I’d be lying if I said I’d heard of Canned Heat before I added this album. They showed up in my suggestions, much like many recent albums I’ve listened to, so I figured I’d add this one to my queue. I also think the cover art is pretty cool, so I figured it’s another reason to take a listen. Canned Heat formed in Los Angeles in 1965, and is a blues rock band that takes influence from psychedelia of the 1960s, according to their wikipedia page at least. I really dig the sound of Los Angeles based rock from this time period, so I’m going to go ahead and jump into the music.
“Rollin’ and Tumblin'” has a super tasty Memphis jug band blues sort of sound right away. Oh wow, the bluesy flavors are absolutely delicious in this blues standard. The harmonica complements that twangy clean guitar so well, all while the the drums and bass keep things bopping along down the line. The vocals have that great bluesy grit to them to, getting guttural at times. I’m really digging the sound in this tune and I’m quite stoked for the rest of the album.
“Bullfrog Blues” has a sort of classic rockin’ and a-rollin’ sort of blues sound in this blues standard. Oh wow, the guitar really goes in on this one while the bass guitar and rhythm guitar keeps things rolling along. The drums have a great double hit/roll at the last beat of the measure that really gets the tune a-rollin’. The extended guitar solo was super sweet.
Oh wow, “Evil Is Going On”, a Willie Dixon blues tune, starts out super delicious with what sounds like a harmonica with a wah pedal going in while the electric guitar jams alongside and the drums and bass keeps things moving steady in a bluesy fashion. Oh wow, there’s some psychedelic flavor to the extended jamming between the guitar and the harmonica. Really sweet tune.
“Goin’ Down Slow” has a super tasty sort of Chicago blues sound to it in this blues standard by St. Louis Jimmy Oden. That piano line is something I feel like I’ve heard many times, yet the flavor and weight to the playing feels fresh every time. Oh wow, the bluesy jam between the harmonica and the piano is undeniably delicious, which gets complemented extremely well by the slow-walking bass line and the spacious drums in this one. Really groovy tune. The vocals get down with that bluesy flavor very well, while still retaining a relatively clean sound.
Oh wow, “Catfish Blues” has the sort of sound of some bar in the middle of the night along the Mississippi river. Oh wow, it sounds like the band keeps playing quicker, and the synchronization between the vocals and lead guitar is absolutely delicious. Oh wow, this bluesy psychedelic-influenced guitar solo is absolutely awesome. The guitar on this one has me making faces as the jam keeps progressing. The little accentuations that drive the lead guitar further out there by the rhythm guitar are super tasty. I’ve gotten a bit lost in the playing, simply getting enveloped by the somewhat psychedelic while very bluesy playing in this one. Oh wow, the wah pedal on the guitar at the end on this one really catches my ear and takes me further down the line. Oh wow, the guitar in this one is awesome. The drums and bass have had such a steady, quick and pulsating rhythm that keep this tune grounded – super awesome. Really awesome track.
“Dust My Broom” takes a bit more of a southern delta bluesy rollicking sound to this one. I really dig the tone of the lead guitar; it’s pretty bright and really drives more flavor into this track. The little accentuations from the piano from the background are super groovy. The drums and bass have switched to the right side of the soundscape, really getting me to get caught up in the smooth rhythm while the lead guitar plays twangy circles around and around. The guitar tone honestly reminds me a bit of Jerry Garcia in the early days of the Grateful Dead circa 1966 and 1967. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Help Me” comes on strong with some super gritty harmonica complemented by some super clean guitar in this one. The jam is further propped up by little accentuations from the piano while the drums and bass keeps things rockin’ steady on the right side of the soundscape. The wah effect on the guitar is so delicious. The vocals are super interesting to me in this one, there’s a very smooth, deep quality that still retains a bluesy feel while leaving out most of the grit and guttural aspects of it. The harmonica sounds absolutely delicious, and really makes me want to grab my guitar and jam alongside it. Super groovy bluesy tune. I can’t help but clap my hand on my desk along with it at the end.
“Big Road Blues” has a really unique feel to it, taking some possible psychedelic influence in the syncopated bass line that sounds like might be played through some sort of envelope filter. Oh wow, the lead guitar comes on with a super tasty guitar solo, while the rhythm guitar lets some super tasty chords hang out and almost steer the song from the background. Even the manner the vocals are delivered seems to take some cues from psychedelia with extended lines that bleed out from when you might expect them to resolve. The lead guitar gets far out in parts of this song. Wow, the ending really feels like they started wrapping things up a little.
“The Story of My Life” has a quintessential electric blues sound with that warm bass that walks up and down the bass line slowly alongside the airy drums, while the lead guitar comes in with some pretty tasty and crunchy distortion between the guttural vocal lines. The rhythm guitar and/or keyboards lay some really clean subtle chords down behind the lead guitar that keeps the song rolling along really well. The drums and bass have an almost bluesy jazz-like quality that feels relaxed while the electric guitar and vocals really let loose some bluesy playing. Great tune.
“The Road Song” has a super tasty sound right away that has some sort of sound of a blues train rolling down the line. The clean rhythm guitar really stirs together the playing very well while complementing the drums and bass doing the same thing on the other side. The bass line is super groovy and really plays a simple bass line with ton of feeling that keeps the track rolling, while the cymbals crash down and accentuates the beat very well with the snare. The lead guitar gets super bluesy alongside those vocals and gives this tune a ton of great bluesy flavor.
“Rich Woman” has somewhat of an upbeat tempo to it is the guitar, drums, and bass keep things steady by repeating a bluesy foundation that allows the vocals and harmonica to really get in there and play some great bluesy music. I really dig the airiness of the drums in this one, especially alongside what sounds like a light cowbell hit or something like that. The band definitely feels like they’re wrapping up the playing as they end this bluesy album with somewhat of an optimistic feel, at least compared to other tunes on the album. Really flavorful tune to end the album.
This album was really a tasty one to listen to if you enjoy blues rock at all. There are definitely some psychedelic elements in the playing, but the album never really crosses into the psychedelic rock landscape, or at least does not do so very overtly. I’m definitely going to check out some more tunes by Canned Heat soon. This album was super tasty, and definitely sounded like the band did justice to the many blues standards played throughout it. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the experience at least as much as I did.
-A