Canned Heat - Live In Europe (1970)

Canned Heat is an American blues-rock band originally formed in the 60s.

Canned Heat had toured Europe in 1970 in support of their album Future Blues, which had featured the hit single "Let's Work Together" (a #2 hit in the UK). Recordings from the tour were put out as a live album, orginally called Canned Heat '70 Concert - Recorded Live In Europe, but later reissued with the simpler title Live In Europe. It was a great blues album, showcasing the whole band, in particular the excellent lead guitar of newcomer Harvey Mandel. The album did well in the UK, where it got to #15.

However on their return to America, both Mandel and bassist Larry Taylor left the band to work with John Mayall (who had just then relocated to California). Original lead guitiarist Henry Vestine then returned, bringing with him bassist Antonio de la Barreda.

Future Blues (1970) <|> Live At Topanga Corral (1971)
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Canned Heat - Future Blues (1970)

Canned Heat is an American blues-rock band originally formed in the 60s.

Founding Canned Heat member Henry Vestine had departed in 1969, and was replaced by Harvey Mandel on lead guitar, in time for the band to play the Woodstock Festival. Future Blues was their first album of 1970, and their first with Mandel, recorded in time for the release to coincide with their European tour. The album's single was a cover of Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together". Harrison had originally recorded this song back in 1962 as "Let's Stick Together", but had in 1969 re-done in with the new lyrics and had a #32 hit with it. Canned Heat asked for their guitar-heavy version to be delayed in the US to allow Harrison's version a chance on the charts, but in the UK (where Harrison's version had not charted) it was released in January 1970, and got all the way to #2. It also has the distinction of being their only hit single to featured Bob Hite rather than Alan Wilson on lead vocals.

The European tour was a success, and they returned to America in May 1970. It was then that Mandel and bassist Larry Taylor both left, and went to work with British bluesman John Mayall, who had recently relocated to California.

Hallelujah (1969) <|> Live In Europe (1970)
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Canned Heat - Hallelujah (1969)

Canned Heat is an American blues-rock band originally formed in the 60s.

Canned Heat's fourth album continued in the style with which they had made themselves a name with (and produced two hit songs with), mixing convincing blues authenticity with counter-culture cool (best exemplified on the anti-police tune "Sic 'Em Pigs", itself based on Bukka White's "Sic 'Em Dogs"). Keyboards were provided by guests Ernest Lane and Mark Naftalin. However despite being thoroughly consistent as an album, and typical of the Canned Heat sound, Hallelujah did not feature any hits like its two predecessors had, and so is often overlooked in their discography.
After its release the band prepared to play the Woodstock Festival, but it was then that lead guitarist Henry Vestine departed after an on-stage fall-out with bassist Larry Taylor. He was replaced by Harvey Mandel in time for Woodstock, where they played a fantastic set, and their song "Goin' Up The Country" was used as the theme tune for the corresponding documentary film.

Living The Blues (1968) <|> Future Blues (1970)
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Canned Heat - Living The Blues (1969)

Canned Heat is an American blues-rock band originally formed in the 60s.

Following their success with "On The Road Again", Canned Heat's next record was a double album, which mostly followed their by-now familiar blues/boogie formula. However it is notable for containing the song "Goin' Up The Country", sung by Alan Wilson and with flute by Jim Horn. A re-writing of Henry Thomas' "Bull-doze Blues", with its 'back-to-nature' hippie message it became massively popular. It got to #11 in the US, and made it to #1 in 25 other countries. It also became the unofficial anthem of the Woodstock festival, which Canned Heat played at, due to its use in Michael Wadleigh's film of the event.
Elsewhere on the album, Dr John contributed piano and horn arrangements, as he had done on its predecessor. The 20-minute "Parthenogenesis" was a psychedelic collage of sounds, but even that was dwarfed by the live recording "Refried Boogie", which at over 40 minutes long took up an entire two sides of vinyl.

Boogie With Canned Heat (1968) <|> Hallelujah (1969)
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Canned Heat - Boogie With Canned Heat (1968)

Canned Heat is an American blues band originally formed in the 60s.

Whilst their first album consisted entirely of covers, Boogie With Canned Heat differed in that it was made up of almost all original songs. It had the same blues/boogie sound as its predecessor, but was arguably a stronger and more interesting record. By this time original drummer Frank Cook had been replaced by Fito De La Parra. Contains the song "My Crime", about the band's arrest in Denver, Colorado, "Amphetamine Annie", which received considerable airplay, and the 10-minute jam "Fried Hockey Boogie". But the most important song on the album is "On The Road Again", an adaptation of an old Floyd Jones song sung by Alan Wilson. The song fused their familiar guitar boogie with a Tambura drone to give it a hypnotic, psychedelic sound. It proved to be an international hit, and gave Canned Heat massive new fame and recognition.
The album also features piano and horn arrangements from Dr John.

Canned Heat (1967) <|> Living The Blues (1968)
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Canned Heat - Canned Heat (1967)

Canned Heat is an American blues band originally formed in the 60s.

The original lineup of Canned Heat on their first self-titled album was Bob Hite (vocals), Alan Wilson (slide guitar, harmonica, vocals), Henry Vestine (lead guitar), Larry Taylor (bass) and Frank Cook (drums). Coming from L.A., they stood out from other west-coast American bands in the era who were indulging in folk-rock and psychedelia. Canned Heat played pure no-frills blues music, and it's nowhere more apparent than on their debut album, which consisted of eleven blues covers. Nevertheless they were still popular as part of the hippie counter-culture, having played a well-received set at the Monterey Pop Festival, and then getting jailed in Denver, Colorado for drugs-related charges. They had to sell their publishing rights in order to pay their $10,000 bail.

|> Boogie With Canned Heat (1968)
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