Canned Heat - On The Road And Back Again

On The Road Again. 

In the mid-1960s, as folk and psychedelia were reshaping rock, a band from Los Angeles set out to revive the blues: Canned Heat. Founded by Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson and Bob “The Bear” Hite—both passionate collectors and scholars of old shellac records—the group stood for authenticity from the very beginning. Their name, borrowed from a 1928 song, hinted at the rawness from which they drew their power. Their breakthrough came in 1968 with the album Boogie with Canned Heat and the hit “On the Road Again”: Wilson’s falsetto and hypnotic harmonica turned the track into a counterculture anthem. With “Going Up the Country,” adapted from a 1928 blues, they created the ultimate escape song of the Vietnam era. Legendary appearances at Monterey Pop and Woodstock—with sprawling jams and endless grooves—cemented their reputation. Wilson was the shy blues intellectual, Hite the larger-than-life frontman—a mismatched pair that made history. Yet both lives ended far too soon: Wilson in 1970 at just 27, Hite in 1981. Despite the tragedies, the band carried on, embodying the raw, unpolished essence of the blues. Canned Heat toured relentlessly, brought icons like John Lee Hooker back into the spotlight, and laid the groundwork for the later jam-band scene with their marathon boogies. Their legacy endures because their music never chased trends—it carved its own path, dedicated to keeping the blues alive and generations moving to the groove.

Side B

From the Album VINTAGE  

1. My Romance (Take 1)  
2. Rollin' and Tumblin', Pt. 1  

Live at the Kaleidoscope  

1. Bullfrog Blues  
2. Sweet Sixteen