Fretplay.com John Lee Hooker CD reviews John Lee Hooker guitar tabs John Lee Hooker CD reviews John Lee Hooker tabs John Lee Hooker: Face to Face


John Lee Hooker - John Lee Hooker: Face to Face Audio CD

A fair review of the John Lee Hooker "John Lee Hooker: Face to Face" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all John Lee Hooker reviews here, or go back to the John Lee Hooker tabs.

John Lee Hooker Band: John Lee Hooker
Title: John Lee Hooker: Face to Face
Rating:
Release Date: 2003-10-28
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Big Road 2: Dimples 3: Loving People 4: Face To Face 5: Funky Mabel 6: It Serves Me Right To Suffer 7: Up And Down 8: Mad Man Blues 9: Six Page Letter 10: Stop Jivin' Me 11: Mean Mean World 12: Turn Over A New Leaf 13: Wednesday Evening Blues 14: Boogie Chillen' 15: Rock Those Blues Away

Yes, it is John Lee Hooker.......
Every song is great on it's own terms. This is a mixed bag of styles, but all of it is good. For those that like the "Vee-Jay" sound there are re-worked versions of "Dimples", "Mad Man Blues", "Wednesday Evening Blues" and "Boogie Chillen". I especially like "Wednesday Evening Blues" - if one did not know any better you would swear this one was recorded in the 50's! Most of the rest of the album has John Lee doing some very funky stuff with real soul - "Funky Mabel" is great! And yes, there are also one or two somewhat sugar-coated songs that initially seem out of character for John Lee, yet he still pulls them off with style. However, overall this is a very solid Hooker CD and one I have been returning to more often than I expected. I like this album MUCH better than "The Healer" album which is just too much guest star and not enough John Lee. "Face to Face vol. 1" is John Lee Hooker through and through from beginning to end; the guest stars are hardly ever noticed. You really should sample this CD, it is far better than you might think.


Not John Lee Hooker
Hooker obviously didn't have a chance to listen to the final mixes. Well, of course it is John Lee Hooker, but these slick, mushy recordings are very, very far from Hooker's gritty 40s, 50s and 60s waxings, and songs like the saccahrine, string-laden "Six-Page Letter" are even wussier than the worst of his late 80s/early 90s guest star recordings.
Whatever you do, make sure you listen to this album before buying it!.


Amazing!
As a former employee of the Man himself, it is great to hear some recordings that were never released. This is one of the most beautiful collections of John Lee's works. "Six Page Letter" is breathtakingly beautiful, and "Funky Mabel" is as soulful as it is funky. "Dimples" is a real treasure. The CD has great sound quality and is now among my favorites.

I'm sure John Lee would have been thrilled to hear this delightful CD!.


A real treat
I especially liked "6 page letter. I'm more a jazz lover than a blues lover, but this album was a gem. ".


Risen From The Grave
Hooker certainly isn't the only artist to release "new" music after his death. Mr. But his new CD sure-enough is better than almost anyone else who has. Rather than a plodding, macabre effort to cash in one more time (you know the ones I'm talking about), this CD is as vibrant as, well, life!

Following Mr. Hooker's recent success formula once again, a stellar cast contributes. And oh, mama, what a lineup: Van Morrison, Elvin Bishop, Jack Cassidy, Johnny Winter, Warren Hayes, Dickie Betts and George Thoroughgood. With these backing musicians, even I could sound passable. But behind Mr. Lucky you can imagine the great results. Serious performers only, if you please.

My personal favorite track is "Dimples" featuring a duet with Van The Man and Elvin Bishop on second lead guitar. But that choice might just change on repeated listens. There ain't a dog amongst the 15 tunes here, and how often can you say that about a CD anymore, even on so-called "Greatest Hits" packages?.


You can see a complete list of all John Lee Hooker discography, or go back to the John Lee Hooker tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]