John Lee Hooker - The Very Best Of John Lee Hooker [UK Import]

The Very Best of John Lee Hooker packs sixteen tracks of hypnotic boogie and raw, Delta-rooted blues onto a single 180-gram LP, imported from the UK.

Hooker was born in Mississippi but made his name in Detroit, where his stomping, one-chord grooves and growling voice turned him into one of the most distinctive musicians of the postwar era. His style was primal and unpolished, built on rhythm and feel rather than strict structure, and it went on to shape generations of rock and blues players who came after him.

"Boogie Chillun" is the record that started it all, a foot-stomping, hypnotic groove that still sounds raw and modern. "Boom Boom" is pure swagger, a tight, punchy hit with a riff that has been borrowed countless times. "Crawlin' King Snake" slithers along with menacing slowness, while "I'm in the Mood" showcases his moody, sensual side with a layered, echoing vocal.

Throughout, the recordings keep the focus on Hooker's voice, guitar and stamping foot, and they rarely need much more than that to fill the room.

As a first step into the world of one of the blues's true originals, it is hard to beat, and longtime fans will enjoy having these sides in one place. On heavy vinyl, those grooves still hit with real force.