Not the best track selection possible
Tim Weber | Iowa | 04/22/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a problematic release. Great idea, marvelous packaging, provides a career overview of a fabulous artist in one place, the music is almost always excellent, and yet... This has gotten marvelous reviews everywhere I've looked, but no one seems to point out that track selection could have been much, much better. There's an over-reliance on his rockin' early to mid-'50s stuff to the shameful detriment of the recordings immediately after his 'rediscovery' in 1959, and the scarcity of the great Prestige/Bluesville recordings for which Lightnin' is most well known, is positively baffling. The second disc is padded with some tracks notable mostly for their unavailability when this set was issued (since remedied by reissues). I wanted to give the person who selected the tracks thirty whacks with my mojo hand. If you want only one Lightnin' disc (well, there's two here) it's a good purchase, I suppose, but TRUST ME, you'll want more than this. You might as well save yourself the trouble of future duplication of tracks (which will be a problem with Lightnin', anyway!) and just get the originals."
Nice Packaging Rhino
rubberjohnson420 | San Marcos, TEXAS , Fetus420 | 08/29/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Nice Packaging, I guess the people at Rhino don't know much about Lightnin Hopkins cause the trk selection to this box set is not the best in the world and it's very pricey on top of that I guess thats what your really paying for (the packaging) I wish I could wack them across there head with my MOJO HAND like one reveiwer already mentioned . I wanna let yall know I'm a huge Lightnin Hopkins fan he is one of my very favorites. Most of these trks are taken from Lightnins later years. If your new to Lightnin Hopkins get : Wolf records B.O.B Lightnin Hopkins 1947-1969 King of the Texas blues singers (25 solid trks my favorite) then get the best of Lightnin Hopkins featuring Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry & Big Joe Williams ,next you wanna get The Complete Aladdin Recordings then finally you wanna get Mojo Hand cause it looks so nice there are also a few good trks on it to ."
LIGHTIN GETS IT DONE
Terry E Andrus | Tomball, Texas United States | 08/30/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A story-teller extraordinairre! This is quite possibly my favorite blues CD. Everyone who has heard this CD has asked "Who is that and where can I buy it?". If you like the blues and want to hear one of the greats, this is a must buy!"