AMG Review of Best of John Hammond

Thom Owens
All Music Guide

Vanguard's The Best of John Hammond is an excellent collection that features 22 highlights from Hammond's early albums. Balancing acoustic and electric material, the set includes "My Babe," "Milk Cow Calf's Blues," "Big Boss Man," "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," "Stones in My Passway," "Key to the Highway" and "Who Do You Love," among others. While his first albums hold up quite well as individual records, this collection does a good job of summarizing his strengths, making it a nice introduction to Hammond's peak years.