Lightnin’ Hopkins – The Herald Recordings – 1954 Vol. 1, – Collectable Records COL-CD-5121 

In his 70 years of life, Texas blues singer, guitarist, pianist, and storyteller Lightnin’ Hopkins recorded an astounding number of releases.  The research I have done on Hopkins suggests he recorded 86 albums, released over 130 singles, and appeared on north of 200 compilation collections.  Some estimates propose that Hopkins recorded, either solo or with others, between 800-1,000 total tunes.

Born in Leon County, Texas in 1912 in the mid-eastern portion of the state, Hopkins is said to have met famed country blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson at age 8, and as a result, developed a profound admiration for both him and the blues.  Further heightening Hopkins’ passion for the blues were his cousins, bluesmen Texas Alexander (a country blues singer and guitarist) and Frankie Lee Sims (a blues singer and electric guitarist).  As Hopkins’ skills developed, he played with Jefferson at various gatherings, and is said to have been the only performer Jefferson would allow to perform with him.

 The mid 1930s saw Hopkins assigned to the Houston County Prison Farm. After his release, he tried to establish himself as a blues musician by moving to Houston to live with Alexander, and to ply his desired trade there.  Unfortunately, things didn’t work out, and he found himself back in his home area doing agricultural work.

It wasn’t until 1946 when Hopkins decided he wanted to again move to Houston in a bid to establish his blues career.  As fortune would have it, Hopkins was discovered by an Aladdin Records representative, a meeting that led to his initial recorded output in 1947. 

Hopkins retuned to his adopted Houston and began what would become his prolific recording career with releases on the eminent Gold Star Records label.  During a rather extended period between the late 1940s and 1950s, Hopkins stayed close to his home base in Texas, venturing out only to record and appear in-concert. 

It is during this period (1954) that Hopkins’ New York-based Herald Records label output was recorded.  He was just coming off work for the much larger Mercury and Decca labels.  The 17 selections on this collection (and the 14 on Volume 2) were recorded over a short two-day period, a point that will be further expounded upon.

Not in any way belying his country bluesman roots, but this collection of recordings finds Hopkins exclusively using an electric guitar.  Accompaniment is scant, but to suggest the blues here is lacking due to this, would be to oppose the very splendor that is Hopkins’ ability to produce magnificent blues in his economic fashion.  One point must be made with respect to the CD liner notes.  Certainly, the drumming on this CD accomplishes its goal to simply provide a steady beat vis-à-vis Hopkins’ desired economical rhythm section desires.  However, the CD liner notes credit Donald Cooks as having supplied bass support, as well.  Listening very closely to this CD, if Cooks’ bass is indeed in support, I am not hearing it.  It is either mixed extremely low in the mix, or, it does not exist.  But, in checking other resources regarding this session, Cooks is credited, so the listener will have to make up their mind as to whether bass support is afforded here.

Hopkins can accomplish stunning results in three minutes with his blues visions.  His blues symbolism and emotionality are astounding.  As is well-known about Hopkins, oftentimes, most likely more often than not, he would develop his blues on an impromptu basis in the recording studio.  This ability lends credence to how Hopkins was able to record 31 blues over a two-day period for Herald Records.  However, his tales of love, loss, melancholy, illness, unkind women, reflection, loneliness, and celebration here shine brightly as examples of the power of Hopkins’ off-the-cuff methodology.

Overall, Hopkins plays a highly-amplified guitar to accompany his life’s accounts.  It cannot be denied that there is a rudimentary style to his guitar meanderings, but they always highly satisfy.  They continually seem fresh and exciting.  Whether Hopkins’ guitar is following his voice in unison, emphasizing profound desperation within a given blues, or running forward in a fast-paced boogie or other instrumental, he simply reinforces his mood or reflected-upon situation with extraordinary aplomb.  His charging instrumentals drive and gyrate at a dizzying pace.  Hopkins employed brilliant single-string runs, combined with rhythmic deployment of the lower strings, to create a well-packaged blues song solely via his fingers; no picks.  In fact, depending upon the Hopkins song being enjoyed from his broad catalog, he was often able to play lead, rhythm, and bass guitar parts at the same time, while also offering a percussion aspect; he could act as someone akin to a one-man band via his finger-picking style.  What Hopkins was not aware of is that his brand of blues and guitar prowess was yet another foundational piece of what would become known as rock-n-roll.  Listening to “Hopkins Sky Hop” here, it harkens to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Rude Mood”; such was the influence of Hopkins’ music.

Hopkins’ voice often is in the space of lamentation, almost weeping and mourning due to the life situations that have, or are, plaguing him.  But also, on certain accounts of love deemed satisfactory or other celebratory anecdotes, the listener can almost see the joyous smile that must have been his while singing of these occurrences.  In sum, Hopkins ruminations, upbeat, or of doom or sadness, is storytelling of the highest art, and perhaps some of the best testament to life’s conditions ever presented via the blues.  As an aside, Hopkins’ often employed a third-person approach when singing, implicating himself in a given blues as being the central character.

Hopkins’ musical influence ranges to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Townes Van Zandt, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Jimmie Vaughan, Hank Williams, Jr., and a whole host of others.  His music has that universality of being authentic and infused with both real-world problems and celebratory moments.  Great music cannot be faked, and musicians, and others with keen ears, know who is or isn’t worthy of reverence.

Virtually any Lightnin’ Hopkins collection is a worthy of a sincere listen and study.  But, The Herald Recordings – 1954 Vol. 1 is not just any anthology.  It captures Hopkins at his improvisational best, furnished with his always-economical-yet-never-cliched guitar canvasses, and his vocal stirrings of doom, sorrow, regret, and merriment.  Any comprehensive blues collection needs this Hopkin’s recording residing within it.  Pick it up today!