AMG Review of Definitive Collection [Hip-O]

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

What can be said about yet another John Lee Hooker greatest-hits collection!? Not only is the music consumer loaded down with these discs, but frankly, most are very similar in content. The main thing to look for when purchasing a compilation of "The Hook" is a trust-worthy label. Hip-O's Definitive Collection provides one such example, complete with professional packaging, informative liner notes, superlative sound, and most importantly, the best-known songs from Hooker's massive catalog spanning six decades. From solo material recorded in Detroit in the '40s for the Modern label, through his mostly electric recordings on Chess, Vee Jay, Impulse, and ABC-BluesWay up to his final, Grammy Award winning collaborations with Bonnie Raitt and Carlos Santana, these are the 20 cuts that any John Lee Hooker neophyte should hear.