The Very Best of John Lee Hooker [Rhino] (1995)

About this title: This 16-track collection sweats down Rhino's two-disc anthology to a lean, mean and essential single disc. Here are the earliest recordings that established Hooker as a major blues artist -- "Boogie Chillen," "Hobo Blues," "I'm In the Mood," "Crawlin' Kingsnake," and "Huckle Up Baby" -- and they sound better here than on most other collections, reverberating with a clarity that belies their age. The rest of the set follows Hooker's move toward working with bands not always in step with his erratic timing, but still producing classic blues on favorites like "Dimples" and "Boom Boom." If you're ... read more

Tracks:

1. Boogie Chillen' [Hooker/Besman]
2. Crawlin' King Snake [Besman/Hooker/Holli]
3. Hobo Blues [Besman/Hooker/Josea]
4. Huckle Up Baby [Besman/Hooker]
5. I'm in the Mood [Hooker/Besman]
6. I Need Some Money [Hooker/Gordy/Robins]
7. Dimples [Hooker/Bracken]
8. Boom Boom [Hooker]
9. Shake It Baby [Hooker]
10. Big Legs, Tight Skirt [Hooker]
11. It Serves You Right to Suffer [Hooker]
12. You Know, I Know [Hooker]
13. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer [Toombs]
14. I'm Bad Like Jesse James [Hooker]
15. Burning Hell [Hooker/Besman]
16. Terraplane Blues [Johnson]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.