In the 60's it was very hip for white rockers to be "into" the blues. While that might be stating the obvious (Cream, anyone?), a number of bands made a career out of closely emulating their heroes, taking their dedication to the blues one step farther than most. Paul Butterfield, David Bromberg, and Johnny Winter spring to mind, but Canned Heat was one of the weirdest and the best of the bunch. Their best known songs, "On The Road Again," "Going Up The Country," and "Let's Work Together" fused black traditionalism with iconoclastic white boy pretensions. But then, they also laid down a bizarre version of "The Chipmunk Song" (complete with chipmunks). In the end, predictably enough, Canned Heat became more of a cult band than a pop sensation, but they are remembered with great affection by freaks of a certain age.

Founders Alan Wilson and Bob Hite both died early - Wilson in 1970 (probably from drugs) and Hite in 1981 (probably from factors related to the girth that earned him the nickname "Bear"). The band carried on, though, into the 21st century, even after original guitarist Robert Vestine passed away in 1997. Wilson, Hite, and Vestine were blues fans (and record collectors) as much as blues musicians, and though their affection for the blues was a key component to Canned Heat's chemistry, their musicianship was impressive, too.

Anyway, as record collectors, the men of Canned Heat would no doubt appreciate EMI Records' generous 2-CD set, Uncanned! The Best Of Canned Heat (1994), covering the groups Liberty and United Artists recordings from 1967 through 1972. For a slimmer (and cheaper) view of the band, I recommend The Very Best Of Canned Heat (2005), a 19-song sampling ideal for most consumers. Or, pick up Varese's reissue of Canned Heat Cookbook: Their Greatest Hits (1969), which appends "Let's Work Together" (1970) to the original LP track listing. Avoid, however, The Best Of Canned Heat; this bare-bones, 10-song taster - now nearly 20-years-old - suffers from antiquated mastering and inadequate packaging. Regardless, "the kings of boogie" deserve a slot in any respectable 60's rock collection.

More voracious fans will want to seek out the group's early albums - Canned Heat (1967), Boogie With Canned Heat (1968), Living The Blues (live, 1968), Hallelujah (1969), Future Blues (1970), and Hooker 'N' Heat (with John Lee Hooker, 1971) - most of which are (or have been) available somewhere in the world. After 1972, Canned Heat kept releasing albums on ever-more-obscure labels - proceed with caution. However, a number of archival recordings have surfaced (e.g. The Boogie House Tapes 1967-1976 and Live At The Kaleidoscope 1969), something that will tantalize old boogie buffs.