This four-disc box from London's JSP Records collects an astounding 100 songs recorded by John Lee Hooker in Detroit from the years 1948 to 1952, including his first two sides ever, the signature tunes "Boogie Chillen" and "Sally Mae." Most of the tracks here are done solo, with Hooker's ever-present foot-stomping, although a few feature other musicians on loose-limbed blues boogies. Since Hooker never significantly altered his style during his long career, these first recordings set the stage for all that came after, and he arguably never sounded fresher or better. Four discs worth of this throwback Mississippi bluesman will be severe overkill for casual listeners, but diehard Hooker fans will find this box set absolutely essential.
CD 1
01. Boogie Chillen
02. Sally Mae
03. See See Baby
04. She Was In Chicago
05. Stomp Boogie
06. Who's Been Jiving You
07. Black Man Blues
08. Poor Joe
09. Good Business
10. Boogie Woogie
11. Helpless Bogie
12. Goin' Mad Blues
13. Low Down Midnite Boggie
14. Landing Blues
15. Morning Blues
16. Drifting From Door To Door
17. Hobo Blues
18. Howlin' Wolf
19. Crawling King Snake
20. She Ain't Good For Nothin'
21. Cotton Pickin' Blues
22. Must I Wait Til Your Man Is Gone
23. We Gonna Make Everything Alright
24. Miss Rosie Mae
25. Highway Blues
CD 2
01. Hoogie Boogie
02. Graveyard Blues
03. Whistlin' And Moaning Blues
04. I Love To Boogie
05. Miss Eloise
06. Burnin' Hell
07. I Had A Dream
08. Nightmare Blues
09. Late Last Night
10. Wandering Blues
11. Don't Go Baby
12. Devil's Jump
13. I' Gonna Kill That Woman
14. Moaning Blues
15. The Numbers
16. Weeping Willow
17. Miss Sadie Mae
18. Sometime
19. Forgive Me
20. Heart Trouble Blues
21. Slim's Stomp
22. Miss Lorraine
23. Talkin' Boogie
24. Road Trouble
25. 609 Boogie
CD 3
01. No Friend Around
02. Wednesday Evening
03. Canal Street Blues
04. Playin' The Races
05. Huckle Up Baby
06. Let Your Daddy Ride
07. Goin' On Highway 51
08. The Moon Above
09. She Left Me By Myself
10. No Mortgage One My Soul
11. My Baby's Got Something
12. Decoration Day Blues
13. Boogie Chillen No. 2
14. Roll 'n' Roll
15. Crying All Night
16. One More Time
17. I Don't Be Welcome Here
18. Welfare Blues
19. Turnin' Gray Blues
20. The Story Of A Married Woman
21. Mad Man Blues
22. Boogie Now
23. Thinking Blues
24. Don't You Remember Me
25. Give Me Your Phone Number
CD 4
01. Notoriety Woman
02. Never Satisfied
03. Moon Is Rising
04. Please Have Mercy
05. John L's House Rent Boogie
06. Queen Bee
07. You've Got Another Man
08. If You Need My Lovin' Baby
09. Nobody To Talk To Me
10. Prison Bound
11. Bumble Bee Blues
12. Questionnaire Blues
13. Real Good Gal
14. Little Boy Blues
15. My Daddy Was A Jockey
16. Mean Old Train
17. Catfish
18. Louise
19. I'm Going Away
20. Tease Me Baby
21. Streets Is Filled With Women
22. Me And My Woman
23. Whistle Done Blown
24. How Can You Do It
25. I'm In The Mood
