Anihony Hopkins

A grab bag of early-'60s Hopkins, four of the songs recorded solo in a Houston studio in July 1961, two recorded with bass and drums in New York in May 1964, and the other six recorded live as a solo in New York in December 1964. These were originally released on the following Prestige/Bluesville LPs: the 1961 cuts on Walkin' This Road by Myself, the two New York band songs on Down Home Blues, and the live New York tracks on My Life in the Blues. Hopkins plays good country blues on the 1961 numbers, particularly on "Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes" and his interpretation of "Good Morning Little School Girl." The two 1964 band efforts are pretty good spare electric blues, whether "I Like to Boogie" or the more unusual "Get It Straight," which gets rather close to country music in its rhythms and guitar work…

The most important part of Lightnin' Hopkins' career was spent in juke joints in Houston, but during the early 1960s, he also became a star along the folk circuit, playing clubs that catered mostly to college students eager to hear authentic acoustic blues. Several of those shows were recorded over the years to capitalize, and while the albums don't have the same importance as Hopkins' classic blues sides of the 1940s and 1950s, they do show another side of the man, and one he seemed to take to very naturally. Hootin' The Blues is one of Hopkins' better folk club concerts, capturing him in an intense performance on acoustic guitar, rapping (in the sense of talking) about the blues and what it means as he introduces some powerful songs: "Blues Is a Feeling," "In the Evenin'," and "Meet Me in the Bottom," among others…

A grab bag of early-'60s Hopkins, four of the songs recorded solo in a Houston studio in July 1961, two recorded with bass and drums in New York in May 1964, and the other six recorded live as a solo in New York in December 1964. These were originally released on the following Prestige/Bluesville LPs: the 1961 cuts on Walkin' This Road by Myself, the two New York band songs on Down Home Blues, and the live New York tracks on My Life in the Blues. Hopkins plays good country blues on the 1961 numbers, particularly on "Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes" and his interpretation of "Good Morning Little School Girl." The two 1964 band efforts are pretty good spare electric blues, whether "I Like to Boogie" or the more unusual "Get It Straight," which gets rather close to country music in its rhythms and guitar work…

There's no shortage of Lightnin' Hopkins compilations out there, and Short Haired Woman is only distinguished by its relatively good sound quality - not a surprise since everything here was professionally recorded in the years 1946-1949 - and decent if superficial annotation, giving a general overview of the man's career. There's no particular order, either, though the makers have placed Hopkins' solo sides ahead of his somewhat earlier sides with Thunder Smith. In a way, they've saved the best for last, in that those sides tend to feature flashier playing and a bolder, less subdued singing style and selection of material, while the later sides show a more studied, subtly sophisticated sound…

The last great country blues singer, with an easygoing style that worked well in settings from solo to guitar/piano duets to small rhythm sections.
Sam Hopkins was a Texas country bluesman of the highest caliber whose career began in the 1920s and stretched all the way into the 1980s. Along the way, Hopkins watched the genre change remarkably, but he never appreciably altered his mournful Lone Star sound, which translated onto both acoustic and electric guitar. Hopkins' nimble dexterity made intricate boogie riffs seem easy, and his fascinating penchant for improvising lyrics to fit whatever situation might arise made him a beloved blues troubadour.

Outside of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lightnin' Hopkins may be Texas's most distinctive and influential blues export. His easy, fluid fingerpicking and witty, extemporaneous storytelling are always a delight, and his performances on Last Night Blues are no exception. The album is spare and acoustic, with Hopkins's voice and guitar accompanied by minimal percussion and Sonny Terry's harmonica. Terry's contributions really add a lot to these tunes, threading a high, lonesome whine on the downtempo tunes and a chugging, propulsive shuffle on the faster ones. Hopkins is, of course, one of the kings of the blues boogie, but he's equally compelling on the slow blues, and he never missteps throughout this fine set. All told, this dynamite disc represents what the blues should be: stripped-down, soulful, and full of truth.

This recording brings to life "lost" sessions recorded spontaneously over a few hours in a L.A. studio in 1972. It's loose, shambolic, and thoroughly authentic. You can all but smell the stale smoke hovering in the air. Hopkins' guitar moans lazily as he banters with buddy John Lee Hooker, then spits out some surprisingly biting slide work. A historic document of the genre.