John Lee Hooker won many new listeners with his 1989 star-studded comeback album
The Healer, and his 1992 studio album "Boom Boom" was designed as an introduction to his classic songs for this new audience. It wasn't that
The Healer or its 1991 follow-up
Mr. Lucky avoided either
Hooker's signature boogie or several of his signature tunes, but they were tempered by both a slicker production and newly written tunes. In contrast, "Boom Boom" was lean and direct, relying on such staples as "Boom Boom," "I'm Bad Like Jesse James," "Bottle Up and Go" and "I Ain't Gonna Suffer No More." This leanness is in comparison to its two immediate predecessors, of course, because "Boom Boom" is hardly as gritty as the original versions of these tunes. It might not feel as slick as
The Healer, but it's polished and professional and filled with cameos -- but this time, the professional sound comes from the seasoned sidemen offering support and the stars here are all guitarists (or in the case of
Charlie Musselwhite, a harpist) who never overshadow
Hooker.
Jimmie Vaughan and
Robert Cray have never been known for their flashiness and they give their respective numbers -- "Boom Boom" and "Same Old Blues Again" -- sharp, typically tasteful leads, but even
Albert Collins seems a bit restrained on "Boogie at Russian Hill" -- it's as if all involved decided to lay back and give
Hook the center stage. However, he's not in a particularly energetic mood here. He's hardly lazy, but he's not inspired, either, which leaves
Boom Boom as a rather curious entry in his latter-day comeback catalog. The feel is better than on
The Healer (and certainly the subsequent
Chill Out) but it's not as memorable some of the other albums which may haven't been as consistent but were at least had distinguishing characteristics.
Boom Boom just captures
Hooker the professional -- which is good enough to modestly entertain as it plays but it leaves no real impression behind. [Shout! Factory's 2007 reissue adds two bonus tracks: "Dimples" and "Ain't No Love in This House."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine