Lightnin' Hopkins - Mojo Hand Anthology (1993/2019) [Hi-Res]

MOJO HAND is widely regarded as one of the true masterpieces from Hopkins' catalog. The material ranges from classic blues to R&B-flavored numbers. There's even a charming novelty Christmas blues, titled SANTA. These are moody and powerful performances. Despite the variety, the album is remarkably cohesive becuase Hopkins' amalgamation of styles can be heard within each song.

"The blues ... is a feeling, that makes you feel very bad." Truer words were never spoken, and these begin a spoken rhyme that opens this excellent anthology. Blues may make you feel bad, but blues music, this blues music in particular, will make you feel very good indeed. It's not an exhaustive collection, but then, an exhaustive collection of Hopkins's multidecade career would require a wheelbarrow to carry around. Meanwhile, this two-disc set is a good place to begin, sampling from several periods in Hopkins's career. You can hear his influence on blues, soul, and rock on these CDs, from the early country blues recordings to some later songs that are almost rock & roll in themselves. There's so much good stuff here, it's hard to know where to begin. Just get it. (Genevieve Williams)

"As with its John Lee Hooker two-disc set, Rhino offers a very pleasant way to begin serious appreciation of Lightnin' Hopkins' humongous recorded legacy with this 41-track anthology. His Aladdin, Gold Star, RPM, Sittin' in With, and Mercury output are all liberally sampled on disc one, and there are a half-dozen of those electrifying 1954 Herald sides that verged on rock & roll. Disc two is a less exciting affair; those 1960s folk-blues and later efforts usually pale in comparison to seminal early efforts. Still, for a cogent overview of the guitarist's daunting discography, this is the place to start." (Bill Dahl, AMG)

Digitally remastered