Final track "Fried Hockey Boogie" is the prototype...
R. L. MILLER | FT LAUDERDALE FL USA | 06/25/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"...of a Canned Heat concert staple which I think got a new title with each gig. At least two that I know of anyway--it appeared next as the entirety of sides 3 & 4 of their "Living the Blues" album as "Refried Boogie", a live version that was the longest rock track I'd ever heard: 43 minutes. The problem was that most of side 4 was drum solo--at least a fourth of the song. Maybe not as bad as Cream's "Toad" in which the drum solo was most of the song, but in my opinion, this practice of certain bands of that era gave rise to cries of "self indulgence" about extended tracks as a whole--an impatience with long-format rock that survives to this day. The song then showed up as yet another live version on the second "Woodstock" album as the...(drum roll) "Woodstock Boogie". That version was only a couple of minutes longer than the one on this album--13 minutes. And of course, many years later, ZZ Top gave us the song "La Grange". That's four (count 'em) different titles for what's basically the same number: a moderate tempo shuffle built on an A-C-D chord structure. But this one--"Fried Hockey Boogie"--is the original, and at 11 minutes contains one of the shortest drum solos I've heard except for Ringo's in the side B medley on "Abbey Road". It's actually more like a 'Forties Swing drum solo in its avoidance of wildman crash-boom thunderstorm physicality which lets the rest of the band put "punctuation marks" in to divide two-bar phrases. And finally, it ends with Canned Heat's trademark benediction: "Don't forget to boogie." If you're reading this, guys; I haven't and I never will."
Speed kills
T. P. Russell | Wichita, KS United States | 11/28/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i have both of these albums and saw them 6 or 7 times. Listening
again, this is very heavy blues, bob hite influenced morrison on
some of mojos last recordings. Alan wilson plays tremendous harp
tight r and b, great empathy for earlier blues artists. on the road again is a chilling reminder of alans death . led to later
recordings with john lee hooker. many outstanding performances by
the band faded in mid 70s but rereleasing in late 90s some new stuff. this is prior to harvey mandels sojourn with the band .Henry Vestine was a early proponent of feedback guitar jams, also get live at topanga canyon, if you can findit; will make copies if you want e me"