Don't Forget to Boogie: Vintage Heat

Canned Heat

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Don't Forget to Boogie: Vintage Heat Review

by Richie Unterberger

This is actually a CD repackage of the 1966 recordings that appeared back in 1970 on the Janus LP Vintage Canned Heat. Produced by Johnny Otis, this was the group in their early formative stage with the lineup that would play on their official 1967 debut album: Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, Henry Vestine, Larry Taylor, and Frank Cook. All but two of the songs are covers of well-worn blues staples, mostly from the classic electric Chess catalog, including "Spoonful," "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "Pretty Thing," "Got My Mojo Working," and "Louise," with John Lee Hooker's "Dimples" as well. Though more basic and tentative and than the late-'60s recordings for which they're well known, these are pretty brisk, concise performances that mark Canned Heat as one of the few enduring white American blues-rock bands of the era. Indeed, this lacks the jam-prone bombast that afflicted many of their famous releases, and even those who dismiss their familiar stuff for that reason might find themselves enjoying this. One of the two group originals, "Straight Head," sounds like they might have been trying, if just slightly, to aim a little closer to the pop market in the manner of some of the tracks recorded around the same time by the Rising Sons (the L.A. folk-rock/blues group with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder). It's only 24 minutes long, and one song, "Rollin' and Tumblin'," is presented twice (once with harmonica, once without), but it's a worthy archival collection.

Track Listing

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	Rollin' and Tumblin' McKinley Morganfield	Canned Heat	02:17	Amazon
2	Big Road Blues Frank Cook / Bob Hite / Larry Taylor / Henry Vestine / Allan Wilson	Canned Heat	02:06	Amazon
3	Spoonful Willie Dixon	Canned Heat	02:28	Amazon
4	Got My Mojo Working McKinley Morganfield / Muddy Waters	Canned Heat	02:40	Amazon
5	Pretty Thing Willie Dixon	Canned Heat	02:01	Amazon
6	Louise Chester Burnett	Canned Heat	03:04	Amazon
7	Dimples John Lee Hooker	Canned Heat	02:19	Amazon
8	Can't Hold on Much Longer	Canned Heat	02:29	Amazon
9	Straight Head Frank Cook / Bob Hite / Larry Taylor / Henry Vestine / Allan Wilson	Canned Heat	02:35	Amazon
10	Rollin' and Tumblin' McKinley Morganfield	Canned Heat	02:17	Amazon