Mr. Lucky (Hooker album)

Infobox Album
Name = Mr. Lucky
Type = studio
Artist = John Lee Hooker


Released = 1991
Recorded =
Genre = Blues
Length = 46:04
Label = Classic
Producer = Ry Cooder, Mike Kappus, Roy Rogers, Carlos Santana
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://wc03.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:knfoxqu5ldae~T1 link]
*Entertainment Weekly (B-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316225,00.html link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=John+Lee+Hooker link]
*Rolling Stone Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/103540/review/5944167/mrlucky link]
Last album = "Lonesome Road"
(1990)
This album = "Mr. Lucky"
(1991)
Next album = ""
(1991)

"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 assembled a diverse range of notable guest and session musicians, including Keith Richards, #10 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time";Rolling Stone. (August 27 2003). [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time The 100 greatest guitarists of all time] rollingstone.com. Accessed December 17 2007.] Blues Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Winter; [Blues Hall of Fame. [http://www.blueshalloffame.com/Artists_Exhibit_Pages/Johnny_Winter_Exhibit.html Johnny Winter] . blueshalloffame.com. Accessed December 17 2007.] and three inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Van Morrison, Booker T. Jones and Johnnie Johnson. [Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. [http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/van-morrison Van Morrison] rockhall.com Accessed December 17 2007.] [Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. [http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/booker-t-and-the-mgs Booker T. and the M.G.'s] rockhall.com Accessed December 17 2007.] [Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. [http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/johnnie-johnson Johnnie Johnson] rockhall.com Accessed December 17 2007.] Released on Virgin Records "Classic" label, it peaked at #101 on the "Billboard 200".

History

In 1989, John Lee Hooker achieved commercial and critical success with "The Healer", an album which paired him with a number of notable guests, including Keith Richards and Bonnie Raitt, with whom Hooker shared a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Recording" for the track "In the Mood". [allmusicguide|id=10:0nfixqu5ldae~T0|Label=The Healer] 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". [Milward, John. (October 3 2001) [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/103540/review/5944167/mrlucky John Lee Hooker, Mr. Lucky] ] Rolling Stone. Accessed December 17 2007.] "Entertainment Weekly", by contrast, described the album as essentially "a tribute album" where "most of the tunes...don't sound like Hooker at all". [Givens, Ron. (November 15 1991). [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316225,00.html Music Capsule Review "Mr. Lucky"] Entertainment Weekly. Accessed December 17 2007.] In spite of mixed reception, the album charted well, reaching #101 on the "Billboard 200" chart in 1991 and also enjoying international sales success. [allmusicguide|id=10:knfoxqu5ldae~T3|Mr. Lucky Billboard] [ [http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?key=1301&cat=a John Lee Hooker, Mr. Lucky] dutchcharts.nl Accessed December 17 2007.] It was nominated for, but did not win, a Grammy. [Rolling Stone. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johnleehooker/biography John Lee Hooker] . rollingstone.com. Reproduced from "The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll" (Simon & Schuster, 2001). Accessed December 17 2007.]

Track listing

"Except where otherwise noted, all songs composed by John Lee Hooker."
#"I Want to Hug You" (Hooker, Sam Ling) – 2:52
#"Mr. Lucky" (Hooker, Al Smith) – 4:38
#"Back Stabbers" (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 Guyet – bass
*John Hammond, Jr. – 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