An Owl Song

Canned Heat - On the Road Again (alternate take)
Canned Heat - Change My Ways
Canned Heat - Poor Moon
Canned Heat - Shake It and Break It

Time to shine some love on Alan C. Wilson, aka Blind Owl: founding member, guitarist, harmonica blower and vocalist (the falsetto one) with boogie bluesers, Canned Heat.

By November of '65 when, along with fellow record collector and blues obsesser, Bob Hite, he formed Canned Heat, Wilson had already brushed shoulders with a giant of the blues. At the request of John Hammond Sr, his first recording project was to assist in the resurrection of Son House, a man whose struggle with the bottle loomed over a 28 year musical absence. Wilson backed up House on Harmonica (and occasionally second guitar) and the two enjoyed a close creative bond. This was perhaps echoed in 1970 when Canned Heat teamed up with another of Wilson's heroes, John Lee Hooker. Hooker said "I dig this kid’s hamonica, you know? I don’t know how he follow me, but he do.” (to Alan) “You must’ve listened to my records all your life, since you was a little kid. I can't lose you.” It was Wilson's last recording session before his suicide.

Though I'm a fan of most early Canned Heat material and respect Bob 'The Bear' Hite's powerful and commanding voice -- a voice that set a template for many boogie band singers to follow -- it's the fragility and honesty present in the cuts that feature Wilson's high vocals that lift Canned Heat artistically above other blues revivalists (from that era or since). The other Canned Heat members ain't slouches either but this one's all about Al. Picking tunes was tough but I've tried to demonstrate some scope of the material.

Apart from 'Going Up The Country', 'On The Road Again' is probably Canned Heat's best known tune. On it Wilson plays three tamboura parts, harmonica, guitar and vocals. I prefer this alternate take for three reasons: it's longer, the "keep it light and breezy" intro and, to the best of my knowledge, it hasn't been used to flog cars.

Wilson's vocals are most prevalent on Canned Heat's third studio album, Hallelujah. From it comes 'Change My Ways' which also features eery whistling and some fun guitar interplay. The lyrics are a classic blues: unrequited love. Apparently this was a topic Wilson was not unfamiliar with as even groupies were turned off by his (lack of) hygiene habits. Preferring to sleep outside, he often collected and leaf and soil samples that he'd carry round with him.

'Poor Moon' was recorded in 1969 and released as a single shortly after the lunar landing. In it, Wilson the environmentalist ponders when and how man will destroy the moon. (He was also passionately against the logging of California Redwoods). Wilson's vocals are overdubbed a number of times to great effect.

From the last Canned Heat studio album involving Wilson, Future Blues, comes 'Shake It and Break It'. Often his musicology leanings saw him piecing together lyrics or phrases from traditional blues songs when writing his own. This is not one of those times. It is a straight cover of a Charlie Patton song, one that he also recorded with Son House when he was just starting out.



Blind Owl dot net (great site!)