The Hopkins Brothers – Texas Country Blues / Arhoolie CD-341

Description

Arhoolie CD 340

Sam “Lightning” Hopkins – guitar and vocals; Joel Hopkins – guitar and vocals; John Henry Hopkins – guitar and vocals.

Recorded at a Hopkins family reunion on Sunday Feb. 16 1964 by Chris Strachwitz in Waxahachie Texas except # 11 12 & 17 which were recorded in Houston Texas March 17 1965.

A few of these selections were originally issued on ARH LP 1022 all others previously unissued.

1. See About My Brother John Henry
2. Hot Blooded Woman
3. Black Hannah
4. I Want To Go Fishing
5. Doin’ Little Heiffer
6. Hey Baby Hey
7. Saddle Up My Grey Mare
8. Tell Me Tell Me
9. Little Girl
10. I Got A Brother In Waxahachie
11. Matchbox Blues
12. Home With Mama
13. Come Down To My House
14. Grosebeck Blues
15. The Dice Game
16. I Walked From Dallas
17. Two Brothers Playing

REVIEW

“Lightning Hopkins is well-known to fans of country blues but this casual recording places his music in an entirely more interesting context. Rather than presenting Hopkins as an ‘artist’ above and apart from his audience this disc affords us the chance to hear Lightning and his brothers as equals; an unrehearsed family get together which happened to include some three-way music making. Mostly recorded in 1964 when these men were all 60-ish some cuts are understandably a bit rough. But it also reminds us of a time when music-making was a social activity a means of amusement as well as entertainment a chance to show off a little a way to tell some tall tales a way to have fun. The directness of many of these songs indicates that they are improvised (`See About My Brother John Henry’ ‘I Got a Brother in Waxahachie’ `I Want to Go Fishing’ ‘Home With Mama’) but that’s part of the appeal. All three brothers are talented: Lightning’s success and the others’ obscurity also offers some lessons about luck and fate.”

(Oatman Burroughs — Option)