John Lee Hooker – Burnin’ Hell (1971)

John Lee Hooker managed to be broadly popular but also enigmatic and inimitable. On this episode of the Escape Pod I look at a tremendous track from 1971’s Hooker ‘n’ Heat to understand what made John Lee so special and why his influence will never leave us.

As always, I’m talking all over the music and only playing snippets. That’s not how you experience music! So, after you listen to the podcast (or maybe even before), here is the playlist for music featured in the episode:

Boom Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker (1961): https://youtu.be/2SxSa6a6am4

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer – George Thorogood (1977): https://youtu.be/sDf0IwXoOmY

Wild About You Baby – Hound Dog Taylor (1973): https://youtu.be/DdXdsyDJC5Y

Boom, Boom, Boom (Blues Brothers movie) – John Lee Hooker (1980): https://youtu.be/nUUyFrHERpU

Bad Like Jessie James – John Lee Hooker (1966): https://youtu.be/zsd_jwLWrDc

Burnin Hell – John Lee Hooker (1971): https://youtu.be/mZD2eQE2yp4