"Hooker 'n Heat" is a double album released in January 1971 by blues-rock band Canned Heat and blues legend John Lee Hooker. It is the last studio album to feature harmonica player, guitarist, and lead vocalist Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, who passed away in September 1970 from a drug overdose.
The album contains a total of 17 tracks including previously unrecorded song by Hooker and a few of his older hits. The first record features Hooker on lead vocals with backing by the members of Can, while the second features performances by Hooker together with the band under the name John Lee Hooker and canned Heat.
Musically, "Hooker 'n Heat" draws on Hooker’s Delta Blues roots combined with Canned Heat’s psychedelic jamming style. John Lee Hooker also appreciated the band's deeper grasp of blues torch and syncopation. The album is a testament to the vibrant late-1960s blues revival scene. Upon release, Hooker 'n Heat was positively received and has since been acknowledged as a crucial album in the history of blues rock, a classic of the genre.
This album ultimately peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, guaranteeing Hooker's first commercially-successful album amongst the younger audience. Despite the tragic passing of Wilson, Canned Heat continued to tour and record, keeping alive their legacy as one of the premier blues-rock bands of the '60s and '70s. The album remains a beloved entry in both Canned Heat and John Lee Hooker's discographies.
