Living The Canned Heat Blues

The other day I grabbed all my classic 1960's Music and DVD's and brainstormed ideas on what to write about. There was a lot to go through. I have both the Woodstock 6CD set and the Monterey Pop Box Set. I also have both DVD box sets of each festival. I also grabbed my Fillmore DVD and music sets. I even at one point wanted to do a Ten Years After Blog post, but that fell apart at the last moment do not enough information. Don't worry though I will get to them soon. I am a huge fan of theirs and I really want to talk about them. The Blues Boogie is some great stuff. I narrowed down the ideas to artists played both Woodstock and Monterey Pop festivals. Since I did Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead on past posts I figure I try something different.

I asked my uncle about Canned Heat. He told me that after seeing them at Woodstock he was speechless. He did not know what to think. He loved their ability to jam and play so hard that it seemed like the last gig for them on planet earth. He told me that their live album is so much better then the studio material. The live stuff showed that they can crank it up and let loose for sometimes a half and hour. Then I mentioned to him I found a copy of Living The Blues on CD. His eyes looked at me and his jaw dropped. He wanted a copy right there. I pulled out the CD and handed him the whole 2CD set. I told him that he could keep it, because I bought two. He smiled and ran to the closest stereo in the house. He cranked up the CD all the way up and was in heaven.



I was happy to support his Canned Heat habit and for me it was an idea I could not refuse. I looked and listened to all my Canned Heat albums. I realized after a while the album I wanted to do was staring me right in the face. I should do Living the Blues. It was half studio and half live. It just happens that the live part was one 41 minute piece of music. That was okay by me because that song has really never been a part of any other Canned Heat album. The other reason that this album had one of their biggest hits called "Going Up The Country."

I decided to grab my copy of the album and listen to it with the volume cranked up too. It was not a bad idea. I had a copy of the record and remember how "Refried Boogie" was 40 minutes long over two sides of record. I also remember the girl I was dating at the time committed the album to tape for me. I used to and still do play that tape when I have a chance. It was great hearing the cracks and pops of the record. It was always great to listen to stuff I put on tape from record. The memories were great and something I more then will remember for the rest of my life.



Canned Heat had an interesting story. There popular years from 1966-1970 they had some great music and wonderful albums. These albums were not classic in the sense, but still were pretty damn good. In 1970 the man in the middle picture (Alan Wilson) died of a drug overdose. Later the lead singer who sang falsetto on the hit "Going Up The Country" Bob Hite the music was quickly over as soon as it begain. I picked this album because of the memories, and this album for me packed a few. If you can find it, get it. Enjoy a boogie and have fun hearing something that is really part of American Blues. For this I promise you will enjoy!