There are countless compilations of
John Lee Hooker material on the market, issued by a variety of labels under assorted different titles, but you really can't go wrong with this guy -- he always delivered what he was supposed to deliver with no frills and no fuss. This one centers on the recordings that
Hooker recorded for
Bernie Besman at United Sound Studios in Detroit between 1948 and 1952 (these were then leased to Modern Records in Los Angeles, although
Besman did release some of them on his own Sensation Records imprint). It's
Hooker being
Hooker, and that, folks, is what you want.