The Blind Owl

For those who love the 60s band canned heat (famous for "Goin' Up the Country" and "On the Road", both of which are on this album), this is a great compilation album. It contains two discs full of songs that feature the vocals and music of one of its founders, Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson. Wilson was not only a blues musician, but a gifted student in Delta blues music. He played with Son House (re-teaching the blues legend his own songs) and was praised heavily by John Lee Hooker. Wilson mastered the harmonica (often experimenting with different styles) and was an amazing guitarist, especially with the bottleneck style. His vocals are unique, and haunting, and reminiscent of early Delta blues legends like Skip James.This album begins with the first notes of "On the Road Again," one of Canned Heat's best known songs, and their first hit. This song features Alan on vocals, harmonica, guitar, and the experimental Indian instruments heard at the beginning of the song. In fact, the only parts of the song that are not performed by Alan are the bass (Larry "The Mole" Taylor) and the drums (Adolpho "Fito" De La Parra). Following this song is one off of their first album, and the first one where we hear Alan singing in Canned Heat's discography. You can definitely hear Alan's understanding of the traditional blues combined with the talent of his bandmates. The album continues with "An Owl Song," an upbeat ditty. Following that is the song by which Canned Heat (and by association, Alan) is best known, "Goin' Up the Country."This album is spread over two CDs of excellent music, including further notable tracks that illustrate the pain that evidently colored Alan's later years: "London Blues," "Pulling Hair Blues," and "Time Was."Perhaps my favorite Alan Wilson-penned song found on this album is "My Time Ain't Long." The first notes come from Alan's bottleneck guitar and are incredibly haunting when coupled with his vocals as they sing, "...well I know...know my time ain't long." Within a few year after this recording, Alan will have passed away mysteriously, at the age of 27.You can also hear Alan's well-documented concern for the environment on this album as he sings "Poor Moon". Alan was an ecologist at heart, concerned with human impacts on his beloved natural world. He would sleep outside as much as possible, and fought to preserve redwood forests with the Music Mountain foundation.Final notable tracks include "Skat," "Childhood's End, and "Nebulosity/Rollin' and Tumblin'/Five Owls," all of which are mostly instrumental (Alan skats in the former) and showcase Alan and Canned Heat's talents.This album is a fantastic sample of the blues academic and musician that was Alan Christie Wilson. Skip Taylor (Canned Heat's former manager) provides liner notes for each song as well as co-production credits with de la Parra. The main thing that this album left out were tracks from Hooker and Heat where John Lee Hooker praises Alan for his chops. That would have been a great touch.I recommend this album to fans of Canned Heat, fans of the blues, and fans of great music! This is also a great place to start if you are interested in the life of the quiet, sensitive co-founder of Canned Heat. Don't expect to find the barrelhouse boogie stylings of Bob "The Bear" Hite here, though. It's all Alan.

Oh man. This stereo only 2 disc set is very deep. I totally love it. Alan's lyrics are so deep and heavy you can just hear his pain. To hear all his Canned Heat songs in one package is just plain fantastic. It makes me want more. His lyrics just seem so much like a white kids way of thinking back in that time, definitely a depressed soul. Sad that he gave us his life for such great music. Oh well.Paper and plastic packaging is very nice. Really good liner notes and break down of tracks by Skip Taylor. These recordings although I am sure sound better than they have ever sounded on this disc, the stereo is a little off, vocals are predominantly at right speaker, not center for instance. But because the actual feeling of the music and the lyrics just tears me up, I can bypass any imperfections in sound quality.I am very happy to own this, thanks Blind Owl, RIP.

I love Al Wilson, and I'm so glad I got to see him play at the Fillmore East in 1968. This album has excellent packaging, a good booklet, and sounds great, but I must say that because each CD is about 40 minutes and the second one has what I feel is "filler", it should have been a single CD. We don't even get his intro to "Refried Boogie," a 40 minute live tune which comprises the second LP of "Livin the Blues". I also agree with another reviewer that it should have contained his contributions to "Hooker and Heat"! Most definitely! So, four stars. RIP Al. Genius he had, and problems too. Sigh.

I'd found myself buying this or that Canned Heat cd in an effort to hear more of his stuff since his falsetto voice is quite intoxicating and rare. This double cd set really digs into the vaults and the official album releases and brings us an Alan Wilson Canned Heat release. Thanks for doing it. It's a smooth listen all the way through with maybe just one or two songs that are a bit of a stretch but one is clearly them being experimental and it's worth it to hear them wander around musically on that song just to see what they could do. It's like an Alan Wilson release. R.I.P. bub. I hope yer in heaven. There's only 3 options, heaven, Walmart or hell. Er, maybe just 2 options...

This guy was more than just a mere, lowly Blues man. Blues is so easy to play and sing that almost anyone can do it and do it well. Give me a break, there is nothing to the music. A first year guitar player can play as well as the supposed greats like BB King and all the other mildly talented so called "Blues Men". Alan Wilson steps it up beyond the basic and boring old blues drone which puts people to sleep. Don't listen to that old Blues crap have a listen to Alan.

The Owl was a master! He studied the blues, he appreciated the blues, he lived the blues, he mastered the blues, he transformed the blues.Anyone who could teach an old "Blues Master" ( Son House) how to play songs that Son had forgotten after 25 years of being in obscurity and not even picking up a guitar, has got it going on. John Lee Hooker called Al Wilson the best harmonica player ever, but most people know him from his amazing slide guitar sounds and unique voice on songs like " Goin Up the Country" and others from Woodstock.Your life would absolutely be enriched if you studied this man's short life and listened to his music.Hearing all of these songs together like this is "Nirvana"

An amazing harp player and a big influence on me !!!

Wonderful CD! All his good songs on two CD set. I play it in my car all the time. So glad I purchased this. No one will ever sound like Blind Owl. He has an unmistakable voice and is a master of the blues harp. I forgot how much I missed listening to him over the years. Refreshing to hear his voice again.

i thought long and hard before buying this because i had most of the tracks on canned heat albums. i decided it would be a good idea to have the tracks in one place. its a 2cd set although the contents would have fitted on one cd. the booklet is interesting but overall the packaging has a cheap feel to it. the music of course is excellent but the album contains nothing previously unreleased. the sound at first sounds louder and clearer although extended listening suggests it is merely louder and distortion is more evident than on my old canned heat cds. if you dont already own these tracks it is well worth buying but i feel this is a missed opportunity to put out a collectors collection of this great mans music.

Well pleased

A real taste of who the owl was and his feelings in his voice expressed the way only the owl can do it

Such a great album by such fantastic musician!

If you want the best songs of canned heat this is the album you must have ! I always like the way the guy on Canned Heat sings on the song On the Road Again and this is him, also on Going up the country. Needless to say this is the best Canned Heat song and they never had more success than with Alan Wilson.When he found Son House in 1964, Dick Waterman asked Alan to teach Son House his own songs as he didn’t play guitar for so many years. Son House like him as much as he asked Alan to play on his new album. And this guy is really an ace on harmonica, when he played with John Lee Hooker, John said Alan his the best harmonica player he ever plays.This guy had a innovative way to play the blues, he really was an original. All these songs are excellent and the fact that Canned Heat still plays On the road again, Going up the country and time was today shows that they are timeless !The sad thing is that Alan Wilson died in 1970 at 27 years old and because he was manic depressive and took too many pills and alcohol. If he was still alive now they’ll found a way to medicate him.These songs prove that he was Canned Heat soul and that he was truly a blues master.