180-gram vinyl. Recorded in Detroit in April 1959 (during a session that also produced 1960’s The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker), Burning Hell was a stylistic outlier for the John Lee Hooker, who was better known at the time for his electric, R&B-influenced sound. Instead, Riverside Records sought to highlight Hooker’s Delta roots, capturing him in an intimate setting where he was accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. The resulting album showcased Hooker’s commanding presence as an artist, as he delivered a soulful blend of original songs (“Graveyard Blues,” “You Live Your Life and I’ll Live Mine” and the title track, among them) as well as a selection of blues standards, including Big Joe Williams’ “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin’,” and the Charlie Segar/Big Bill Broonzy-penned “Key to the Highway.”
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