A 1959 recording that was inexplicably not issued in the United States until 1992,
Burning Hell ranks among
John Lee Hooker's most edgy and focused performances. A companion piece to
The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker, it finds
Hooker singing country-blues, accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar -- something he rarely did after traveling north from the Mississippi Delta. Tackling several originals as well as tunes associated with
Howlin' Wolf,
Muddy Waters,
Lightnin' Hopkins, and
Big Bill Broonzy,
Hooker shows himself to be an excellent interpreter who could have held his own with Delta bluesmen of any era. Although his guitar playing is pretty raw even by blues standards,
Hooker more than compensates with his powerful, resonant voice. Several tracks, including "Burnin' Hell" and "You Live Your Life and I'll Live Mine," are downright frightening in their intensity. Although
Robert Jr. Lockwood is often identified as
Robert Johnson's successor, this album would seem to indicate that
John Lee Hooker is the most likely candidate to have a hellhound on his trail.
![Burnin' [60th Anniversary LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888072424609_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Burnin' [60th Anniversary LP]")
![The The Cream [Cherry Red & White Cream Vinyl]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/3700477837686_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "The The Cream [Cherry Red & White Cream Vinyl]")
![John Lee Hooker [Galaxy]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/8435723700166_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "John Lee Hooker [Galaxy]")
![That's Where It's At! [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0888072398092_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "That's Where It's At! [LP]")