Lightnin Hopkins

Even though this album resulted from his re-discovery by Sam Charters, it isn't the Lightnin' CD I'd take to my desert island.Charters tells us that Lightning had both his electric and acoustic guitars in pawn, and wanted to use the electric to record. For the major part of his recording career Lightning had played electric guitar, even without accompanists, so it would have made more sense to use the electric. However, Charters was working for Folkways records at the time, and electric instruments were verboten in "folk music".I suppose you could argue that since the actual recording was made in Lightning's boarding house room, the electric guitar would have been overpowering; Charters was using a tape recorder and moving the microphone from Lightning's mouth to his guitar depending on whether he was singing or playing. But actually the electric would have been better, because then he'd only have to hold the microphone to Lightning's mouth and the guitar would have been picked up in the background.The other drawback here is that Charters really didn't know Lightning's repertoire. If he had, the recording would have been better because Lightning was obviously drunk (half-drunk?) and would have dredged up some untypical "folk music".I guess all I'm saying is that this collection is a folkie's idea of what Lightning should have been recording for a "folk music" label, therefore it's not representative of what his genuine 1950s music was like. Buy the Gold Star albums on Arhoolie is you're interested in hearing Lightning as he should be heard.

Did you ever have one album by one artist change your life? It happened to me and it was Lightnin' Hopkins.Back in 1962 I was listening to pop like Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell and one day my sister Anne hands me an album and says, more or less, "you should listen to this. you might like it." It was Lightnin, came out on Folkways, and it had been recorded by Sam Charters in Lightnin's rooming house, in the kitchen on January 15, 1959. He was drinking gin out of the bottle cap, playing his guitar and singing music that I'd never heard the like of. The first cut was Penitentiary Blues.Well. That album changed my life and started a lifelong interest in the blues. About the first thing I did when I grabbed Anne's classic guitar that she'd gotten for King Korn stamps was to try and figure out how he'd done it.The cool thing is, you can still buy this album on Amazon and you can listen to some snippets. Imagine this 12 year old white kid from New Jersey hearing this for the first time.

I was concerned when the cd arrived because it was in a brown envelope with no padding. Thankfully the case and cd were not cracked. Other than that, they did an awesome job.

This is my third Lightnin of a collection I building fast. Excellent and historical album plus excellent production values by the Smithsonian Institutes momprofit record label used to promote cultural understanding through sounds! Saved Lightnins career once too they claim. My opinion is you could not have kept Lightnin out of music . He is Mr. Music Man as this album proves .

This is the best acoustic blues record I've ever heard. The playing and singing are stunning; the joy of Hopkins's rediscovery of his art is palpable. I have hundreds of blues records-this is my favorite.

I love this for all of its intimate, raw, uncomplicated feel. It's like Lightnin is sitting in your own front room with his chair pulled up opposite yours, maybe a bottle of liquor is present, and he's playing and singing just for you. Enjoy.

This is a marvellous CD--no-frills, honest, straight-from-the-heart acoustic blues from a true master. I actually felt as if I were in the same room with this legendary artist.I'm not sure where the dividing line is between blues and folk--in the case of Lightnin' Hopkins maybe there isn't one. This is surely American music at its purest, undistilled best !No more hype--if you want to add a very special disc to your collection, look no further.

Really makes you wish life was more simple.. Fantastic album!

Good CD. Will buy more of his stuff.

L'enregistrement est plutôt ancien (1951), fait avec un seul micro dans des conditions particulières expliquées par son auteur lui-même le long de notes passionnantes. Bilan, la restitution au disque est parfaite. La musique est un blues sincère et authentique s'il en est. Sacré personnage, sacrée musique!