John Lee Hooker Burnin' (60th Anniversary) 180g LP

Analog Planet Rated 9/10 Music, 9/10 Sonics!

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of John Lee Hooker's electrifying blues classic, Burnin', this 180-gram reissue offers newly remastered audio from the original analog tapes. Featuring a stereo mix of the album, as it was first released in 1962, the set includes the King of the Boogie's signature hit, "Boom Boom," and features members of the legendary Funk Brothers (Motown Records' celebrated house band). A tip-on jacket, which replicates Vee-Jay Records' original designs, rounds out the package.

I don't know about you, but when I buy a reissue, I like it to be as close to the original editions as possible. In that light, Craft Recordings has done an ace job on this reissue. John Lee Hooker's Burnin' is essential listening, and this new Craft Recordings reissue is probably the best way to enjoy it without breaking the bank for a rare mint original copy — if you could even find one. Boom boom boom boom!

Backing Hooker up were a gaggle of Detroit musicians who would later provide the foundation for many Motown hits: pianist Joe Hunter, bassist James Jamerson and drummer Benny Benjamin, among others. Recorded in a single day in the fall of 1961, the session has the smoldering heat that only the best electric blues can generate. The grooves on this album tend to be low and slow, ideal for slow grinds on the dance floor and the gentle drift of cigarette smoke toward a sodium light. Soulful and replete with aching desire, even when Hooker is complaining about his lady preferring processed hair and spending money at the drugstore.