Canned Heat – Cook Book

★★★✰

   Canned Heat is meaningful name for the blues rock band since canned heat is an alternative, generic name for Sterno, fuel paste produced on basis of denaturized alcohol, used by firing directly from the can as a kitchen and table heater. The name of the band was taken from 1928 Tommy Johnson’s Canned Heat Blues where addicted to stern alcoholic complains that canned heat is killing him. This bitter blues was rewritten by Bob Hite, who made it inexplicit allusion to some ideas of late sixties. For example first stanza of Johnson’s text said: “Cryin', canned, canned heat, mama, cryin', Dear Lord, killin' me (...) Take alcorub to take these canned heat blues” on Hallelujah album Bob Hite sung “I'm canned heat, canned heat mama lord it sure is good to meet (…) well we tried to make it happen, yeah good times sure don't bother me”, and in conclusion he sings how grateful to the canned heat he is. In his words canned heat made him good old man and let him stay free.
   Canned Heat was born when in 1965 passionate old blues records collector and gifted singer, Bob Hite met Allan ‘Blind Owl’ Wilson, guitar and harmonica player who was listening old blues records studying styles and techniques of folk performers. Third musician involved in this moment was guitarist Henry Vestine. He was present when musicians met for the first time, but started to play with the Canned Heat after Frank Zappa expelled him from Mothers of Invention for excessive drug use. It was third lineup of the band. Canned Heat is the band with extremely unstable lineup, in almost half of century of band’s activity it has changed more than 40 times. The association with Sterno and addictions has much to do with Canned Heat songs and with musicians’ fates. Allan Wilson was found dead September 3, 1970 on the hillside neat Bob Hite’s house. The cause of death was acute barbiturate intoxication. He was 27. Bob Hite overdosed heroin April 5, 1981 in Hollywood when in Palomino Club fan handed him a vial with a drug. Singer thought it is cocaine and sniffs contents of the vial. He collapsed instantly and died the same evening.

Canned Heat – Cook Book (1970)

   First classic lineup was established in 1969 after debut Canned Heat an eponymous album of the band was released. Next three albums Boogie with Canned Heat, Living the Blues and Hallelujah were recorded by singer Bob Hite, singer and guitarist Alan Wilson, guitarist Henry Vestine, bassist Larry Taylor and drummer Fito de la Parra. This was for Canned Heat most successful era between two greatest festivals in the history of the band – Monterey in June 1967 and Woodstock in August 1969. Published in 1970 Cook Book was this period recapitulation. As this is the only compilation published by Liberty it is interesting as a summary of band’s achievements. Two songs opening the album are taken from first eponymously titled Canned Heat LP from 1967 – Bullfrog Blues credited to all members of the band and Rollin' and Tumblin' a cover of Muddy Waters blockbuster. First hit is Going Up the Country from double album Living the Blues.
   Next one Amphetamine Annie from Boogie with Canned Heat is a story with a moral message. From this album editor took also On the Road Again and Fried Hockey Boogie, nice piece with instrumental solos at the end of second side. From Living the Blues there were taken also Boogie Music and from most recent album Hallelujah three songs: Time Was, Same All Over and shortened version of Sic ‘Em Pigs. More popular set of Canned Heat’s songs doesn’t mean less quality. Driving bass by Larry Taylor and energetic drumming by Fito de la Parra is real fuel of this music. In first two songs drummer was Frank Cook, musician with jazz background who later was playing with Pacific Gas & Electric. Vocals by Alan Wilson and Bob Hite are a class of their own. Three and a half stars for this compilation looks a fair note.

Canned Heat - Hallelujah

★★★★

   Blues being significant part of American folk music tradition was common root for various styles of jazz and rock music. It outgrows in hundreds of popular songs and tunes. In the late 1960’s blues rock played by authors of protest songs or psychedelic bands was quite normal practice. Legends of Woodstock festival Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat, Taj Mahal, Ten Years After – despite all the differences, they were playing blues. These times it was more musical and poetic form than a kind of subculture it become later. From these fascinations of the harmonic and rhythmic scheme, blues rapidly evolved to such different phenomena as Captain Beefheart and ZZ Top and next generations of blues musicians have established mainstream of the blues rock with clear borders and particular character. Since 60’s blues was more and more specified as a genre, rock found some new directions and break up into many elements. And this is why it is so important to understand what happened with blues in late sixties.
   One of most renowned bands of the scene in late sixties was Canned Heat, for many the band defining blues rock by itself. After Woodstock it was internationally recognized and for some songs and culture contexts it was classified as a psychedelic band. In fact from the starting moment Canned Heat’s background activities were connected with preserving elements of old style blues, connecting they music with folk blues singers and aiming to give blues new position as a creative music. It was unusual band growing on the foundations of fascination and knowledge. Main singer Bob ‘The Bear’ Hite was blues fan and 78 rpm blues records collector. In 1969 Playboy After Dark episode he informed the host of this TV show, his record collection comprises more than 15 000 discs.

Canned Heat - Hallelujah (1969)

   The classic position in Canned Heat’s discography and in a way their crowning achievement is Hallelujah, album recorded at I. D. Sound Recorders in Hollywood CA in five month period between January and May and released July 8th 1969, just few weeks before legendary festival in Woodstock. Hallelujah was recorded by the band with lead singer Bob ‘The Bear’ Hite, second singer and rhythm guitarist Alan ‘Blind Owl’ Wilson, lead guitarist Henry ‘The Sunflower’ Vestine, bassist Larry ‘The Mole’ Taylor and drummer Adolfo ‘Fito’ de la Parra. This was the basic lineup for Canned Heat recordings in late 1960’s, but during almost half a year in the studio there were some more musicians involved. In some songs were playing two pianists (also on organ) – Mark Naftalin (I’m Her Man, Down in the Gutter, But Free) and Ernest Lane (Same All Over) or group vocals in two mentioned songs: Skip Diamond, Elliot Ingber (ex Mothers of Invention) and Javier Batise.
   Fourth album by Canned Heat is substantially different than earlier band’s recordings. Short songs, disciplined and concise in form, expressive and varied create program of many shapes. From blues rock Same All Over, based on strong riff, through Change My Ways sung with falsetto by Alan Wilson, being a tribute to tradition of popular blues songs recorded in times of great depression, to Canned Heat, rewritten and sung by Bob Hite, then written by Bob White and Booker T. White satire on LA sheriff Sic ‘Em Pigs with many theatrical sounds – traditional blues was always subversive and it was trendy to criticize police in late sixties, especially in California under the rule of governor Ronald Reagan. Straight boogie I’m Her Man and relaxed Time Was end this side, being a series of possible directions in future blues rock.
   Second side opens Do Not Enter, shuffle with nice coda suspending its tension, which continues in Big Fat and easing in third track Huautla, instrumental piece in 6/8 with rhythm change to 4/4 in middle part. Last two songs of the album are longer. First song Get Off My Back, has extended central episode with two guitar solos introduced by studio simulation of moving guitar with stereo effects. Last song Down In The Gutter, But Free is powerful narrative, preaching blues, with nice dialoguing guitar and harp. In this song Larry Taylor and Henry Vestine switched their instruments (Taylor played guitar and Vestine played bass). This unique album has many elements of pop music but also in a discrete way more sophisticated than earlier albums. In some fragments it can sound fanciful but it’s hard to judge this album since it was last album recorded with Alan Wilson. Canned Heat’s Hallelujah is full of splendid ideas and for various reasons it deserves to be remembered – four stars at least.