memory RSCD 009 The Rising Sun Collection ● CD $11.98
Good set of Lightnin' recorded live in Canada in 1977 accompanied by bass and drums. Lightnin' is in good shape and seems to be enjoying himself playing tough electric guitar - Trouble In Mind/ Cook My Breakfast/ get Up/ Goin' To Louisiana/ Lightnin's Boogie/ Early In The Morning/ Rock Me Baby and others. (FS)

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Original Blues Classics 506 Blues In My Bottle ● CD $11.98
Good acoustic set originally issued as Bluesville 1045 in 1961 - Lightnin' is in good form on a mixture of blues standards and fine originals - Buddy Brown's Blues/ Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On/ Death Bells/ Jailhouse Blues, etc
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Beans, Beans, Beans/ Blues In My Bottle/ Buddy Brown's Blues/ Catfish Blues/ DC-7/ Death Bells/ Going To Dallas To See My Pony Run/ Jailhouse Blues/ My Grandpa Is Old Too!/ Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On/ Wine Spodee-O-Dee

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Original Blues Classics 532 Lightnin' ● CD $11.98
Reissue of Bluesville 1019 - Automobile Blues/ Mean Old Frisco/ Walkin' Blues/ Down There Baby and 6 more.

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Original Blues Classics 563 Swarthmore Concert ● CD $11.98
13 tracks. 52 min. (despite what the packaging says), essential. Recorded at the Swathmore College Folk Festival, in Swathmore, PA, in 1964, and previously available only as part of the 7-disc Prestige/Bluesville box set, this concert is superb. Not only are the performances of Mojo Hand/ Short Haired Woman/ My Black Cadillac/ It's Crazy/ My Black Cadillac/Mean Old Frisco/ Trouble In Mind/ I'm A Stranger, mesmerizing, but the story intros are often equally amazing, sometimes running longer than the song itself. It's just Sam and his guitar and that's plenty. Sound quality is unusually good. So why'd they leave this one in the can for so long? (JC)

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Prestige 4406 The Complete Prestige/ Bluesville Recordings ● CD $95.98
A 7 CD box set of Lightnin' Hopkins seems like a dream come true but after hearing it I come away with mixed feelings. Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins was one of the greatest country bluesmen on record. Born in Texas in 1912 he was influenced by the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Texas Alexander but when he started to record in 1946 he came up with a style that, though drawing on older influences, was very much Sam's alone and one that was to be an influence on other performers. He was a tremendous singer with a powerful rich vocal style that was alternately warm or aggressive. His guitar style was also unique - on the surface simple but full of creative ideas and imaginative use of dynamics. He was also a creative songwriter who not only sang songs of love troubles and joys but also commented on current events and in certain settings could spontaneously create songs about events around him. He was one of the few country blues singer to have rhythm and blues hits. Most of his commercial recordings for small R&B companies were made with an electric guitar and part of the power of Lightnin's music was in the way he used the dynamics of the electric instrument. When he was discovered by a white audience in the late 60s it was considered by certain folklorists and jazz entrepreneurs that country blues meant acoustic instruments and so bluesmen like Sam were asked to play acoustic guitar even though they may have been more comfortable with the electric instrument. And that is part of the problem with this collection - of the 112 performances here (his entire recorded output for Bluesville and Prestige), more than 80 feature Sam on acoustic guitar. Many of them feature him with a jazz bassist (Leonard Gaskin) and drummer (Belton Evans or Herbie Lovelle) who set up a metronomic rhythm behind Lightnin's loose rhythmic pattern which proves to be very irritating in the large doses we get here. The sessions without accompaniment are better and there are a couple of Houston sessions with electric guitar and some of Lightnin's local friends who provide a chaotic but more appropriate accompaniment though Billy Bizor's harmonica work is erratic at best. On the positive side we do get here the full range of material that Lightnin' had at his command including blues standards (Rocky Mountain/ Mean Old Frisco/ Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes/ Blues In The Bottle/ Too Many Drivers), remakes of some of his older recordings (Automobile Blues/ Katie Mae/ Jackstropper Blues/ Coffee Blues/ Mojo Hand), reworkings of traditional material (Goin' To Dallas To See My Pony Run/ Beans, Beans, Beans/ Shinin' Moon/ Catfish Blues) and, of course, Lightnin's own perspective on his life and the world around him (DC-7/ Happy Blues For John Glenn/ The Twister) and also some odd items like a verbal sparring contest with Sonny Terry on the first session where Sonny adds some welcome harp and Lightnin's imaginary conversation with Ray Charles on his whimsical reworking of Charles's What'd I Say called Me And Ray Charles! The set also includes a lengthy and fascinating interview of Lightnin' by Sam Charters from a long out of print 2 LP set and 13 songs from a previously unissued live concert at Swarthmore College in 1964. Sound is excellent though on one session there is a disturbing rattle on the strings which is even more noticeable in the digital domain. The set comes with a 30 page booklet with somewhat self serving notes by Sam Charters and some nice photos though the presentation of the discographical information in confusing. No doubt this is a nicely put together collection with all the right motives - I just think the material is not of a high enough quality to require such lavish treatment and a 3 or 4 disc set of the highlights would be more appropriate. If you wonder how much better Lightnin' could be in the 60s check out his Arhoolie releases or his Candid (an acoustic session but an inspired one!) and his classic 40s and 50s recordings are reissued on Arhoolie, Mainstream and Collectables with an EMI set coming soon. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Ain't It Crazy/ Angel Child/ Automobile Blues/ Baby Don't You Tear My Clother/ Baby, PLease Don't Go - Live/ Back To New Orleans/ Beans, Beans, Beans/ Black Cadillac/ Black Gal/ Black Ghost Blues/ Blues In The Bottle/ Blues Is A Feeling/ Buddy Brown's Blues (98 Degree Blues)/ Business You're Doin'/ Catfish Blues/ Coffee Blues/ Come Back Baby/ Come Go Home With Me - Live/ Conversation Blues/ DC-7/ Darling, Do You Remember Me?/ Death Blues/ Don't Embarrass Me, Babe/ Down There Baby/ Everything/ Get It Straight/ Goin' Away/ Goin' To Dallas To See My Pony Run/ Good Morning Little School Girl/ Got Nowhere To Lay My Head/ Got To Move Your Baby/ Green Onion - Live/ Happy Blues For John Glenn/ Hard To Love A Woman/ Have You Ever Been Mistreated/ How Many More Years I Got To Let You Dog Me Around/ I Asked The Bossman/ I Do My First Record And Get My Name/ I Don't Want To Do Nothing To You/ I First Come Into Houston/ I Got A Leak In This Old Building/ I Got Tired/ I Growed Up With The Blues/ I Learn About The Blues/ I Like To Boogie/ I Mean Goodbye/ I Meet Texas Alexander/ I Was Down On Dowling Street/ I Was Standing On 75 Highway/ I Woke Up This Morning/ I Work Down On The Chain Gang/ I'm A Crawling Black Snake/ I'm A Stranger - Live/ I'm Going To Build Me A Heaven Of My Own/ I'm Taking A Devil Of A Chance/ I'm Wit' It/ Ida Mae/ In The Evening/ It's Crazy - Live/ Jackstropper Blues/ Jailhouse Blues/ Just A Wristwatch On My Arm/ Just Boogyin'/ Katie Mae/ Last Night Blues/ Last Night I Lost The Best Friend I Ever Had/ Let's Do The Suzie Q/ Let's Go Sit On The Lawn/ Lightnin's Stroke/ Little Sister's Boogie/ Lonesome Graveyard/ Mama Blues/ Me And Ray Charles/ Mean Old Frisco/ Mean Old Frisco - Live/ Meet Me In The Bottom/ Mojo Hand/ Mojo Hand - Live/ My Babe/ My Babe - Live/ My Baby Don't Stand No Cheating/ My Black Cadillac - Live/ My Black Name/ My Family/ My Grandpa Is Old Too!/ My Thoughts On The Blues/ Pneumonia Blues/ Prison Farm Blues/ Rocky Mountain/ Rocky Mountain Blues/ Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On/ Shinin' Moon/ Short Haired Woman - Live/ Sinner's Prayer/ Smokes Like Lightning/ So Sorry To Leave You/ Stranger Here/ Sun Goin' Down/ T Model Blues/ Take A Trip With Me/ Take Me Back/ The Devil Jumped The Black Man/ The Fox Chase/ The Howling Wolf/ The Twister - Live/ The Walkin' Blues/ They Was Hard Times/ Thinkin' 'Bout An Old Friend/ Too Many Drivers/ Trouble In Mind - Live/ Wake Up Old Lady/ Walkin' This Road By Myself/ Wine Spodee-O-Dee/ Worried Life Blues/ You Better Stop Her/ You Better Watch Yourself/ You Cook Alright/ You Is One Black Rat/ You Is One Black Rat/ You Never Miss Your Water

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS P-Vine PCD 5749 Mojo Hand - The Complete Session ● CD $22.98
This is, I believe, the first time all of Lightnin's great sides recorded for Bobby Robinson's Fire label in 1960 have been reissued together on one CD. Previous reissues have either just reissued the original 9 track LP (Collectables) or added just some of the unissued sides (Relic). Lightnin' was in excellent form on acoustic guitar with bass and drums and 1 track with his unique piano playing. It includes his "hit" Mojo Hand, the moving Have You Ever Loved A Woman (with piano) and his Christmas song Santa. The unissued tracks are very nice , though not exceptional. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Awful Dream/ Baby I Don't Care/ Black Mare Trot/ Bring Me My Shotgun/ Coffee For Mama/ Glory Be/ Have You Ever Loved A Woman/ Houston Bound/ How Long Has The Train Been Gone/ I'm Leaving With You Now/ Just Pickin'/ Last Night/ Mojo Hand/ Santa/ Shake That Thing/ Shine On Moon/ Sometimes She Will/ Walk A Long Time

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Relic 7058 Houston Bound ● CD $13.98
13 tracks, 52 mins, recommended
Lightnin's recordings for Bobby Robinson's Fire label in November 1960 must be among his most reissued. What makes this one a little different is that it is newly remastered from original master tapes and the resulting CD has an extra warmth and sparkle. It also includes one track previously only on a single (How Long Has The Train Been Gone, one reissued on the LP Krazy Kat 7410 (a reworking of his Aladdin recording Shotgun) and two never issued before - the title tune and Baby I Dont Care which has not even made it into the discographies. Lightnin' was in fine form playing acoustic guitar tastefully accompanied by bass and drums. It includes his minor hit Mojo Hand plus other excellent songs like the moving and atypical Awful Dream, the powerful Have You Ever Loved A Woman featuring some of Sam's unique piano playing and his Christmas song Santa. Extensive notes by Steve Franz - basically a Lightnin' biography with only a couple of paragraphs on these particular recordings. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Awful Dream/ Baby I Don‘t Care/ Black Mare Trot/ Coffee For Mama/ Glory Be/ Have You Ever Loved A Woman?/ Houston Bound/ Howlong Has The Train Been Gone?/ Mojo Hand/ Santa/ Shine On Moon/ Shotgun/ Sometimes She Will

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Rhino 71226 Mojo Hand: The Lightnin' Hopkins Anthology ● CD $29.98
2 CDs, 41 tracks, 2 hours 13 min., recommended
Covering the years between 1946-74 and more than a dozen record labels (Aladdin, Herald, Gold Star, TNT, Prestige, Jewel, Arhoolie, among them), this self-described "definitive collection" does a superb job of providing an overview of the influential country bluesman's (recording) life. He's here alone and with small combos, acoustic and electric, before and after the folk revival, live and in the studio, with and without trombone accompaniment. You get Play With Your Poodle, a rock and roll song recorded in 1947(!), and a relatively early RPM single (Needed Time) that offers a glimpse of the Hopkins who spent his some of his early years singing gospel in the church. His Gold Star and Aladdin cuts are country blues gems, and even the late-'60s material is excellent. Too bad there's nothing from the powerful Fire album from '61 (the title track is a strong performance from '69), but you can't have everything, especially with an artist as prolific as Hopkins. Still, it's difficult to imagine even the most casual of blues fans not enjoying this release. Includes 52 page booklet. (JC)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Antoinette's Blues/ Automobile/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Black Cat Bone/ Black Ghost Blues/ Blues For My Cookie/ Blues Is A Feeling/ Coffee Blues/ Death Bells/ Fan It/ Fishing Clothes/ Give Me Central 209/ Had A Gal Named Sal/ I Asked The Bossman/ I'll Be Gone/ I'm Wild About You Baby/ Katie Mae Blues/ Late In The Evening/ Let Them Little Things Be True/ Lightnin' Boogie/ Lightnin' Don't Feel Well/ Lightnin' Jump/ Los Angeles Boogie/ Mad With You/ Mojo Hand (Part 1)/ Movin' On Out Boogie/ Mr. Charlie (Part 1)/ Mr. Charlie (Part 2)/ My Little Kewpie Doll/ Needed Time/ No Education/ Play With Your Poodle/ Policy Game/ Rolling And Rolling/ Shaggy Dad/ Short Haired Woman/ T/ They Wonder Who I Am/ War Is Starting Again/ What's The Matter Now/ Wimmin From Coast To Coast

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Smithsonian Folkways 40019 Lightnin' Hopkins ● CD $14.98
Reissue of Folkways recording from 1959. Coaxed out of semi-retirement by veteran blues producer Sam Charters, Lightnin' laid down this exciting session of 10 tunes in a Houston hotel room. It's interesting to note that this solo recording predates his prolific years as a coffeehouse performer, and to my ears this has a little more grit and personality than the majority of his more well known 60's recordings. Recommended. (MB)
 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Sony Music Special Products 26429 Sings The Blues ● CD $8.98
10 track collection of Lightnin's great Sittin' In With/ Jax recordings.
 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Tradition TCD 1002 Autobiography In Blues ● CD $9.98

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Tradition TCD 1003 Country Blues ● CD $9.98
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Baby!/ Backwater Blues (This Mean Old Twister)/ Bluebird, Bluebird/ Bunion Stew/ Go Down Old Hannah/ Gonna Pull A Party/ Hear My Black Dog Bark/ Long Gone Like A Turkey Through The Corn/ Long Time/ Prison Blues Come Down On Me/ Rainy Day Blues/ See See Rider/ Till The Gin Gets Here/ Worrying My Mind/ You Got To Work To Get Your Pay

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Westside 228 Fishing Clothes ● CD $21.98
Two CD featuring almost everything the great Texas bluesman recorded for Jewel between 1965 and 1969 - one instrumental had to be left off for space reasons. In addition to all the sides issued on his three Jewel LPs this set features 15 previously unissued tracks. It also includes a full length version of Fishing Clothes and some unnecessary studio chat which mostly consists of the engineer calling out each song and take.

 
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS & SONNY TERRY Original Blues Classics 548 Last Night Blues ● CD $11.98
8 tracks, 37 mins, good. Reissue of Bluesville 1029 from 1960 pairing two giants of the blues. Lightnin' is in good form - singing strongly and playing some fine guitar. Sonny's harp work provides a fine counterpoint. It's too bad this session is all acoustic and features the rather plodding accompaniments of Leonard Gaskion and Belton Evans on bass and drums. Most enjoyable track is the "conversation" between Sonny & Lightnin' on Conversation Blues. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Conversation Blues/ Got To Move Your Baby/ Hard To Love A Woman/ Last Night Blues/ Lightnin' Stroke/ Rocky Mountain/ So Sorry To Leave You/ Take A Trip With Me

 
THE HOPKINS BROTHERS Arhoolie 340 Joel, Lightning & John Henry ● CD $12.98
This is a CD reissue of Arhoolie 1022 with the addition of a number of previously unissued performances. It features the great Lightnin' Hopkins and his two older brothers John Henry and Joel and was recorded in February 1964 and March 1965. Both his brothers perform in an older, more archaic style than Sam and both were limited musically though this may have been lack of practice as apparently John Henry was, at one time, the best guitarist in the family. John Henry was a powerful and uninhibited singer and his Hot Blooded Woman is powerful. Joel is a less interesting performer - being more derivative of Blind Lemon Jefferson. An interesting disc, if not an essential one. (FS)
JOEL HOPKINS: Home With Mama/ I Walked From Dallas/ Matchbox Blues/ JOHN HENRY HOPKINS: Doin' Little Heifer/ Hey, Baby Hey/ Hot Blooded Woman/ I Want To Go Fishing/ Saddle Up My Grey Mare/ JOHN HENRY & LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: See About My Brother/ JOHN HENRY HOPKINS: Tell Me, Tell Me/ LIGHTNIN' & JOHN HENRY HOPKINS: Black Hannah/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Come Down To My House/ LIGHTNIN' & JOEL HOPKINS: Grosebeck Blues/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: I Got A Brother In Waxahachie/ Little Girl/ The Dice Game (Story)/ LIGHTNIN' & JOEL HOPKINS: Two Brothers Playing (Going Back To Baden-Baden)