Lightnin Opkins

Recorded for Prestige's Bluesville subsidiary in 1960 and reissued on CD for Fantasy's Original Blues Classics (OBC) series in 1990, Lightnin' is among the rewarding acoustic dates Lightnin' Hopkins delivered in the early '60s. The session has an informal, relaxed quality, and this approach serves a 48-year-old Hopkins impressively well on both originals like "Thinkin' 'Bout an Old Friend" and the familiar "Katie Mae" and enjoyable interpretations of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee's "Back to New Orleans" and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "Mean Old Frisco." Hopkins' only accompaniment consists of bassist Leonard Gaskin and drummer Belton Evans, both of whom play in an understated fashion and do their part to make this intimate setting successful. From the remorseful "Come Back Baby" to more lighthearted, fun numbers like "You Better Watch Yourself" and "Automobile Blues," Lightnin' is a lot like being in a small club with Hopkins as he shares his experiences, insights and humor with you.

Lightnin' Hopkins originally recorded the ten tracks that make up Free Form Patterns on February 1, 1968, for the International Artists label. Also on that label's roster was the psychedelic group 13th Floor Elevators, which, by 1968, had basically disbanded. For this session, producer Lelan Rogers (Kenny's brother) teamed Hopkins up with Elevators drummer Danny Thomas and bassist Duke Davis. While not as revolutionary as John Lee Hooker's sessions with Canned Heat, Free Form Patterns steers clear of the late-'60s psychedelic trappings that screwed up such similar sessions as Electric Mud. No one tried to bend Hopkins to fit a foreign musical approach on Free Form Patterns; he made the music bend to him.

This disc features the classic bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins on eight unaccompanied solos, singing, playing guitar and delivering a few rare solos on piano (including on "Lightnin's Piano Boogie"). Hopkins recorded many albums during the 1960s and all are quite listenable but most are not essential – he tended to ramble at times! This Candid release is one of his better sets from the period. Other track highlights include, "Take It Easy," "Mighty Crazy," and "Mister Charlie."

Smokestack Lightnin' was an American rock band of the mid-1960s, which frequently played at the famed Sunset Strip club Whiskey A Go Go. They appeared in the 1968 film Dreams of Glass and their 1969 album, Off the Wall, gained some respect over the years since the group disbanded in 1970.

Lightnin' Hopkins originally recorded the ten tracks that make up Free Form Patterns on February 1, 1968, for the International Artists label. Also on that label's roster was the psychedelic group 13th Floor Elevators, which, by 1968, had basically disbanded. For this session, producer Lelan Rogers (Kenny's brother) teamed Hopkins up with Elevators drummer Danny Thomas and bassist Duke Davis. While not as revolutionary as John Lee Hooker's sessions with Canned Heat, Free Form Patterns steers clear of the late-'60s psychedelic trappings that screwed up such similar sessions as Electric Mud. No one tried to bend Hopkins to fit a foreign musical approach on Free Form Patterns; he made the music bend to him.

Lightnin' Hopkins is the star of this live recording, made at an August 1961 concert at the Ash Grove in Hollywood featuring Hopkins, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (with Big Joe Williams sitting in on three numbers…