The Healer

This wasn't bad in the context of other blues albums. I could generally hear differences between songs and liked his voice.

It's alright. Chill and smooth, but a bit toothless.

A legacy album with a bunch of guests made 30 years after an artists relevancy peaked just doesn't feel essential to me

Pretty decent blues album. Most of the songs are collaborations and I like the mix of styles. It's consistently good but doesn't really do anything particularly interesting or unique compared to the other blues albums on this list. Think Twice Before You Go was my favourite on first listen.

I liked this, but No Substitute made me think I’d have liked a fully solo John Lee Hooker album, rather than one with an host of celebrity collaborations, even more.

Decent album - didn’t love every track, but there’s good stuff here. Favourite track: No Substitute

Very laid back blues guitar. And his voice

#1020. Good Blues depends mostly on the lyricism and the emotion from the guitars. But this album the lyrics were pretty simple and repetitive, and the guitar for the most part was also simple and repetitive. There were a few spots where it stood out, but not enough to make this album super interesting. It was fine, but not much more. 3/5: acceptable

Listening to this album is like listening to a compilation of Hoochie Coochie Man inferior rip-offs. It gets stale pretty quick.

Great

This album is ok, but it’s not a great introduction to blues in general. I don’t understand why out of all John Lee Hooker’s albums, the one picked to go in the list is his collaborative work. His solo albums are blues essentials, and this album veers heavily from his typical sound so it’s not a good introduction to him either.

3.4 This list does a shit job with the blues. This JLH album is fine but there are more essential blues albums to listen to. My favorite JLH album is a live entry at Cafe au-go-go. Blues is better live or captures some sort of live aspect when recording. The exception to this would be the wank-fests at blues on whyte on a Friday night .

Cool

Call me smurf, cuz I fucking love blues. However, this is by far not my favourite blues record. Some of the tracks kinda sound like standard casio piano beats (particularly the title track). As an album it kind of sounds incongruent, probably due to the long list of contributing artists. John Lee Hookers contributions are stellar however and this has made me interested in diving more into his older catalogue.

1. Decent blues songs and rhythms; it was even nicer to hear his solo work at the end, which I thought was much better than his collabs at the beginning. 2. The cover is what I see when I'm being carried off to hell 3. And that song with Carlos Santana might be one of the worst abominations of 80s music I've heard

I can only take the blues in small doses because of it’s repetitiveness but this was alright.

Obviously a highly accomplished blues album. Not really my cup of tea, and perhaps not one for the purists because of all the collabs.

It's certainly a decent blues record. Don't really know what else to say about it. 6/10

Better than I thought, but not the best work of anyone involved.

3.5

Was really excited going into this with the abundance of artists featuring on songs I knew and loved. The first song with Santana was really cool but I just felt it got less interesting as it went on. Each song was fun for a minute but after 2 to 3 minutes I just wanted each song to end. Still a really cool album at parts atleast

It was an OK album but not John Lee Hooker’s best album so not sure why this album is highlighted on this list.

Fin historia att det här albumet tydligen gjorde att han äntligen fick tjäna lite pengar på sin musik. Mycket habil blues.

Stundstals lite sömnigt men nice ändå.

Well that was underwhelming. Coming into this album, I already had my doubts about a well known 60s blues musician trying to make music in 1989, but listening to the album, it was honestly really boring. I’ve always thought that you have to be a really good blues musician to create blues music that doesn’t make it seem like I could find it better somewhere else, and that’s not discrediting Hooker’s musicianship, which I’m sure is incredible, but it doesn’t shine through on this album. All the songs sound like the same blues shuffle that any other song on the album does, even the features from people like George Thorogood don’t improve the album, as he’s only there for one guitar solo. Bonnie Rait’s is the most effective, but even then I wouldn’t find myself listening to it again. At the very most, its sales allowed John Lee to live out the rest of his days comfortably, which is a good thing overall. However, this album did kind of just feel like if you repeated the Bad To The Bone riff for a whole album, as awesome as that song is. Not a fan, but maybe my next foray into blues will be better.

Hyvää bluesia, featti kappaleet oli hyviä. Viimeiset 3 kappaletta ei niin. Pakko kyllä sanoa että ajatukset oli aika muualla niin moni kappale meni aika ohitse. Parhaat: The Healer, Baby Lee, That's Alright

Solid blues album. I enjoyed it and added and song or two to my likes.

not my kinda music

Hooker is one of the all time blues greats but it is only the last few songs, where it is just him and his guitar, that really stood out for me. The rest, other than the title song with Carlos Santana, blended together into boring sameness. I could appreciate the contributions of Bonnie Raitt, George Thoroughgood, etc. And I'm sure it was a dream come true to work with a blues legend, but it's best when it's simple and straightforward like with the last few songs.

...

Pretty decent blues tunes. I enjoyed reading about the life & times of Mr. Hooker more than the music itself, but altogether it was an enjoyable album.

3.5

3 stars - blues no standouts but no let downs

Oof. Why a blues record by a blues master that’s all gayed up with collaborations? And the first thing out the gate is Carlos Santana’s Latin -infused noodling…which not only does not sound like blues music at all, but actually makes John Lee Hooker sound like a daggum mariachi artist. Granted, the Santana influence only lasts for one track. But isn’t that really the problem? Every track with a new collaborator takes on the flavor of the collaborator and you kind of just wind up with a watered down version of the guy you’re actually here to hear. I got time for John Lee Hooker, but this record kinda sucks as a selection for this project. 6/10 This record did get better as it went; it really gets off on the wrong foot with Santana, who I just don’t enjoy anyway. I think my point about this record still stands though: there had to be a better John Lee Hooker option out there than The Healer.

2.5 not my favorite Hooker album

what

One of the original kings of the blues. I wasn't expecting an album of duets. Its sort of unfortunate they started off with santana, I can never forgive him for what he did to 'She's not there' by the Zombies. That aside it's not a bad album, but I would have preferred to hear an album just of the great man himself. Giving it a 3 despite having santana on it.

Solid but predictable Blues from the legend. Cant fault it. Won’t buy it.

Not my genre at all really but some very fun songs

Interesting enough, but not sure it's worth another listen.

Liked about half, but it all kind of blended together

Sleepy. Needs more George Thorogood-style boogie for my tastes.

The first half with Santana and friends feels pro forma to me. It was not my thing. But My Dream is most definitely my thing. The last two songs do a lot of redeeming and upgrading on this one.

I love John Lee Hooker but the 80's really did a number on this album.

Another fine album.

dnl

Nothing wrong with it; it sounds good but I just don’t feel that passionate about it

Hey, this album. I've seen it while flicking through my copy of the book - the cover stands out to me. Honestly, I like this album cover. The silhouette looks pretty neat. If I'm not mistaken this is a jazz album, though the 1989 release window is a little suspect. I'll hedge my bets on a jazz fusion release. Here goes. Nope, blues. I have no clue why I had jazz on my mind, though my jazz fusion guess was a valiant attempt. This was fine. I don't care much for blues, though I was content with letting this one blow over me. The runtime is about perfect for this style of music, though it does kind of dick about during the second half thanks to some unremarkable, empty-sounding tracks. Anyways, this album is thoroughly unambitious but executes itself well. The subdued, rocking style of the music is at just the right tempo to be engaging and there's a commendable level of depth to the instrumentation as well. Given that most of the blues releases on this list are from the 50s and 60s, I appreciated the contemporary production and absence of blown-out vocals/instrumentals. The guitarwork is the obvious highlight of this album. There's a decent level of variety in the styles which feature on here, with the moments where the guitars adopt a harmonica-esque sound being the most interesting. The confident, funky guitars on the title track were also pretty decent. Overall, I didn't mind kicking back to this one. Book time. Hooker was apparently a key figure in blues and R&B music from the 40s through to the 60s, though his career faltered throughout the 70s and 80s, with this album being his comeback. The album name is in reference to the healing quality of blues. Won a Grammy and carried Hooker's career through to his death in 2001. Features a few guests, which the book attributes to part of its success. The album is "...built upon some truly inspired guitar work". Wikipedia says that this album was generally well-received by critics and only charted in Australia of all places, where it peaked at No. 17 and was the 78th best-selling album of 1990 on the year-end charts. This album was a bit of a strange choice. I don't know why they selected a late career return to form over Hooker's earlier releases, assuming he really is a key player in blues/R&B music. Maybe Hooker was more of a singles act in his early career than an artist with acclaimed and influential albums. Funnily enough, the albums following this release also only appear to have charted in Australia, with 1995's "Chill Out" notably peaking at No. 8 on the Aussie charts. The rest of his discography doesn't appear to have charted anywhere save for "Never Get Out of These Blues Alive", which peaked at No. 130 on US jazz charts. This does appear to be Hooker's most acclaimed and notable release, so I guess I can't fault this album being on here. I cosign this inclusion.

Very bluesy, although a lot of songs where really not my thing too much bluesy fingerpicking stuff, I could appreciate some softer songs, and Santana carries this on his own from a 2 to a 3. 1. The Healer - feat. Carlos Santana & The Santana Band 2. My Dream 3. No Substitute

I think this is a fantastic blues album. It's a bit more modern than some of the purest of blues, but I think that broadens its appeal.

It's okay. Good stuff all the way through, but I didn't like the Santana track with it's elevator type 80s sound. 3/5.

Some solid blues soundtracked a 5knrun thoroughly enjoyed it

Fine

Pretty nice blues album. Not terribly special but not bad.

Definitely more listenable than most of the blues I’ve listened to. No more than a 3 though.

All older respected musicians need an album like this where they showcase younger artists they like and want to pass the torch down to. Some really good songs but maybe too mellow for my blues taste. Cant really hate on it as its a wonderful album full of good songs a living tribute to the artists and his legacy

It's tempting to refer to this as *Let's Save John Lee Hooker's House* (which it did, apparently) - a star-filled attempt to give an old-school artist a deserved hit or two. In that sense this is basically the same formula that Santana's *Supernatural* would follow a decade later: classic compositions decorated with a revolving cast of younger, hipper guest artists (Santana himself among them). And there's nothing wrong with that, obviously - Hooker is still talented as a singer and player, and he absolutely deserved better than the music industry had given him up the point when he made this album (cut to shot of Page and Plant, looking uncomfortable). More broadly, I respect this for the same reasons why I always rolled my eyes when my friends in Intro to Music Theory would complain about having to listen to Gregorian chant - because I recognize that a proper sense of history is a critical building block of modern musical understanding. But I don't really listen to Gregorian chant these days either, and I think it's unlikely I'll come back to this.

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Great opener in The Healer. Though I sincerely hope the album contains tracks that are not five-minute, two-chord jam sessions. But it's good stuff. A nice smooth synth-keyboard part accompanies improvisational singing. And the two selected chords are the most forgivable possible (i and IV). Pink Floyd would be proud. Not a fan of Santana's contribution, even though the guy by himself (or with his band) can be brilliant. I'm not in the mood for I'm In The Mood. Don't get me wrong, it's a solid track – but it comes across as the second consecutive jam track in an album shaping up to be dull in virtue of said tracks. At least we have a different chord progression this time, in the form of blues (though the very next song, Baby Lee, also uses the 12-bar blues progression). Not a huge fan of Bonnie Raitt's contribution to vocals – reminds me of the mess that is Billy Joel's Code of Silence (feat. Cyndi Lauper). Baby Lee is a reasonable length and pulls off the blues a little better, featuring a more convincing hook in the bassline. I'm pretty hesitant about the brash country honk that is Cuttin' Out. That harmonica is played with so much Midwestern gusto that it gets just a little grating. Still a decent song, though. Sally Mae... devoid of all musicality. What is this, an folk inebriation convention? George Thorogood is thoro and good in some contexts, but not this one. Musselwhite's harmonica in That's Alright meshes a bit weirdly with the rest of the performance, cluttering the mix whenever it and the guitar play at the same time. Then we get to Rockin' Chair. Man... Rockin' Chair. What is there to say? It kills any momentum the album might've gathered prior to that point. Kind of impressive, honestly. Not the creation of an empty, thin-textured blues track with a limp and arrhytmic acoustic guitar part. That's pretty straightforward. But I admire Hooker's (presumed) utter confidence that placing this track on the album, rather than as a bonus track, was even close to a good idea. Then My Dream, despite not being that remarkable, becomes a beautiful ray of sunshine in comparison. 3/5 Key tracks: The Healer, Baby Lee

Like every album I've listened to on this list I've had it on in the background whilst working. It was very easy listening. Although I enjoy Blues music, I didn't get the impression this was a 'standout' album of that genre. Still, nothing wrong with it at all. I think this is a bog-standard 3 stars for me.

This seems like an odd choice for an album from one of the legends of blues. I can't imagine there is another from him on this list, and an album full of collaborations just seems like it wouldn't really be representative of him as an artist. Although I suppose the list is albums to hear before you die, not albums that best represent the work of said artist to hear before you die. It's a good album, but I feel like it's one that a lot of people would get bored with. Traditional blues like this is, sort of by definition, pretty much all the same. I mean I get that there are different phrasings, chord progressions, turnarounds, etc. but because the overall structure of the music it is a lot more constricted than a lot of other genres it tends to all blend together after a while. Anyway, I feel like this album was good but if a John Lee Hooker album was going to make the list, this isn't what I would have picked. My favorites from this album were the songs without a guest artist. 3/5

It was alright a low 3

weird

Great slide playing. Eclectic set. Beautiful guest performances by people that you may have heard of. Superb blues playing.

First song is a banger. The rest is straight BLUES.

never listened to blues. Tbh it was better than I expected. Still though not quite my tune

The guitar hooks can’t be beaten, but I question the amount of collabs. It was fine, but I’ll listen to the more vintage JLH albums.

This was fine but I’m not really sure why it’s on the list. I guess because JLH got his groove back by enlisting a bunch of new school blues musicians. And frankly Bonnie Raitt smokes this collab.

best lekker

Very good album! "The Healer" was indeed amazing.

What a weird album to showcase. The cameos are hit and miss but the album shines at the end.

Start heel sterk maar daarna wordt het rap heel saai

Creepy cover. Enjoyable inoffensive blues

A great artist, a bit last his prime.

Hm. I was excited to see that we got A John Lee Hooker album, but I'm not sure how I feel about a late career collaboration album as the sole choice; at times it feels a bit like the posthumous Townes Van Zandt album "A Far Cry From Dead" where the producers/label just shoehorned modern session band music onto demo recordings. But unlike that album, this has John Lee Hooker fully participating, and with great choices for guest artists (especially Bonnie Raitt, but Santana is in great form too, and fun to get Los Lobos too), plus I really liked finding out that the album's commercial success gave him a lot of financial security for the remainder of his life. I don't know Hooker's music well enough to know if this is really his best album, but I'm glad he got included, friends and all.

laid back blues with a sort of 80s sound to the production. I liked the pairing of Hooker with various "guests" but the overall sound never grabbed my attention as much as I'd hoped it would.

The great John Lee Hooker represented by a compilation album from 19-fucking-89? This is an egregious miss. I love the man and the music, but this is a travesty. Still a few good tracks here though.

An all around nice listen, with a few standouts. I prefer John Lee Hooker's classic stuff than the collaborations on this album, but there's nothing wrong with them either.

Rock blues

Pa onako, lijep album, ali mi je mrvicu underwhelming većinom bio. Nakon nekog vremena slušanja istog, fali mi dinamike. 3/5, 5/10

I thought this was nice but I didn't really feel drawn to paying attention to it.

Feels more like a novelty record, with all the features, but John Lee deserves to be on this list.

I agree with Ian on this one! Amazing musician, but sadly not his best work added to this list! I'm off to listen to Boom Boom.

Solid. Favorite song: In the Mood For Love with Bonnie Raitt

This was a decent blues album. There were some really good grooves here and there, but overall it was kinda middling to me.

Ok

Im gonna be honest, I didn't listen to the whole album because blues is honestly a little boring for me, but I do really appreciate the craftsmanship put into this album and into the genre itself. apparently this guy is one of the best so I'm glad I got to listen to this.

A surprising one. Didnt expect to like a late career blues album such as this one.

A solid '..and friend's' album from the great man.

Blues.

6/10

Nice, but nothing groundbreaking

The fact that this is the only John Lee Hooker album on the list is insane

It's a nice little album. Probably this one of my first experiences with straight blues and not a derivative - like blues rock. John Lee Hooker's voice is quite wobbly and sounds unstable, not too sure how I feel about it as I'm not certain if he is deliberately doing it or not. The nocturnal moody feel is pretty sweet. This one was fine, nothing too exciting. Highlight Song/s: "I'm in the Mood"

3.0 - Ok

Du blues, pas trop mon truc

Mmmm yes of course.... Ahhh

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: The Healer, Cuttin' Out A second blues album in as many days. This felt entirely more toned down than Muddy Waters, almost like a B-side arrangement of songs. The Carlos Santana feat was quite nice, and I am honestly surprised I haven't had at least one Carlos Santana album yet. I must admit, compared the other blues albums I've heard, I wasn't super impressed. It was a completely fine album, but almost none of the songs really popped out for me. It was adequate background music for biking to and from work. Maybe I just feel this way because I didn't get a chance to reset from the Muddy Waters album the previous day. In any event, no complaints from me about this.

I know this isn’t a Carlos Santana album but his guitar work never ceases to amaze me. I enjoyed the collaborations on this album.

Lovely album! I’m twirling in my room like a ’90s girl in my little step up dance shoes, caught somewhere between nostalgia and motion. The good vibes flow effortlessly, carried by a melodic rhythm that feels both grounding and liberating. I don’t usually listen to this kind of music, but there’s something about it that pulls me in. If I had lived back then, I think I would’ve been the kind of person to lose myself at his concerts.

This wasn’t anything remarkable. It wasn’t terrible though either.

Doesn’t have same impact as his first album

Low 3 for me, really enjoyed some of it but much of it i found a little samey, not bad though!

I own this one. It starts strong, but about half way thru, I stop caring. Just a bit repetitive.

最初の曲はこういうブルースもあるのかと感心したけどそのあとはずっと凪

Interesante country jazz

The blues isn't one of my go-to genres, I don't have any favorite artists or albums. This was good though, I really enjoyed how you could hear 'the dude behind the guitar' in the way he played. My Dream was an especially nice tune. Good stuff.

Good concept, okay execution. Bonnie Raitt and G Thorogood songs are standouts.

It's still Hooker. But it doesn't need most of the production and ensemble.

I would say an inessential JLH album. A bluesman who surely doesn't need accompaniment to sound great.

the blues are a total nothing burger for me. Just never got into them. This album would have to do a lot to get above a 3 and it doesn't really do enough. The album get's better for the last couple tracks when he stops doing duets and focuses on just himself "My Dream" being the stand out track. I used to have a roommate in university who played the blues on guitar and there was a huge gap between his ability and the blues-y face contortions he'd make while he played.... that has nothing to do with anything though, album is a 3.

Decent, but it would be better as a solo album than the stream of celebrity cameos

It was decent

- From what I hear, this isn't his best work - Not a blues expert, but I enjoyed listening to it - Liked 'The Healer'

This is a serviceable album, but it's far from essential. For only one John Lee Hooker album to appear on this list, this isn't even Hook's best rock-and-roll crossover (that would be "Hooker N Heat"). For so few blues albums to be on this list, it's too bad the author chose to select this album. The album feels uninspired despite the quality musicians that Hooker is paired with. It feels more like a cash grab (or, more kindly, provides some financial security to Hooker in the later years of his life).

Not his best stuff: too many "featuring" with too little collaboration. It felt like the musicians weren't in the same studio, just laying down tracks separately. Oh well. A missed opportunity

Great blues album, and I did not mind all the collaborations that everyone else is complaining about. High 3+. Could be a 4.

I've listened to some John Lee Hooker before, but not this one. Some notable guests right at the start between Santana and Bonnie Raitt. Good tunes, but I think the canned 80's production does it a bit of a disservice.

I knew of John Lee Hooker (of course) but had never focused on any particular album. Not sure what to make of this. I'm not allergic to albums made up of a range of collaborations, but it's weird that this is the one of his albums to make the 1001 list - it may have been his best-seller, but surely isn't the album that best represents his oeuvre and influence. The guest artists are ones I've heard of, but don't know that well, I still thought the guitar work was all pretty cool. I slide through untouched - I'm not as invested in "proper blues" as some other reviewers have been. I'll just say it's Not Bad, 6/10.

Good album, but felt a little hollow compared to his better work.

I assume this is a blues album? It's fine but it's not really something I'd listen to.

It's a bluesy album, that's for sure. I'm not super amazed by it, just not quite my speed I think. But it's well performed. The songs don't really seem to go anywhere. They just start and are what they are for their runtime. Some of the songs have a riff good enough somewhere in there that it isn't so bad, but to me it just comes off as lazy song writing. Most songs here are just an extended A section, and maybe with a slightly different B section (maybe). The tones are good though, and it's well produced. I respect a lot of the artistry here, but it's just kind of uninteresting. 2.6/5

A blues man. Would have been more interested in his older albums.

He's a legend - just, does this album bring something new to the table? Not really?

loved A Dream, the rest was okay 2.5

Wasn't my favorite, but I like blues.

A nice, curious, surprise.

A well-made album, but not really my style. And don't come at me with those spooky hands.

Enjoyable listen but painfully generic sounding. It felt like I had heard every single song on this album before.

With an album output to match the likes of King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard, it was nice to hear a snippet of John Lee Hooker's humongous discography. However the amount of collaborations on this particular album leaves me feeling as if I didn't get the best introduction to his music. Despite some nice moments on here, I did find myself a little bored at times. That being said, I can appreciate the artistry. Favourites: The Healer Think Twice Before You Go My Dream

3.5 - Enjoyed a few of these songs thoroughly. Loved the grit, the blues, the boogie. Absolutely obsessed with the feeling and spirit of some of these songs. Fav songs: I'm In The Mood // Sally Mae // Rockin' Chair // No Substitute

Sounds like the soundtrack to a cheesy 80’s Tom Cruise film, that wouldn’t feel out of place playing in an American diner, as one of Quentin Tarantino’s characters walked in. Easy listen. Good atmospheric rhythms to fall asleep to!

After reading some of the recommendations to go back and listen to some other albums by JL Hooker, I can tell this one does not really belong here, given his fruitful career. Still a good blues album, though.

Blues, ok but lacking standouts 6/10

Не очень понял

I can't give this a 2 since it was kind of nice to hear him get to do the elder statesman thing with all the guests. But I will never like the blues.

Meh I thought this was a bit boring but wasn't offensive. The song with Santana was rubbish. Could be a 2 or 3 depending on what mood I'm in.

2,5/5

That’s a blues album alright.

Sort of good blues.

Frontloaded by a couple good tracks, but drops off later in the album.

Incredible start to an otherwise good-ish album. Fav tracks: The Healer, My Dream

This album is fine, nothing outstanding or exceptional.

Not a huge blues person - from this I’d like to listen to more of his earlier stuff

I find Blues such a strange genre. I should like it - I love The Blues Brothers, I love and play guitar, I appreciate the genre's history and that it was a stepping stone to Rock, and I love that it is a guitar based genre. But it's so limited. In the entire history of Blues, there's only about three different songs. Cut it up, slow it down, speed it up, throw flashy solos at it, play it with a sprinkle of culture from another region, but it's still those three same songs. The Blues only became interesting when it became Rock. John Lee Hooker is one of many titans of the genre. But is he so different from any other? Many accuse this album of being a sell out. I argue that it's an attempt to make a severely limited genre interesting. It fails, but it tries. Santana playing the Blues is a good idea, but the album doesn't progress past the opening track. An artist from every country bringing their own style and talent, with Hooker playing and singing in the background would have been better. Instead, this is a standard Blues album with the odd guest star. As limited as the genre is and as average as this album is, it's still better than whatever Country or Jazz nonsense the list is bound to throw at me again.

Was ok, but not really in the mood for blues today. Still a 3/5

kinda boring, not a big Blues guy.

Not bad, but I won't seek it out

This is pretty cool. A solid 3. Could get a higher rating with another listen

oooh miel des la première musique 🫦 seul point négatif c’est tjrs la même chose au bout de la 6e musique c’est bon

Thought I would like this more. This helped revitilize Hooker's career w/ all the guest artists on it. It was just okay blues stuff but not as good as his older work.

It's blues. The most blues blues I've heard in a while.

Reminds me of Hard Again by Muddy Waters: late career blues album by an absolute legend, reestablishing his career and reaching a whole new generation of fans. This one has good collaborations with a bunch of well known artists: Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Cray, and others. Fun fact: Jodi and I saw Los Lobos and John Lee Hooker at the Riviera on the subsequent tour. We don't remember who opened for who... I grew up only knowing John Lee Hooker from the Maxwell Street scene in The Blues Brothers (Boom Boom Boom Boom...). After this album and tour, I searched out more, way more. Again, one of the legends! Second fun fact: first electric guitar I ever bought was an Epiphone Sheraton II, because John Lee looked so cool with his. Still have it! I think this type of collab success on the starting of the producer, in this case Roy Rogers, a guy I'd never heard of. But they pulled it off. I'm In The Mood went on to win a Grammy for traditional blues, album sold a ton and John Lee was fixed for the rest of his life.

This album’s good, I just don’t really want to be listening to it. It’s just not my thing. It would maybe groove for a second and then it felt like the songs just went nowhere from that initial hit. I’m giving it a 3 but it’s a low 3 for me.

It's crazy that he was 73 when this came out, especially considering it was the most successful release of his career. I wasn’t too impressed with it at first when things kicked off with the title track, as it felt like an 80s modernization of his sound, but as things shifted to a more old school blues style I began to enjoy it a lot more. Hooker sounds great by his own, especially his vocals, but the guest musicians really help make this album stand out. Though I didn’t care for the backing music on The Healer, the guitar work is a highlight, and the slide guitar on Sally Mae is absolutely excellent. Ultimately, I want to like this more. It's got lots of soul. Everything is recorded and mixed well. It sounds like it was a really fun record to make. Unfortunately, the blues just aren't my thing. I know it's not an album trying to break barriers, it's a style that's been done a million times before, but only occasionally has it been done this well. Though, I can appreciate how good it is even if it's not my thing. Did I need to hear this before I die? No, but I'm sure some did.

Very good blues album. Excellent performances and really like his voice.

Nice bit of blues. Impressive list of collaborators.

Looking at the set list here really provides a murderers row if heavy hitters. Los Lobos, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, (though not my fav) George Thorogood, and of course the blues legend Hooker as the anchor. Now I'm not a blues aficionado, but I certainly enjoy more than the average person. Starting out this is just a really nice blues album, but as time goes on and you stick to that typical Blues rhythm, it gets a little redundant. Was fun but only so fun

A little long. Not my favourite blues on this list so far.

Nice laid back bluesy vibe although (this may be heresy but) I found it a bit formulaic...

No sé cómo empezó, pero a finales de los 80 hubo una moda de música Blues y guitarristas recuperados como B.B. King o John Lee Hooker. La verdad es que no me disgusta, pero tampoco me apasiona. El disco me ha resultado entretenido, aunque no me guardo ninguna canción como favorita. Sería un 2,5 pero lo subo a 3.

Hmm

Just alright for me today, the backing bands were great and JLH is always good but this album was just alright for me.

From what I can tell, this album is not a good representation of John Lee Hooker, and its inclusion on this list is unfair to him. I don't know much of John Lee Hooker's work except that he was excellent in The Blues Brothers, but from what I've come to understand he was an absolute legend in the blues world. It's a shame his only inclusion on this list is an album of collaborations, and reportedly not his best work. That's not to say this was bad - it was alright, it just wasn't necessarily a must hear album.

Kul, blues, mislim da? Pri prvem komadu ("The Healer") je zraven Santana, kar bi vsak loh pogruntal, brez da prebere credits. O, Bonnie Raitt poje na drugem komadu ("I'm In The Mood")! Dan 8 je bil njen album. Ta je bl bluesovski mi, kot pa prvi. Hmmm, mal me ne potegne. Pač, zveni k vsak blues k sm ga do zdej slišala. "Rockin' Chair" mi je kul, k je sam Hooker pa kitara. Pa "No Substitute". I guess blues ni tok my thing.

Better than Coldplay

See album oleks revolutsiooniline, kui see oleks tehtud kuskil seal 40ndate-50ndate kandis. Aga see on hoopiski 1989. a plaat ja selleks ajaks ei olnud need kõlad enam huvitavad. Kui keegi mängiks mulle selle albumi laivis ette praksuva lõkke saatel, siis see oleks ikka päris eriline. Aga tagantjärgi seda kuulates on see pigem "meh". Ilus blues, aga puudub erilisus. 2.9/5

Great blues guitar, not so great singing. Legendary personnel though

one of those things i wouldn't mind seeing live just for the vibe but probably won't be returning to it

I was so excited to see this album show up this morning but was disappointed. It was good but blues "light". I did like the collaborations with other artists but was missing a bit of its soul. I give it a 3.

Very laid back, chilled blues. I can’t lie, I was vibing a lot during this. Nothing particularly revolutionary but a solid little album from a guy who sounds like he’s been around. 1950-60s Southern US blues vibes always is a hit with me, even if the songs start sounding similar to each other towards the end. 6.5/10

Its OK. I like the blues, but would not consider this a top 1001 albums of all time.

Find the album art a bit spooky. Honestly I got a bit bored of listening to this album and some of the songs started blending together. He's got a nice voice though! Favourite song: I'm In The Mood Least: The Healer

I generally don't have a problem with blues, but this album didn't really do anything for me. It may just be a symptom of the sterile late 80's production, but very few tracks had the trademark edge of the best blues projects. Easily the best part of this album is John Lee Hooker's performance; he still has the vocal chops of a classic blues moaner. Very relaxed and inoffensive, but not the worst thing I ever heard. Standout Tracks: The Healer, Think Twice Before You Go, Sally Mae Score: D

Ultimate dads album

Had a lot of fun with this one. I'm just kinda getting into the Blues genre and this was a good way to get a few different vibes, as there's a lot of features on this album. Overall I'd say I quite enjoyed it and will be listening to more of Mr. Hooker.

Blues wants to be live, really enjoyed the parade of guest artists. 5 for the legacy, 3 for the album/

Interesting mix of music. 7/10

This album starts off REALLY strong with the Santana feature, really liked the next few songs too. But then it fades off into nothingness. Felt as if all the instruments got taken away one by one, and by the end of the album it was just Johns voice with a Hi-hat and bass drum left... Great voice and all, but the back half of this album is truly what boring music sounds like. The songs where he doesn't have anyone else featuring are prime to put you to sleep. Not a good thing when the only time the music really dips is when there's no backup from other musicians. Apparently John Lee Hooker is a blues legend, so I will have to check out his other music as I'm sure he has some good stuff. But this album was a real snoozer overall (other than the mentioned tracks). 6.5/10

there are way better John Lee Hooker albums

I quite liked it. Bluesy, not what I would normally pick to listen to - but sat through the album and didn't skip or want to skip once. Only 3 stars because I don't think I would pick it up and listen to it again off my own back.

A solid electric blues showing from one of the great bluesmen, with plenty of features supplementing the tracklist. However, it's a bit past the prime of the genre to truly capture what the greatest blues recordings do.

Interestingly I liked the tracks with other artists more than the slower solo traditional blues ones at the end. It started off probably giving me unrealistic expectations with the Santana feature, then had some good songs but eventually lost steam. Given that I just heard B.B. King’s Live at the Regal the day before this, I wasn’t suuuper impressed, but it was fine, and given that he’s one of my dad’s favorite artists I’m going no lower than a 3.

I felt really positive about this album from the first two tracks but it lost my attention after and started blending together. He gets overshadowed by Santana and Bonnie Raitt and the feature by Los Lobos was wasted in my opinion.

It’s ok

Pedestrian blues. With celebrity appearances.

zanimljivo, nije me mnogo interesovalo ne secam se nijedne pesme jbg rocky izbacio album, ali secam se da su kul instrumenti i da je dosta otvoreno

As someone with only the most vague knowledge of JLH, this makes me want to listen to more of his stuff. He seems like a pretty cool bluesman, and I enjoy his style. I don't think this was a stand-out-great album or that the collaborations added a lot to the experience, but I did find it worth a listen. At the least, it introduced me to someone I've heard of yet never really heard. Overall: 3.3/5

Cool, not for me

Just okay.

a good introduction to blues music

This is not my style of music. It was a decent listen but didn’t love it.

Far from the best John Lee Hooker, but John Lee Hooker nonetheless.

As a music lover I really should have a JLH album in my collection and this one would serve that purpose. He is an amazing talent and when you think of famous American deep blues players, along with B B King, he is the one who springs to mind. Some exquisite guitar playing make this an excellent album. 3/5 11/1/26

Blues soundtrack for an 80's porno.

I questioned how much I would like this album going in, but I love some good blues, especially on a cold day where I’m feeling a bit under the weather. Nothing like some good calming blues to make you feel seen.

Good album. Fades a bit towards the end

Can't beat a bit of proper blues. John Lee Hooker has some bangers, good few on this album too

Perfectly fine music, nothing especially exciting

Listened Before: No Sorta sounded the same throughout, but that's not necessarily bad. Bro was 73 cashing in on a career of being a blues legend... Was pleasant to listen to but sometimes I struggle with old dudes voices. 3/5

The last three songs are the best here. The rest is ok but they do not show what Hookers music was all about.

Pretty almighty

More of a collaborative album. Made him mainstreamed for money, I’m guessing.

I like the blues.

I like some of his other records more

These slick late 80s and 90s legendary all star collab albums always feel flat to me. There are some good ones, no doubt, but so often they are somewhat sterile and middle of the road and this one wasn't much different. The songs are pleasant. The pairings are fantastic. But there is something missing. If it was recorded in a dingy bar at 3am, it would be there. No knock. The last couple solo songs are great. But this feel flat.

Classic blues. Decent listen but can’t believe it blows anyone away

ROCK AND ROLL BABY 3.5

I am by no means that knowledgeable about the blues but Not sure this is how I would represent John Lee Hooker, guess it has a “modern” sound and the draw of collaboration. So works as introductory/ main stream cross over, maybe. It is good I guess, but just seems to be missing that spark. Don’t know if this is his only album on here and if so would have preferred something a bit rawer, earlier. 3 Star

There is a nostalgic quality to John Lee Hookers voice that feels comforting and commands focus. This isn't an album one can easily passively listen to. There is a difficulty in digesting this album, however. I admire the roots of the songs, but I cannot find myself listening to them again on my own. I can hear the riffs that are foundational to starting new genres, but I can't shake the feeling of how "old" it all sounds. I think I will need some more exposures to Blues music in order to really understand what is successful here and what isn't

Decent

Bluesy blues

It’s ok.

Not my fave blues album but a solid effort nonetheless

Retomamos el reto después de algunas idas y vueltas con John Lee Hooker, artista que ubico de nombre y seguro de alguna que otra canción, pero del que no he escuchado discos. Disco de blues muy de la época en que salió (fines de los ochenta), donde se buscaba generar cruces por la World Music o que artistas históricos de géneros troncales hicieran colaboraciones con artistas más contemporáneos. Sin más para agregar, me despido hasta mañana.

6 / 10

I smile and now I will seep calm

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🖐️🎩🖐️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸👥😐 Rating: 👤👤👤/5

It's a solid album by one of the blues greats. It's not as innovative or engaging as his earlier work, but it scratches the itch.

Great album of old school blues performed by a master in his later years. Almost as though he made this album just to be able to work with some of the other great artists he brought in for this.

nice enough

Pretty standard stuff, nice to listen to from JLH

I was psyched to see the collaborations on this one, but i didn’t enjoy any of them nearly as much as the last three songs.

I was worried when I listened to the first track and I thought it was going to be an awful album because that chintzy 80's production just doesn't work for John's vocals. Thankfully, it got much better. The last few tracks where it's just John and not guest stars are really good. Unfortunately, a lot of these older blues artists were basically releasing singles instead of actual albums during their peak periods, so they've been represented on this list by later output that doesn't show them at their best.

helt ok

Some considerable talent on this. Should be a slam dunk but the Santana song was a bit meh for me. I liatemed to again second time and think it was too much Santana (in which case listen to a Samtana album) and not enough JLH. Bonnie Raitt’s song was a bettwr balance. Baby Lee soulful. Cuttin’ Out with Canned Heat rocked, with amazing harp sound. But is this the album of John Lee Hooker you must hear before you die? He has so many. Man was prolific. The closing tracks are just him. The rest are John Lee Hooker but not - the Santana one sounds like Santana. The canned Heat one, canned heat. I omgime if you are a Santana fan and a JLH fan, you are in heaven on that song. What about the others? Its not an uneven album though. I guess JLH gives a spine that runs through it all. I think the reason this album confuaes me is that I want desperately to see it as a 5 atar album, i like Samtana, I like Canned Heat, robert Cray, Charlie Musslewhite, etc, but it doesnt grab me that way.

First off, you should be tried at the highest court for putting Santana on your opener and letting us think the rest of the album would follow the same quality. Despicable. Second, all the best blues was written 40 years before this album, and some of it was by this very guy. The Healer doesn't bring anything especially exciting to the table. It's just fine.

the healer- 6 im in the mood- 5 or 6 baby lee- 5 cutting out- 5 think twice before you go- 5 sally mae- 5 thats alright- 5 rocking chair- 5 or 6 my dream- 6 no substitute- 5

Album #971 Highly acclaimed blues guy, but just sounds average to me.

John Lee Hooker's great This is a collaboration album that is overproduced, but some tracks—particularly the one with Bonnie Raitt—are particularly strong. The last few tracks are Hooker alone, and that sounds magnificent.

I listened to this album on the plane. It was okay music, although sometimes a bit plain.

It’s a nice blues album. Nice arrangement and production is good too. But not my favourite type of music that I can resonate with. This album gives me a similar feeling when I first heard of grafting… it works.. and should probably be impressive, but I am also not very sure at the first glance…

Great vibes and features from legendary artists. Its definitely not a genre I could listen to all of the time but would hit the spot in certain moods. Will be looking through his discography in the future.

A solid blues album. I really like his voice and his style, but I got pretty bored during some of the slow songs. This would be an easy four if I could cherry pick some of the more upbeat songs, but then I guess it wouldn't be a blues album then would it?

Not a good time for music production. The 80s echoey thin production sucked the soul out of this

Good blues album. Music that makes you want to move. But not really attention-holding for me

Do t mind a bit of blues

Hard to dislike this as it is very easy listening and inoffensive. A sort of watered down version of blues that I found pleasant to listen to.

Great voice, nice guitar. But it’s hard to get overly excited about the Blues (or this slightly oddly adulterated 80s version). It had its very important place in time and rock history.

This is fluffy, house-trained blues that will water your plants when you go on holiday. John Lee Hooker deserves to be on this list, but not with this limp, overproduced blues collection.

I would have expected an album from the 60s from a bluesy guitar player like this b. Maybe he’s not from that era. I don’t know anything about him. He colaborated with Bonnie riatt who I hate since she won all those Grammies for give em something to talk about. Yuck. This record was fine. I noted no instances of awesomeness.

very ok? a lot of the collabs felt random and out of place

It was OK. Not really my type of music.

Good but sounds like polished blues. Blues for normies. But maybe I'm a normie when it comes to blues? Or am I not?

his other work is better, even though some of the collabs on here are awesome. I read this was in hope to provide some $$$ for him later in his years, which I don't love and would recommend you go listen to his earlier years. Makes me wonder why this made it on this list...

Not bad, I'm not normally a big fan of blues but I can appreciate this

I liked it. I liked that he played with some other famous musicians, then finishes it out with three of his own. Good music!

No. 324/1001 The Healer 3/5 I'm in the Mood 3/5 Baby Lee 3/5 Cuttin' Out 3/5 Think Twice Before You Go 3/5 Sally Mae 3/5 That's Alright 3/5 Rockin' Chair 3/5 My Dream 3/5 Average: 3/5 Alright to listen to, just not something that really excites me personally. No Substitute

Pleasant to listen to but nothing special

so slowwwww

mmmmm so so

I love old school blues, but the 80s production on this really drags it down.

good blues sound with fun features along the way

Not quite my thing, but could tell it was good guitar playing throughout, which got the impression he was a guitar playing blues man. Mission accomplished

Traditional blues

Good throughout but never great

Hyvää bluesia. 3/5.

On one hand, I like that the collabs on this album show that blues is the essence of a lot of different styles of music. One the other, I think I would have rather just listened to John Lee Hooker.

3/5 background music-ing this morning

Not a bad album by any means, but really nothing phenomenal going on that John Lee Hooker didn't perfect in earlier albums. I still enjoyed it; I just would much prefer to listen to earlier albums than this one again.

I admire this guy and his craft, and I wanted to like this one more, but it just didn't really pop for me.

An ok listen, but i tended to like the guest performances better than John Lee Hooker’s, but I get that he is a legend and this is a fitting tribute. It’s also the blueprint for the later hugely successful Supernatural album from Santana.

Not anything hugely memorable but I guess it was perfectly ok.

It's ok, it isn't bad, but it also doesn't really do anything for me. mid 3.

It's fine. A little too slick to my tastes. I prefer the backhalf that is more stripped back and raw.

The opener sounded like Santana, but after that pure blues as expected.

COME ON. I had Traffic yesterday with it's jazz flute organ psych fusion and now I'm IMMEDIATELY met with jazz flute electric guitar psych fusion from Santana. Ok. Now that I've calmed down, once I get into the album a little bit, it's not half bad. The back half of the album is quite good, but the early collaborations in general just don't do it for me.

Approachable blues album with some star power. The copy of the book I have calls this album "100-proof blues." I disagree, as compared to earlier blues records, this seems watered down. It's not a bad album, I just question it's inclusion here over other, earlier albums.

guter alter blues von einer legende gespielt. fantastisch, auch wenn mir nicht alle titel gleich gefallen.

It houses both the best and worst traits of late '80s/early '90s blues revival albums.

Healing hearts and taking names.

Just a good blues album isn't it - I mean that in a complimentary way

The Healer 3.8 I'm in the Mood 3 Baby Lee 3.2 Cuttin' Out 3.3 Think Twice Before You Go 3.5 Sally Mae 3.6 That's Alright 3.4 Rockin' Chair 3.2 My Dream 3.3 No Substitute 3 Score: 3.33

Having listened to old John Lee Hooker, this album is different. The Santana collaboration was a bit meh. Apart from that it's decent album. I guess its a good introductory album to JLH and probably the reason why it is on this list.

Lots of guest artists; he’s clearly a legend. Gets derivative, because it’s the blues. But still relatively diverse in song styles.

I had this one back in the day (thanks, BMG Music Club) and don't recall what happened to it. Listening now I know why I don't miss it. I really appreciate the bigger names collaborating and bringing attention to Mr. Hooker, but the songs don't really bear repeat listens. JLH doing vocal vamps over Hooker-esque grooves laid down in a workmanlike fashion ends up with a somewhat sterile result. Oddly enough the track furthest from my sweet spot, "No Substitute", is my favorite one on the album. Taking it back to just JLH and a 12 string guitar has the strongest punch of the whole album. For that track and putting John Lee Hooker in the ears of a lot of people who had never heard (or heard of) him before I'm giving it three stars.

Awesome opening track! First few tracks of the album are better.

Standouts The Healer Think Twice Before You Go My Dream

The guest artists were very obvious and I’m not sure if that was a good thing or not? May have enjoyed the solo tracks more. A bit repetitive though.

Legends meet in the middle to middling results.

Random thoughts: * I put this one on without looking at it much while on a car drive. And the first track started playing and I said to myself, this isn't John Lee Hooker, this is Santana! Turns out it was both Hooker and Santana. * I wonder where Santana got the idea for Supernatural. Mmmmm? * Track 2 and beyond were more the blues experience I was expecting. * I never knew about this album before and is again why I'm happy to go through 1001 to be exposed and knowledgable about some more great music like this.

3.1

3.5

Cette fois-ci, c’est un vrai de vrai album de vrai blues ! Et je ne sais pas trop quoi en penser... Il y a de très bonnes pièces (surtout au milieu de l’album), des un peu plates (comme les duos avec Santana et Bonnie Raitt, par exemple) et des pièces plus tranquilles, à la fin où on entend John Lee Hooker seul à la guitare. Au final, c’est pas mal, de bons moments ici et là, mais pas pour moi.

Good sounds. Kind of a big news day so didn’t listen too much…

My Dad had this album when I was a kid and would sometimes play it on long car rides. We were certainly aware of Hooker though we'd ask for the Boom Boom song which seemed funny to a 10-year-old. He would have been in his 70s here and he ropes in lots of special guests to help out but that said the best two songs (My Dream, Rockin' Chair) are just him alone with guitar minus the 80s production and star guests.

I wish it was an older album of his, sounds a little dated with all of the collaborators. Good blues tho. 3/5

john lee heeft betere platen gemaakt.. dit is iets te gelikt om echt goed te zijn

Pretty average blues, well produced with an all star cast.

eh this guy is a legend but this album is not

Rockin' Chair may be the bluesiest song I've ever heard

The blues. 80's sound, with some afro/latin vibes. Smokey pool hall, whiskey, cheap beer Harmonica, slide guitar, whammy bar.

Some good tunes! Didn't blow my mind but enjoyed the higher tempo blues rockers. Think twice before you was great.

Like Jim Croce but less AM Radio

If you can get past the first track that features Santana it’s a perfectly fine record. Nothing amazing here.

I don't feel this album shows off the full skill of John Lee Hooker.

I wish I liked this more because there's nothing inherently wrong with it but unfortunately blues music is just not really my jam so I felt next to nothing while listening to this record (I'm gonna give it a decent rating anyways). Favorite track: The Healer 2.5/5

Great for blues aficionados

A legend getting paid, who can blame him. Also this music feels like it was in every single Ron Shelton movie ever

3/10