Verve/UMe’s Acoustic Sounds series kicks off its slate of 2025 releases with two immortal blues classics released in 1966 by two of the defining pioneers of the blues - John Lee Hooker’s superb and sorrowful It Serve You Right To Suffer and Lightnin’ Hopkins’ rollicking and aching Lightnin’ Strikes – shaking up the traditionally jazz-centric vinyl reissue series to start the year.

Available today, January 24th, 2025 via Verve/UMe, the records have been mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram audiophile quality vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and are presented in deluxe gatefold packaging.

John Lee Hooker – It Serve You Right To Suffer (Impulse!, 1966)

Released on Impulse! in early 1966, It Serve You Right To Suffer is a masterful blend of new compositions and reworkings of songs John Lee Hooker had previously recorded.

Performed with a trio of pedigreed jazz musicians, the session imbues Hooker’s typically raw and stripped-down arrangements with sophistication, swing, and an improvisational spirit.

Featuring Panama Francis on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, and Barry Galbraith on second guitar, this collaboration delivers some of the finest John Lee Hooker material ever recorded with a full band.

Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Side A:
1. Shake It Baby
2. Country Boy
3. Bottle Up & Go
4. You’re Wrong

Side B:
5. Sugar Mama
6. Decoration Day
7. Money
8. It Serves You Right to Suffer

Personally, I have always enjoyed Electric Blues, but this record (back in the day) was the very first time I have actually sought it out for myself, and I have to say JLH does not disappoint. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing too insane about it, moreover it is just an incredibly solid recording.

Once you drop the needle, and the guitar begins to carry you off, it is his solid vocals that are about as authentic as they can get. You can hear the emotion and passion in his voice throughout and sure, even though they’re characteristically repetitive, simple, and improvisational, I think they fit the album and mood of the music perfectly.

Because, as we all know by now, it is the lyricism that is a big part of what allows for the vocals to work well, the very laid back manner in which he sings complimenting the casual storytelling of the album and the seemingly personal lyricism both.

Furthermore, I think more heavily structured lyrics would weaken the casual sound of the album more than it would aid the overall sound. The instrumentals are just as solid and I love the story of how John Lee Hooker only bought an electric guitar to be heard better, and thus I think that story shines throughout his playing on the album.

The guitar work has a sort of rustically real feel, whereas the bass and drums, well, they both fill in the musical holes in the road absolutely perfectly. For me, the highlights are tracks such as You’re Wrong and Money and whilst there are not any so-called bad tracks to be found, each track cannot be my favorite, and yet every track fits the overall mood just perfectly.

Lightnin’ Hopkins – Lightnin’ Strikes (Verve Folkways, 1966)

Recorded in 1966 for the Verve Folkways label, Lightnin’ Strikes may not have the notoriety as some of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ other albums, but this set backed by Jimmy Bond (bass), Earl Palmer (drums) and Don Crawford (harmonica) is classic Lightnin’.

From the opener, “Mojo Hand” to the ballad, “Woke Up This Morning,” Lightnin’ Strikes showcases classic blues from one of the best there was. Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Side A:
1. Got Me a Louisiana Woman
2. Want to Come Home
3. Please Don’t Quit Me
4. Devil Is Watching You
5. Rolling and Rolling

Side B:
6. War Is Starting Again
7. Walkin’ Round in Circles
8. Mary Lou
9. Heavy Snow
10. Coon Is Hard to Catch

A recording clearly coined by acoustic performances, although he uses the electric guitar a few times, too, in any case Lightnin’ Strikes is, and without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best recordings he ever made.

But ok, sure, this brilliant 1962 album isn’t quite up to the standards of the stuff Lightnin’ Hopkins was releasing elsewhere at the time, but it still stands out as an incredible recording nonetheless.

Indeed, you can often tell how much he trusted the producer by how good the album is. Lightnin’ is still too excellent a performer at this point to have produced anything less than good, and this album has its musically mesmerizing moments.

And hey, at least he didn’t fill time with rehashed instrumentals or redoing a clutch of his old songs or oft-performed standards. For this is pretty much original material, a glorious snapshot-of-the-day Lightnin’ and that’s a good thing.

Slow, simple blues that slip right into your head and are enjoyable for anybody who wants to take it mild and just enjoy music for a minute, stand out tracks for me would be the opener Got Me a Louisiana Woman, Please Don’t Quit Me and both Walkin’ Round in Circles and a pulsing Mary Lou.

So yes, the songs themselves are a little repetitive and admittedly take time to gestate, but all-together the collection makes for a mellow and peaceful experience ie: highly recommended for a lazy day.

The first few months of releases for the vaunted series boast an incredible lineup of audio treasures, releasing twice monthly, including Sonny Rollins’ 1966 sensational soundtrack for the British film, “Alfie,” on February 7th; Impulse! Records’ inaugural release, 1960’s The Great Kai & J.J by the tantalizing trombone twosome, J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding, on February 21st.

Stan Getz’s Getz Au Go Go, his beloved two-nighter recorded live with Brazilian bossa nova legend Astrud Gilberto in May and October 1964 shortly after “The Girl From Ipanema” became a global sensation, will be released March 7th followed by virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk’s first venture into the groove side of jazz, 1967’s Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith, on March 21st.

Two albums from 1959 will arrive in April, Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges’ foray into small-group swing, Side By Side, on April 11th, and Ben Webster & Associates’ elegant and enthralling eponymous platter, on April 25th. The second half of 2025’s slate of albums will be announced in the spring. As with all Acoustic Sounds series titles, the LPs will be mastered from the original analog tapes pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and packaged in high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets, replicating the original packaging. The albums will be mastered and cut to lacquer by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab at Quality Record Pressings.

As always, all releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile recordings, and will utilize the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings.

Official John Lee Hooker – It Serve You Right To Suffer Vinyl Purchase Link

Official Lightnin’ Hopkins – Lightnin’ Strikes Vinyl Purchase Link