‘Healer’: Just an Echo of the Boogiemaster : JOHN LEE HOOKER “The Healer.” Chameleon **
Pairing the venerable boogiemaster with admirers ranging from Carlos Santana and Bonnie Raitt to Los Lobos and Robert Cray was a great idea in theory . . . but not in practice. The performances are lethargic, and the decision to drench Hooker’s voice in echo was a severe miscalculation. The title track sounds like soft-focus Santana; “Think Twice Before You Go” is a limp attempt at one of Los Lobos’ roadhouse boogies; and Cray’s contribution to “Baby Lee” is so anonymous you can’t even identify him. Only the collaborations with Bonnie Raitt and George Thorogood squeeze out some sparks.
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