Lightnin’ Hopkins – The Singles Collection Vol.2 1951-62 – 3CD

Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins was one of the true blues greats, a singer, guitarist, songwriter and occasional pianist from Texas, who  through a  life as a long-time solo performer developed a highly distinctive style, playing rhythm, lead, bass and percussion, with a legendarily unstructured approach to the 12-bar format. Musicologist Mark McCormick said that Hopkins is “the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act”. Born in 1912, he did not get an opportunity to record until the post-war years, and then recorded prolifically for a variety of labels. Acrobat has addressed his output on 78s and 45s from 1946 to 1962 with two 3-CD sets of which this is the second. This 71-track collection comprises the A & B sides of just about all his releases during these years on the Sittin’ In With, Decca, Herald, Chart, Bluesville and Prestige labels. His Sittin’ In With releases overlapped with his releases on the RPM label which go through to 1953 and are at the end of Vol. 1. It includes his hits in the US R&B charts with “Coffee Blues” and “Give Me Central 209”. His New York Times obituary in 1982 said he was “one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players”, and this substantial collection covering the early years of his recording career helps to explain and underline that view.

Track Listing:

CD1: Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins: 1. Gotta Move Boogie -   2. Praying Ground Blues -   Lightnin' Hopkins: 3. Long Way From Texas -   4. Tell Me Boogie -   5. Give Me Central 209 -   6. New York Boogie -   7. New Short Haired Woman -   8. Coffee Blues -   9. You Caused My Heart To Weep -   10. Tap Dance Boogie -   11. Dirty House -   12. Bald Headed Woman -   13. New Worried Life Blues -   14. One Kind Of Favor -   15. Everything Happens To Me -   16. Papa Bones Boogie -   Lightnin' Hopkins And His Guitar: 17. Freight Train Blues (When I Started Hoboin') -   18. Broken Hearted Blues -   Lightning Hopkins: 19. Gone Again -   20. Down To The River -   Lightenin’ Hopkins: 21. The War Is Over -   22. Policy Game -   23. Merry Christmas -   24. Happy New Year -

CD2: Lightenin’ Hopkins: 1. Cemetery Blues -   2. Highway Blues -   3. I'm Wild About You Baby -   4. Bad Things On My Mind -   Lightnin' Hopkins: 5. Lightnin’s Boogie -   6. Don't Think Cause You're Pretty -   7. Lightnin’s Special -   8. Life Is Used To Live -   9. Movin' On Out Boogie -   10. Sick Feelin' Blues -   11. Nothin' But The Blues -   12. Early Morning Boogie -   13. Evil Hearted Woman -   14. They Wonder Who I Am -   15. My Baby’s Gone -   16. Don't Need No Job -   17. I Had A Gal Named Sal -   18. Blues For My Cookie -   19. Hopkins Sky Hop -   20. Lonesome In Your Home -   21. Grandma’s Boogie -   22. I Love You Baby -   Lightnin‘ Hopkins With His Protege Ruth (Blues) Ames: 23. Finally Met My Baby -   24. That's Alright Baby -   Lightnin' Hopkins: 25. Shine On Moon -   26. Sitting And Thinking -   27. Remember Me -   28. Please Don't Go Baby -

CD3: Lightnin' Hopkins: 1. The Blues Is A Mighty Bad Feeling -   2. Lightnin' Don't Feel Well -   3. My Little Kewpie Doll -   4. Walkin The Streets -   5. Mussy Haired Woman -   6. So Sorry To Leave You -   7. Got To Move Your Baby -   8. Death Bells -   9. Sail On -   10. Back To New Orleans -   11. Hard To Love A Woman -   12. Happy Blues For John Glenn - Part 1 -   13. Last Night Blues -   14. Walkin' Blues -   15. Sinner’s Prayer -   16. Angel Child -   17. Automobile Blues (The Fox Chase) -   18. Mojo Hand -   19. Katie Mae -