Dusted Down – John Lee Hooker – It Serve You Right To Suffer (Analogue Productions)

Blues man Hooker on fierce form

In the humid, rural environs of Mississippi, at some point between 1912 and 1923, John Lee Hooker was born to a sharecropper and Baptist preacher named William and a woman named Minnie (the most-cited birthdate is 1917 near Clarksdale, Mississippi).

Though some biographical specificity has been sought by fans, in typical blues style, Hooker’s early life is shrouded in mystery, informed mostly by anecdotal tales and industry mythologising. Some things are clear, however. We know that Hooker was homeschooled, the youngest of eleven children, and only allowed to listen to the religious music sung in church. We know that, following his parents’ divorce, he would be introduced to the guitar by Minnie’s new partner, a blues singer named William Moore. We know that Moore, along with a local musician named Tony Hollins, was instrumental in the development of Hooker’s unique, droning, one-chord style. And we know that, after an adolescent escape from the Delta and subsequent factory work in a variety of major cities, Hooker’s recording career really kicks off in the blues clubs of Detroit.

But despite his success in bigger cities like Detroit, Oakland, and later San Francisco, Hooker’s music remained rooted in the Delta of Mississippi, even after his adoption of the electric guitar. In his own words, “I know why the best blues artists come from Mississippi. Because it’s the worst state. You have the blues all right if you’re down in Mississippi.” As he sings on its second track, “I ain’t nothin’ but a country boy, driftin’ from town to town”.

Thus, from this context emerged one of the singular talents of the electric blues era. As for the featured LP, It Serve You Right To Suffer is recorded much later in Hooker’s career. The album, released by Impulse Records, was published in 1966, 18 years after his breakthrough with Boogie Chillen.

Given Impulse’s association with the jazz world, and producer Bob Thiele’s experience working with jazz icons like John Coltrane, it makes sense that rather than the typical blues band, It Serve You Right To Suffer features New York-based jazz accompanists, Milt Hinton (bass), David Francis (drums), and Barry Galbraith (guitar). Where many bands had been thrown off by Hooker’s fluid tempos and stripped-back style, these players knew exactly how to work with him. Far from the extravagance and adventurousness of the jazz solo, here they provide subtle backing to Hooker’s captivating performance.

With the exception of ‘Money’, all of the songs here are Hooker originals that had long been a part of his repertoire. ‘Shake It Baby’, a fast-paced boogie that became a party hit in Europe, is recorded here with extra verve from the band. Alongside the driving instrumentation, it’s a perfect demonstration of the lyrical subject matter that earned blues its association with the profane and sinful. Hooker’s desperate pleading to “shake it” contrasts hilariously with his religious upbringing. After all, Hooker’s father had banned blues from the house, rejecting it as “devil music”.

‘Country Boy’, ‘Sugar Mama’, ‘Decoration Day’, and the title track are stunning iterations of the chugging, slow-blues style while ‘You’re Wrong’ is a gloriously embittered highlight. Ultimately, if the blues is notorious for its emphasis on raw feeling, John Lee Hooker remains emblematic of that quality. Even with its amplified guitar and its extra players, It Serve You Right To Suffer is a terrific showcase of Hooker’s unique style and a classic blues record.

Noah Sparkes

Click here for details of the re-issue of It Serve You Right…