John Lee Hooker The Modern, Chess & Veejay Singles Collection 1949-62 Review by Gary Hill
This four disc set is packed full of great music. There is a tendency of the blues to be a bit samey. John Lee Hooker's sound seems to cover a lot of territory, though. We get stuff that's down and dirty old school blues. Other things are jazzy. Electric blues is heard at points. There is even some old time rock and roll. What's really obvious listening to this is the fact that John Lee Hooker has been a huge influence on a lot of modern musicians. This is recommended for a history lesson, but also for musical chops. It's great stuff.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.