Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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For much too long, the legend of Long John Hunter was largely a local one, limited to the bordertown region between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. That's where the guitarist reigned for 13 years (beginning in 1957) at Juarez's infamous Lobby Bar. Its riotous, often brawling clientele included locals, cowboys, soldiers from nearby Fort Bliss, frat boys, and every sort of troublemaking tourist in between. Hunter kept 'em all entertained with his outrageous showmanship and slashing guitar riffs.

The Louisiana native got a late start on his musical career. When he was 22 and toiling away in a Beaumont, Texas box factory, he attended a B.B. King show and was instantly transfixed. The next day, he bought a guitar. A year later, he was starring at the same bar that B.B. had headlined. Hunter's 1954 debut single for Don Robey's Houston-based Duke label, "She Used to Be My Woman"/"Crazy Baby," preceded his move to El Paso in 1957. Along the way, Phillip Walker and Lonnie Brooks both picked up on his licks. But Hunter's recording output was slim – a few hot but obscure singles waxed from 1961 to 1963 for the tiny Yucca logo out of Alamogordo, New Mexico (standouts include "El Paso Rock," "Midnight Stroll," and "Border Town Blues"). Perhaps he was just too busy – he held court at the Lobby seven nights a week from sundown to sunup.

Fortunately, Hunter's reputation eventually outgrew the Lone Star State. His 1992 set for the Spindletop imprint, Ride with Me, got the ball rolling. A pair of albums released later in the decade for Alligator, Border Town Legend (1996) and Swinging from the Rafters (1997), exposed the Texas blues great to a wider (if not wilder) audience than before. The following decade, Hunter didn't record quite as often, but 2003's One Foot in Texas (made with his brother Tom) and 2009's Looking for a Party (issued on Blues Express) were both notable additions to his discography.

Bill Dahl, Allmusic.com

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Hunter's third album for Alligator finds him in tip-top form, sounding like a man half his age (62 at the time) and brandishing a nasty guitar tone that supposedly died out with 1950s one-track mono recording. Everything on here is kept in a nice Texas roadhouse framework, with plenty of air moving behind Long John from a fine combo that includes Derek O'Brien on guitar and Sarah Brown on bass. For his end of it, Hunter sounds positively involved on tunes like "Irene," "Crazy Love," the rockin' "Bad Feet," the uptempo "Dream About the Devil," a fun duet with T.D. Bell on "West Texas Homecoming," and the title track. With his songwriting hand clearly defined on all ten tunes here, Hunter has made his most realized album to date, showing him still in sharp command of his prestigious powers.

Review by Cub Koda, Allmusic.com

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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For many years Long John Hunter played in clubs without much attention, but that time sweating it out in roadhouses has paid off. During that time, he developed a gutsy, forceful technique that was fully evident on his belated 1993 debut, Ride With Me. Although his second album, Border Town Legend, is a slicker, more accessible effort, Hunter hasn't lost any of his spicy, distinctive flavor. Working with a horn section, he still manages to make himself the most powerful element on the record – both his guitar playing and his heated vocals ensure that. Furthermore, Hunter's songwriting is growing stronger. Out of the nine songs he has written or co-written for the album, he has contributed some first-rate tunes that might not stretch beyond generic conventions, but still are mighty fine.

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John's second album for the Alligator imprint is even more potent than his first, Texas Border Legend. This time around, Hunter's sly, drawling vocals and stinging clusters of guitar are well to the fore, keeping the spotlight firmly in place on this Texas guitar legend. The record was cut in Austin and Abilene, Texas, and as such boasts Lone Star talent like Derek O'Brien, who plays rhythm guitar on this disc and solos on "I Don't Care" and "V-8 Ford." Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff blows saxophone on eight tunes and harmonica on "Locksmith Man." For his part, Hunter contributes 10 of the 14 tunes, co-writing with various members of his Walking Catfish Band or his co-producers, Tary Owens and John Foose. Long John's no-holds-barred approach literally screams Texas blues, letting you know you're listening to an originator, not an imitator.

Review by Cub Koda, Allmusic.com

Here's a fine collection of 14 blues originals featuring some hot Texas guitar playing and great pumping horns. Long John Hunter is a Louisiana native who lives in El Paso, Tex., where he's become something of a border blues legend. Hunter worked in a box factory until 1953 when a B.B. King performance inspired him to take up the guitar. Swinging From The Rafters is the second Alligator release from the 66-year-old blues slinger.

Highlights include "I Don't Care," a classic down-and-out number that brings to mind Doc Pomus, the swinging shuffle "Bugs On My Window," and the funky "Take It Home With You." Hunter's voice is a cross between John Mayall and B.B. King, while his guitar work will remind you of Albert Collins. The horn section is led by Austin saxman Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, one of my favorite blues blowers.

"Swinging From The Rafters" is a fun release from a border bluesman who's finally getting some well-deserved national attention.

Review by Ed Kopp, AllAboutJazz.com

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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Long John Hunter - Albums Collection 1992-1997 (3CD)

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