Lightnin' Hopkins - Lightnin' Strikes [Hi-Res]

This brings together some early-'60s sides that Hopkins recorded for the Chicago-based Vee-Jay label, although all of them were recorded in his native Houston. Lightnin's spoken introduction sets up the hilarious "Big Car Blues," part of five live tracks aboard, before setting up eight heavily reverbed studio tracks from Bill Quinn's Gold Star Studios. The final two are full-band tracks produced by drummer King Ivory Lee Semiens with Lightnin' playing electric, the band following his erratic timing as best as they can. While the material on here is classic Lightnin', the sound is dodgy throughout, the live tracks pulled from vinyl and distorting out in several spots. If you can find the live material on another compilation and can audition it before buying, pass this one by.