That's Where It's At!

by

John Lee Hooker

Edit

Among the plethora of recordings Hooker has laid down--- THIS IS WHERE IT'S AT!

If you're a fan of the more sparse, brooding, unaccompanied Hooker,this one's for you.

Like his double live album, ALONE, this disc is fraught with a menacing tension that leaves one breathless. Abetted only by a mysteriously unbilled bass, Hooker starts off with TEACHIN' THE BLUES, an informal lesson stressing the importance of beat over chord. Then on GOIN' TO LOUISIANA, he lives up to his own advice.

Covering the usual subjects of Death, Despair and Deprivation, Hooker manages to suffuse each song with a slow burning sense of vengence.

I JUST DON'T KNOW is a standout tune for me, perfectly capturing the humiliation one feels at the sight of seeing their woman stepping out with another man. In terms of mounting homicidal frustration, it's right up there with an earlier Hooker classic,I'M GONNA KILL THAT WOMAN. The seething anger of it builds and builds but never explodes into fury as one would expect. It just keeps on wringing it's hands, pacing the floor in agony and indecision.

Over all, this is a dark, sparse offering but not utterly devoid of humor. FEEL SO BAD takes the edge off with Hooker and unbilled friend swaping vocals on the subject of long, lost love. The whole thing goes on for nearly 8 minutes and I wouldn't be surprized to hear that Ol' Jim Beam had something to do with it. At song's end, you can hear Hooker mutter,"You got me so stoned, man!"

To sum up, this is gothic Hooker---sinister, sparse and sincere.