AMG Review of Blues Anthology

Steve Leggett
All Music Guide

Lightnin' Hopkins had a kit bag of slow blues riffs, a talent for improvising up-to-the-minute lyrics to go with them, and a general distrust of the recording industry that kept him bouncing from label to label for one-off albums in which he always made sure he got his money upfront before he played a note. His recorded legacy is remarkably consistent for all of this label-hopping, though, and when you pick up a Hopkins collection, you can be pretty sure of what you'll get. The Blues Anthology includes all nine original tracks from a 1960 session for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records that was eventually released as Mojo Hand, plus nine additional tracks that Robinson held back at the time, plus a handful of other sides, including Hopkins' interesting cover of Charles Brown's "Drifting Blues," a R&B hit for Brown in 1945, all adding up to a generous disc of Lightnin' that comes in just a shade under 80 minutes in length. Among the highlights are "Mojo Hand," a riveting Christmas blues called "Santa," and the movingly poetic "Shine on, Moon!" There's nothing too startling, but the spare, ragged arrangements (usually just Hopkins on acoustic guitar, occasionally accompanied by a drummer) allow Hopkins plenty of room to do what he does. Decently priced, The Blues Anthology makes a credible introduction to this crafty, laconic bluesman.