The Herald Recordings, Vol.2

The Herald Recordings, Vol.2

The second set of recordings for Herald from 1954 includes some great material, much of it illustrating how Lightnin' Hopkins incorporated other styles of the day into his own. The influence of John Lee Hooker is audible, especially on "Boogie Woogie Dance" (the title's sort of a giveaway) and "Don't Need No Job," and certain songs, notably "Let's Move" and "Lightnin's Special," border on rock & roll. Pleasant surprises include two tracks with Ruth Ames on vocals: "Finally Met My Baby" and "That's Alright Baby." These sessions took place before the folk resurgence of the 1960s carried Hopkins to fame for the second time, and there's something about them that feels more authentic than his later work, for all that they show the changing trends of the time. <I>--Genevieve Williams</I>