Canned Heat
"Boogie 2000"
(Ruf/Platinum)
According Richard A. Spears' "Forbidden American English," to boogie is to copulate or have sex. Spears goes on to say that there are "many other general slang senses, such as those having to do with dancing, partying, departing, etc." The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock'n'Roll maintains the "term derives from the jazz-based 'boogie-woogie' which generally referred to a style of piano playing that featured a 'hot' rhythm based on eight-to-the-bar figures with the left hand." This type of boogie-woogie originated in Kansas City with pianists like Joe Turner and Pete Johnson, and possibly came from the phrase "booger-rooger" which meant a wild party or a musical good time, and was coined by Blind Lemon Jefferson, a Texas bluesman from the 1920's. By the 1940's, the term was used to describe a style of guitar playing as illustrated by Albert Smith's "Guitar Boogie."
Of course, the most famous of all boogiemen must be John Lee Hooker, whose "Boogie Chillun" was a hit single for the Modern record label in 1943. His one-chord boogie compositions are veritable classics of the genre and have influenced musicians like John Sebastion and the Lovin' Spoonful, George Thorogood, Van Morrison and Los Lobos. In the seventies, southern-rock groups like the Allman Brothers and British blues-rock bands like Foghat expanded the term boogie to new, ridiculous heights. Furthermore, the most notable boogie band of all time is indubitably Canned Heat. Formed in 1966, Canned Heat featured the 300-pound Bob "The Bear" Hite on lead vocals and Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson on guitar, harmonica and vocals. With great boogie classics like "Let's Work Together," "Goin' Up The Country" and "On The Road Again," Canned Heat was much loved and performed across America and Europe, not to mention an immortal appearance at the original Woodstock festival. Guitarists Henry Vestine and Harvey Mandel both did time with the Heat, and the band even made a couple of albums with Sir John Lee Hooker, thereby confirming their right to inherit the estimable boogie throne. Unfortunately Bob "The Bear" Hite and Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson both died well before their time and nearly ended the Canned Heat's existence.
The reason for my discourse on the term boogie was inspired by Canned Heat's brand new album "Boogie 2000." The album features original members Larry "The Mole" Taylor on guitar and vocals (Taylor used to play bass with the band) and Adolfo 'Fito" De La Parra on drums (who actually joined the band in 1967 and appeared on Heat's second album, "Boogie With Canned Heat: Living The Blues"). With Robert Lucas on harmonica, slide guitar and vocals, and Greg Cage on bass and vocals, the latest edition of Canned Heat is energized and playing boogie like there's no tomorrow. Managed and produced by their friend Skip Taylor, Canned Heat has put together twelve new songs that can't be denied. From the rollicking opener "Wait And See" to the final strains of the closer "I'm So Tired," Canned Heat do what it does best, that is, boogie till the cows come home.
That's it. I'm all boogied out. "Boogie 2000" had me going back to all the boogie classics of my past with newfound enthusiasm and now I'm exhausted. I guess my parents were right, the boogieman did get me cause I didn't watch out.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.