Canned Heat - The Best Of (1997)

This 15-track single-disc collection was culled from Canned Heat (1967), Boogie With Canned Heat (1968), Living the Blues (1968), Hallelujah (1969), and Future Blues (1970). Arguably, Canned Heat Cookbook (1969) – a hits package in its own right – could be lumped in since it was the first full-length platter with "Going Up the Country," which was initially only issued on a 45-rpm single. During this era, the Heat was inhabited by Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson (guitar/vocals), Larry "The Mole" Taylor (bass), Henry "Sunflower" Vestine (guitar), and Bob "The Bear" Hite (vocals). Frank Cook (drums) contributed to the band's self-titled debut prior to being replaced by Aldolfo "Fito" de la Parra (drums), who remained as the combo's sole purveyor into the 1990s. One of the things separating the material on this title is the integration of the extended musical memoir "Fried Hockey Boogie," featuring Hite front and center as he introduces each of his mates prior to their respective solos. This culminates into a full-blown jam, concluding with the Bear's decree "Don't forget to boogie!" The other lengthy groove is the psychedelic sojourn "Parthenogenesis," incorporating the stretched-out moxie of concurrent Bay Area acts the Grateful Dead or Quicksilver Messenger Service with their own distinct rootsy blend of electric rock with authentic R&B. For the most part, however, is a plentiful compilation that finds room for Canned Heat's best-remembered numbers, such as the funky good-time update of Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together," the darkly guilded original "On the Road Again," and the cautionary tale of speed freaks on "Amphetamine Annie." Equally copious is the secondary layer of album cuts, including covers of classics such as the traditional "Bullfrog Blues," Muddy Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'," and Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom." While those with a cursory interest in Canned Heat will be more than adequately served by this set, some may find it a bit too comprehensive.

~ Lindsay Planer, All Music