Mr. Lucky (John Lee Hooker album)
Mr. Lucky is a 1991 album by American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lee Hooker. Produced by Ry Cooder, Roy Rogers and Carlos Santana under the executive production of Mike Kappus, the album featured musicians including Keith Richards, Blues Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Winter; and three inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Van Morrison, Booker T. Jones and Johnnie Johnson. Released on Virgin Records, including on its imprint label Classic Records, Mr. Lucky peaked at #101 on the "Billboard 200".
Mr. Lucky | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1991 | |||
Recorded | Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito Russian Hill Recording, San Francisco | |||
Genre | Blues | |||
Length | 46:04 | |||
Label | Virgin Records (Charisma, PointBlank, Classic) [1] / Silvertone (UK) | |||
Producer | Ry Cooder, Mike Kappus, Roy Rogers, Carlos Santana | |||
John Lee Hooker chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Entertainment Weekly | (B-)[3] |
Robert Christgau | (A-)[4] |
Rolling Stone |
History
In 1989, John Lee Hooker achieved commercial and critical success with The Healer, an album which paired him with musicians including Carlos Santana [6] and Bonnie Raitt, with whom Hooker shared a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Recording" for the track "In the Mood".[7] With Mr. Lucky, producers Cooder, Rogers and Santana follow the same successful formula, to mixed critical reviews; Rolling Stone praised the album as a refinement over its predecessor with an "all around...sharper fit", its notable guests serving as "superb sidemen for a great bluesman".[8] Entertainment Weekly, by contrast, described the album as essentially "a tribute album" where "most of the tunes...don't sound like Hooker at all".[9] In spite of mixed reception, the album charted well, reaching #101 on the "Billboard 200" chart in 1991 and also enjoying international sales success.[10][11] It was nominated for, but did not win, a Grammy.[12]
Track listing
All songs composed by John Lee Hooker (except where noted).
- "I Want to Hug You" (Hooker, Al Smith) – 2:52
- "Mr. Lucky" (Hooker, Smith) – 4:38
- "Backstabbers" (Hooker, Smith) – 5:01
- "This Is Hip" – 3:23
- "I Cover the Waterfront" – 6:39
- "Highway 13" – 6:32
- "Stripped Me Naked" (Hooker, Benny Rietveld, Carlos Santana, Chester Thompson) – 4:18
- "Susie" – 4:23
- "Crawlin' King Snake" (Tony Hollins, Bernard Besman, Hooker) – 3:20
- "Father Was a Jockey" – 4:58
Personnel
Performance
- Kenny Baker – saxophone
- Gaylord Birch – drums
- Bowen Brown – drums
- Albert Collins – guitar
- Tom Compton – drums
- Ry Cooder – guitar
- Richard Cousins – bass
- Robert Cray – guitar, vocals
- Maurice Cridlin – bass
- Steve Ehrmann – bass
- Terry Evans – vocals
- Jeff Ganz – bass
- William "Bill" Greene – vocals
- Jim Guyett – bass
- John P. Hammond – harmonica, slide guitar
- Kevin Hayes – drums
- John Lee Hooker – guitar, vocals
- Johnnie Johnson – piano
- Booker T. Jones – organ
- Deacon Jones – organ
- Tim Kaihatsu – guitar
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Bobby King – vocals
- Nick Lowe – bass
- Scott Mathews – drums
- Van Morrison – guitar, vocals
- Michael Osborn – guitar
- Karl Perazzo – timbales
- Jimmy Pugh – organ
- Raul Rekow – conga
- Keith Richards – guitar
- Benny Rietveld – bass
- Carlos Santana – guitar
- Larry Taylor – bass
- Chester Thompson – keyboards
- Johnny Winter – guitar
Production
- Carol Bobolts – design
- Ry Cooder – producer
- Arne Frager – engineer, mixing
- Mike Kappus – executive producer, concept, talent coordinator
- Samuel Lehmer – engineer, mixing
- Roy Rogers – producer
- Steve Samiof – art direction
- Carlos Santana – producer
- Allen Sides – engineer
References
- SPIN Media LLC (December 1991). SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. pp. 1–.
- Ron Wynn. "Mr. Lucky - John Lee Hooker | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- Givens, Ron (1991-11-15). "Mr. Lucky". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- "CG: John Lee Hooker". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- Leahey, Andrew. "Album Reviews, Ratings, and Best New Albums". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- "The Healer". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- Thom Owens. "The Healer - John Lee Hooker | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- Milward, John. (October 3, 2001) John Lee Hooker, Mr. Lucky Rolling Stone. Accessed December 17, 2007.
- Givens, Ron. (November 15, 1991). Music Capsule Review "Mr. Lucky" Entertainment Weekly. Accessed December 17, 2007.
- "Mr. Lucky - John Lee Hooker | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- Steffen Hung. "John Lee Hooker - Mr. Lucky". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- Rolling Stone. John Lee Hooker. rollingstone.com. Reproduced from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001). accessdate December 17, 2007