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The Best of Hot Tuna

 
Album Review: The Best of Hot Tuna

  • Artist: Hot Tuna
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: July 28, 1998
  • Total Time: 145:44
  • Type: Compilation (best of)
  • Genre: Rock

Review

This two-disc compilation of RCA recordings, made between 1969 and 1977, traces Hot Tuna's evolution from an acoustic folk-blues group to an electric blues-rock band, and then to a near-heavy metal ensemble, and from a repertoire dominated by covers of songs by blues guitarists like the Reverend Gary Davis to one consisting largely of original material written by guitarist/singer Jorma Kaukonen. Actually, the transitions are not that dramatic, since Kaukonen continues to favor the same kinds of guitar figures whether he's playing acoustic or electric, and his own songs, albeit with more abstract lyrics, are steeped in the traditions that produced the cover material. The compilers might have pleased Hot Tuna fans by placing more emphasis on the group's jamming abilities, including more of its live material ("Death Don't Have No Mercy" is especially missed), and saved some of the Kaukonen compositions for a "best of Jorma" album. But that is not to say that the compilation isn't a balanced, representative condensation of Hot Tuna's career on RCA; it is. It's just that, like the Grateful Dead's, Hot Tuna's studio albums didn't necessarily reflect the best of the group as a performing unit. Note that the set includes a rare studio version of "Been So Long" originally released as a single and a previously unreleased 1977 live version of "Rock Me Baby." ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks



CD 1

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Hesitation Blues (Lyrics) Traditional Hot Tuna (5:05)
Know Your Rider Traditional Hot Tuna (4:07)
Winin' Boy Blues Ferdinand Joseph "Jelly Roll" Morton, Jelly Roll Morton Hot Tuna (5:31)
Mann's Fate Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:20)
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning Rev. Gary Davis Hot Tuna (8:15)
Candy Man (Lyrics) Rev. Gary Davis Hot Tuna (5:48)
Been So Long [Studio Single Version] Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (3:45)
Keep on Truckin' (Lyrics) Hot Tuna (3:40)
99 Year Blues (Lyrics) Julius Daniels Hot Tuna (3:57)
Ode for Billy Dean (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:50)
Sea Child (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:00)
Water Song Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:15)
I See the Light (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:15)
Living Just for You (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (3:18)
Easy Now (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:10)
Sally, Where'd You Get Your Liquor From Rev. Gary Davis Hot Tuna (2:56)


CD 2

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Hit Single #1 Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:13)
Serpent of Dreams (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (6:51)
Sleep Song (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:23)
Funky #7 Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:47)
Hot Jelly Roll Blues (Lyrics) Bo Carter Hot Tuna (4:21)
Sunrise Dance with the Devil Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:28)
Bar Room Crystal Ball Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (6:52)
I Wish You Would Billy Boy Arnold Hot Tuna (3:10)
Watch the North Wind Rise (Lyrics) Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:39)
It's So Easy Norman Petty, Buddy Holly Hot Tuna (2:34)
Song from the Stainless Cymbal Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:02)
Genesis Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (4:16)
Rock Me Baby [#] B.B. King, Joe Josea Hot Tuna (7:36)
Extrication Love Song Jorma Kaukonen Hot Tuna (5:20)

Credits

Jorma Kaukonen (Producer), Jack Casady (?), Mallory Earl (Producer), Don Gehman (Associate Producer), Allen Zentz (Engineer), Paul Williams (Compilation Producer), Jorma Kaukonen (Vocals), Dalita Keumurian (Project Director), Hot Tuna (Producer), Jack Casady (Bass), Jorma Kaukonen (Arranger), Paul Williams (Tape Research), Michael Diehl (Design), Jack Casady (Arranger), Jorma Kaukonen (?), Grace Slick (Illustrations), Jorma Kaukonen (Guitar), Felix Pappalardi (Producer), Mike Hartry (Digital Transfers), Harry Maslin (Producer), Bill Thompson (Compilation), Gail Collins (Associate Producer), Al Schmitt (Producer), Bill Lacey (Audio Restoration), Henry Marquez (Art Direction), Jack Rovner (Creative Director)
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Wikipedia: The Best of Hot Tuna
Top
The Best of Hot Tuna
Compilation album by Hot Tuna
Released July 28, 1998
Label RCA Records
Producer Paul Williams
Bill Thompson
Hot Tuna chronology
Live in Japan
(1997)
Best of Hot Tuna
(1998)
And Furthurmore...
(1999)

The Best of Hot Tuna is a Hot Tuna compilation album released in 1998. It covers songs from all the Hot Tuna albums released on Grunt Records. Bill Thompson, former manager of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna helped select the songs for inclusion. The artwork on the cover is a painting of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady made by Grace Slick. The album was released as a double CD.

Contents

Track listing

Disc One

  1. "Hesitation Blues" (Traditional) (from Hot Tuna) – 5:05
  2. "Know You Rider" (Traditional) (from Hot Tuna) – 4:07
  3. "Winin' Boy Blues" (Jelly Roll Morton) (from Hot Tuna) – 5:31
  4. "Mann's Fate" (Jorma Kaukonen) (from Hot Tuna) – 5:20
  5. "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (Rev. Gary Davis) (from First Pull Up, Then Pull Down) – 8:15
  6. "Candy Man" (Davis) (from First Pull Up, Then Pull Down) – 5:48
  7. "Been So Long" (Kaukonen) (Studio Version) (from "Been So Long" single) – 3:45
  8. "Keep On Truckin'" (B. Carleton) (from Burgers) – 3:40
  9. "99 Year Blues" (Julius Daniels) (from Burgers) – 3:57
  10. "Ode for Billy Dean" (Kaukonen) (from Burgers) – 4:50
  11. "Sea Child" (Kaukonen) (from Burgers) – 5:00
  12. "Water Song" (Kaukonen) (from Burgers) – 5:15
  13. "I See the Light" (Kaukonen) (from The Phosphorescent Rat) – 4:15
  14. "Living Just for You" (Kaukonen) (from The Phosphorescent Rat) – 3:18
  15. "Easy Now" (Kaukonen) (from The Phosphorescent Rat) – 5:10
  16. "Sally Where'd You Get Yopur Liquor From" (Davis) (from The Phosphorescent Rat) – 2:56

Disc Two

  1. "Hit Single #1" (Kaukonen) (from America's Choice) – 5:13
  2. "Serpent of Dreams" (Kaukonen) (from America's Choice) – 6:51
  3. "Sleep Song" (Kaukonen) (from America's Choice) – 4:23
  4. "Funky #7" (Jack Casady, Kaukonen) (from America's Choice) – 5:47
  5. "Hot Jelly Roll Blues" (Bo Carter) (from Yellow Fever) – 4:21
  6. "Sunrise Dance with the Devil" (Kaukonen) (from Yellow Fever) – 4:28
  7. "Bar Room Crystal Ball" (Kaukonen) (from Yellow Fever) – 6:52
  8. "I Wish You Would" (Billy Boy Arnold) (from Hoppkorv) – 3:10
  9. "Watch the North Wind Rise" (Kaukonen) (from Hoppkorv) – 4:39
  10. "It's So Easy" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) (from Hoppkorv) – 2:35
  11. "Song from the Stainless Cymbal" (Kaukonen) (from Hoppkorv) – 4:02
  12. "Genesis" (Kaukonen) (from Double Dose) – 4:27
  13. "Rock Me Baby" (Joe Josea, B. B. King) (previously unreleased) – 7:36
  14. "Extrication Love Song" (Kaukonen) (from Double Dose) – 5:20

Personnel

Production

  • Paul Williams – producer, compilation, tape research
  • Bill Thompson – compilation, assistant
  • Ray Loughren – assistant, sequencer
  • Jim Cooperman – assistant
  • Brian Mayer – assistant
  • Bill Lacey – audio restoration
  • Mike Harty – digital transfer
  • Michael Drexler – digital transfer
  • Dalita Keumurian – project director
  • Dave Cohen – essay
  • Tori Larkey – vault research
  • Jack Rovner – creative director
  • Henry Marquez – art direction
  • Grace Slick – illustrations
  • Mike Diehl – design

References

  • (1998) Album notes for The Best of Hot Tuna by Hot Tuna [CD insert]. New York, NY: RCA Records (67692-2).

and others: C. Jorgensen


 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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