Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Katie Mae
2. Feel So Bad
3. Backwater Blues (That Mean Old Twister)
4. I Can't Stay Here in Your Town
5. Can't Do Like You Used To
6. West Coast Blues
7. Short Haired Woman
8. L.A. Blues
9. Big Mama Jump
10. Down Baby
11. Let Me Play With Your Poodle
12. Fast Mail Rambler
13. Thinkin' and Worryin'
14. Can't Get That Woman off My Mind
15. Woman, Woman
16. Picture on the Wall
17. You're Not Goin' to Worry My Life Anymore
18. You're Gonna Miss Me
19. Sugar on My Mind
20. Nightmare Blues
21. Someday Baby
22. Come Back Baby

Disc 2:

1. Lightnin's Boogie
2. Baby You're Not Going to Make a Fool Out of Me
3. Daddy Will Be Home One Day
4. Moon Rise Blues
5. Howling Wolf
6. Morning Blues
7. Have to Let You Go
8. Mama's Baby Child
9. Mistreated Blues
10. My California
11. Honey Babe
12. So Long
13. See See Rider
14. Unpredictable Woman
15. I Just Don't Care
16. Drinkin' Woman
17. Abilene
18. Shotgun
19. Rolling and Rolling
20. Tell It Like It Is
21. Miss Loretta

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53654 in Music
• Released on: 1991-11-19
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set

Amazon.com essential recording
Forty-three tracks of the seminal bluesman's recordings for Aladdin in the 1940s, The Complete Aladdin Recordings is a must-hear. Performing alone with his guitar or with sparse accompaniment--usually pianist Wilson "Thunder" Smith--Lightnin' dishes out the best of Texas country-blues. Starting off with "Katie May," Hopkins's first recording for Aladdin, the two-CD set winds its way through the guitarist's years with the label, showcasing what he was up to before his decline in popularity and eventual revival with the folk boom of the 1960s. Those expecting the almost-rock & roll of the latter period won't here any of that here, but they will hear its germination in such rollicking tunes as "Big Mama Jump" and "Let Me Play with Your Poodle." Definitely required, not only to hear the best of early Lightnin', but to hear the best of Texas country-blues. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

From the Cotton Patch to the Big City
Learning at the knee of legendary Bluesman Mance Lipscomb, Sam "Lightnin" Hopkins blazed an incendiary trail through the urban Texas landscape.

These early tracks show the base upon which he built through the 60's and 70's. His concerts were often legendary, including one unforgettable night when he played at the University of Houston, on the same night as Abbie Hoffman was giving a speech across town at Rice University, at a far more ballyhooed event.

I know for a fact, because I saw them, and I was one, that most campus politicos chose to attend to Lightnin' instead of Abbie. Us Texans do know our roots.

Unforgettable moments of his concerts included such nicities as his swigging from a half-pint of Bourbon, and playing for as long as the tips came in. Late in the evening, his foot would become loose and begin pounding out the rhythm of the bass lines which his drop-thumb played. And a sly grin would sneak across his life-worn face. This was when he would impart his greatest wisdom to us.
He's a legend who has been missed.

Bright, beautiful Lightnin'
No praise can be too high for this landmark set. This is where it all started; if Lightnin' Hopkins had made no other music, these 43 tracks recorded from 1946-48 in Los Angeles and Houston would have cemented his reputation as a blues great. As it is, you see where everything came from. Four of the first nine tracks feature pianist Thunder Smith on vocals, and these are less enjoyable. The rest feature Lightnin' playing clever, conversational, concise Texas blues with verve and brilliance. Sound on a couple cuts is rough, but generally is quite good. Don't listen to all this music at once, but do listen. And the price for these 43 gems is astonishing. Get this set!

No One Does It Better Than Mr. Lightnin'!
This is an exceptional price for a really great collection of songs from a master of the blues. My personal favorite blues artist, Lightnin' Hopkins, gives so much texture to his music. The songs probably seem simple to the uneducated listener but they are complex beyond description. Mr. Hopkins gives so much creedence to this form of music, through his gravelly voice and the lyrics he sings. The blues were never so aptly performed or more heartfelt than when passed through the lips of this great artist. If you are a fan of the blues don't hesitate to purchase this collection wherever you see it avaialble.