Hooker 'n Heat is a double album released by blues legend John Lee Hooker a… Read Full Bio ↴Hooker 'n Heat is a double album released by blues legend John Lee Hooker and blues-rock band Canned Heat in early 1971. It was the last studio album to feature harmonica player, guitarist and songwriter Alan Wilson, who died in September 1970 from a drug overdose. The photo on the album cover was taken after Wilson's death, but his picture can be seen in a frame on the wall behind John Lee Hooker. Guitarist Henry Vestine was also missing from the photo session. The person standing in front of the window, filling in for Henry, is the band's manager, Skip Taylor. Careful examination of the photo reveals that Henry's face was later added by the art department.

It was the first of Hooker's albums to chart, reaching number 78 in the Billboard charts.

Wikipedia: Hooker'n Heat

When this two-LP set was initially released in January 1971, Canned Heat was back to its R&B roots, sporting slightly revised personnel. In the spring of the previous year, Larry "The Mole" Taylor (bass) and Harvey Mandel (guitar) simultaneously accepted invitations to join John Mayall's concurrent incarnation of the Bluesbreakers. This marked the return of Henry "Sunflower" Vestine (guitar) and the incorporation of Antonio "Tony" de la Barreda (bass), a highly skilled constituent of Aldolfo de la Parra (drums).

Sadly, it would also be the final effort to include co-founder Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, who passed away in September 1970. Hooker 'n Heat (1971) is a low-key affair split between unaccompanied solo John Lee Hooker (guitar/vocals) tunes, collaborations between Hooker and Wilson (piano/guitar/harmonica), as well as five full-blown confabs between Hooker and Heat. The first platter focuses on Hooker's looser entries that vacillate from the relatively uninspired ramblings of "Send Me Your Pillow" and "Drifter" to the essential and guttural "Feelin' Is Gone" or spirited "Bottle Up and Go." The latter being among those with Wilson on piano.

Perhaps the best of the batch is the lengthy seven-minute-plus "World Today," which is languid and poignant talking blues, with Hooker lamenting the concurrent state of affairs around the globe. "I Got My Eyes on You" is an unabashed derivative of Hooker's classic "Dimples," with the title changed for what were most likely legal rather than artistic concerns.

That said, the readings of the seminal "Burning Hell" and "Bottle Up and Go" kept their familiar monikers intact. The full-fledged collaborations shine as both parties unleash some of their finest respective work. While Canned Heat get top bill -- probably as it was the group's record company that sprung for Hooker 'n Heat -- make no mistake, as Hooker steers the combo with the same gritty and percussive guitar leads that have become his trademark. The epic "Boogie Chillen No. 2" stretches over 11 and a half minutes and is full of the same swagger as the original, with the support of Canned Heat igniting the verses and simmering on the subsequent instrumental breaks with all killer and no filler.

The 2002 two-CD pressing by the French Magic Records label is augmented with "It's All Right," with a single edit of "Whiskey and Wimmen."

Allmusic: Hooker'n Heat (Infinite Boogie) Review by Lindsay Planer

Drifter
John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat Lyrics

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You talk too much, baby
You talk too much
You talk too much, baby
You talk too much
You yak, yak, yak
You yak too much

You talk in the mornin'

You talk all night long
You talk about people that don't
That even don't know you

Talk too much
Baby, you talk too much, baby
You talk too much, mama
You talk too much, mama
Mama, you talk too much

Mama, mama, mama
You talk too much
Mama, mama, mama
You talk too much
You talk too much, mama
You yak, yak, yak

Yak, yak all the time
You yak your mouth
Your big mouth will ruin you woman
Your big mouth will ruin you woman
Yak, yak, yak all the time

Talk about people that
You just don't know
Yak, yak, yak
Yak, yak, yak all the time
Yak, yak, yak your big mouth
All the time, all the time

You talk too much woman

Overall Meaning

The song "You Talk Too Much" by Canned Heat featuring John Lee Hooker discusses a woman who talks far too much. This woman talks both day and night, and often about people she doesn't even know. Her constant talking is seen as annoying and potentially damaging to herself. The lyrics express a desire for her to stop this habit and be more mindful of what she says.

Beyond simply portraying the woman's talking habits, the song could also be interpreted as a commentary on societal norms surrounding communication. For example, it could be seen as suggesting that society encourages people to talk too much, even to the point where it becomes detrimental to themselves and others. Alternatively, it could be seen as a criticism of people who talk excessively without taking the time to listen and understand others.

Overall, the song warns against the dangers of talking too much and encourages listeners to be mindful of their own communication habits.

Line by Line Meaning

You talk too much, baby
You speak excessively, excessively, excessively, dear

You talk too much
You speak excessively

You yak, yak, yak
You speak for a long time, for a long time, for a long time

You talk in the mornin'
You speak early in the day

You talk all night long
You speak throughout the entire night

You talk about people that don't
You speak about individuals whom you've never met

That even don't know you
Those whom you've never met, don't even recognize you

You talk too much, mama
You speak excessively, mother

Mama, you talk too much
Mother, you speak excessively

Mama, mama, mama
Mother, mother, mother