Product details
- Label Craft Recordings
- Artist John Lee Hooker
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 2024
- Genre Blues
- Sealed Yes
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Burning Hell by John Lee Hooker.
Few voices in the blues cut as deep as John Lee Hooker's, and "Burning Hell" captures him in his most elemental form. Just a man, his guitar, and that hypnotic, foot-stomping pulse that made him one of the genre's true originals. From the moment the title track opens the A side, you are pulled into Hooker's world, a place where spare arrangements leave nothing to hide behind and every note carries weight.
This collection moves through the full range of Hooker's expression. His own compositions dominate the set, from the brooding "Graveyard Blues" and the wry storytelling of "Jackson, Tennessee" to the plainspoken defiance of "You Live Your Life And I'll Live Mine." The B side keeps that momentum, running through Hooker originals like "How Can You Do It?," the mournful "I Rolled And Turned And Cried The Whole Night Long," and "Blues For My Baby," each one built on his unmistakable groove.
Woven among his own songs are readings of material by some of the greatest names the blues has known. Big Joe Williams's "Baby Please Don't Go" gets the Hooker treatment on the A side, while Chester Burnett, better known as Howlin' Wolf, is honored twice through "Smokestack Lightnin'" and "Natchez Fire." Big Bill Broonzy's "Key To The Highway" adds another classic to the B side, a testament to Hooker's place within a broader lineage of American music.
This pressing arrives as part of the celebrated Bluesville / Acoustic Sounds Series, produced by Bill Grauer. The all-analog mastering was handled by Matthew Lutthans, with lacquers cut directly from the original master tapes, preserving the immediacy and warmth of Hooker's performances. The runouts are etched, with the TML-M marking stamped, small details that speak to the care behind this edition.
Presentation matches the quality of the audio. The record is housed in a sturdy tip-on jacket and comes complete with the series' distinctive blue obi strip. Sleeve notes by Alan Bates offer context and depth, while additional notes by Scott Billington appear on the obi, rounding out a package built for listeners who value the story as much as the sound.
For collectors of Hooker's work and admirers of unadorned, deeply human blues, this is a release that rewards close listening. It presents a master at his most direct, an artist who could conjure an entire emotional landscape from a single guitar and a voice that seemed to rise straight from the earth. Drop the needle on "Burning Hell" and let it burn.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Burning Hell
A2. Graveyard Blues
A3. Baby Please Don't Go
A4. Jackson, Tennessee
A5. You Live Your Life And I'll Live Mine
A6. Smokestack Lightnin'
B1. How Can You Do It?
B2. I Don't Want No Woman If Her Hair Ain't No Longer Than Mine
B3. I Rolled And Turned And Cried The Whole Night Long
B4. Blues For My Baby
B5. Key To The Highway
B6. Natchez Fire
Credits:
John Lee Hooker - Guitar, Vocals
Matthew Lutthans - Lacquer Cut By [Lacquers Cut From The original Master Tapes By], Mastered By [All-analog Mastering By]
Bill Grauer - Producer [Produced By]
Alan Bates - Sleeve Notes
Scott Billington - Sleeve Notes [Obi]
Big Bill Broonzy - Written-By (B5)
Big Joe Williams - Written-By (A3)
Chester Burnett - Written-By (A6, B6)
John Lee Hooker - Written-By (A1, A2, A4, A5, B1 to B4)
Notes:
Part of the Bluesville / Acoustic Sounds Series. Includes blue obi strip, housed in a tip-on jacket.
Runouts are etched except TML-M is stamped.
Artist: John Lee Hooker
Format: 1LP
Genre: Blues
Label: Craft Recordings
Catalog Number: CR00657
Release Year: 2024
Country: United States
Condition: Sealed (New)
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