Lightnin’ Hopkins - The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins (2000)

1. Katie Mae
2. Shotgun Blues
3. Baby Please Don't Go
4. Automobile Blues
5. Give Me Central 209 (Hello Central)
6. Coffee Blues
7. I'm Beggin' You
8. Contrary Mary
9. Moanin' Blues
10. Penitentiary Blues
11. Fan It
12. Conversation Blues
13. Last Night Blues
14. Mighty Crazy
15. Mojo Hand
16. Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes

Lightnin' Hopkins – guitar, vocals
Sonny Terry – harmonica, vocals
Thunder Smith – piano
Joel Hopkins – guitar
Leonard Gaskin – bass
Donald Cooks – bass
Belton Evans – drums

Pruning 16 tracks from Hopkins' extensive catalog for a best-of meant that some hard choices had to be made. The ones Rhino came up with won't satisfy everyone, but the label did take the correct road by sticking exclusively to the earliest part of his career, 1947-61. Perhaps the decision will offend some fans who feel that his 1960s and '70s work should be represented, but two things should be acknowledged. First, Hopkins, as is the case with most artists, did his most interesting recordings in the earlier part of his career. Second, as is the case with many blues artists, he did not vary his approach substantially throughout the decades. So what you have is a good assortment of his first 15 years on disc, taken from about ten labels, including both originals and covers, and placing the singer/guitarist in various instrumental contexts: with a full electric band (Sonny Terry is on a couple of 1961 cuts), as a solo guitarist, or accompanied by nothing more than a bass or additional guitarist. It's a good deal for those who want only one Hopkins disc, and for those who want a best-of that's more extensive, there's Rhino's own two-disc anthology, Mojo Hand. --- Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com

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