This analysis of Alan Wilson's music is contributed courtesy of musician and scholar Kyle Fosburgh. Please visit his website at rootsmusicrevival.com.
For those who have never heard of Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson, he was the primary song writer and arranger for the famous 1960s blues boogie band Canned Heat. Canned Heat played one of the biggest roles in the blues revival of the 1960s and early 1970s. B.B. King once said that there wouldn’t be blues music today if it wasn’t for bands like Canned Heat. I believe that statement is very true. Even blues music in the 60s, at its peak in popularity, appealed mostly to a certain crowed. Because of this, there were few bands that were solely dedicated to the blues. However, Canned Heat created an authentic blend of pre-war blues and modern rock that seemed to catch on with main stream audiences yet appeal to, and inspire the purist of blues fans. Alan Wilson is the only musician in history that could accurately interpret the style of the early bluesmen yet electrify it and blend it with the sound of a full band in a way that didn’t corrupt the purity of the music. The full Canned Heat group deserves a lot of credit for this as well, but Alan was the brain child behind this revolutionary innovation.
Alan Wilson is the utmost pure, creative and real musician I have ever heard in my entire life. Although he had various musical interests, there was a certain quality about the country blues of the 1920s and 30s that grabbed him. Alan began collecting blues albums at a young age and while most record buyers would just listen to the music, Alan would dissect and learn each part while attempting to understand the meanings both lyrically and musically behind what was being presented. Wilson was not just another musician, he became almost spiritually attached to the songs he played. His understanding of blues music would gain him the respect of the elitist of bluesmen. One of these great bluesmen was none other than the legendary Son House.
In 1965 Son House was getting ready to make his way back into the blues scene with a new album, however, he was not fully ready for this endeavor. As a result of alcoholism and a 28 year musical absence his memory suffered greatly as he could not even remember his own guitar style. Alan Wilson was so knowledgeable with the musical style of Son House that producer John Hammond Sr. asked Alan to teach Son House “how to play like Son House.” Wilson agreed, so at the age of only 22 Alan joined the great bluesman of the Delta blues in the studio for these historic sessions. Wilson also accompanied him on the record with harmonica and a second guitar for the various songs that they felt needed the accompaniment. These legendary recordings were documented on the “Father of the Delta Blues: The Complete 1965 Sessions.” Alan also performed live with Son House on occasion. They can be heard performing together for a few tracks on the album titled, “John the Revelator: The 1970 London Sessions”.
Another great bluesman that Alan had the opportunity of recording with was the boogie man himself, John Lee Hooker. The famous album with Canned Heat and John Lee Hooker was recorded in 1970 under the title “Hooker and Heat” as a 2 record set. The record features songs with just Hooker, Hooker and Alan together and Hooker with the accompaniment of the full Canned Heat group. The album is a truly amazing work of musical art. It is a form of power and purity that cannot be heard on any other progressive blues album. John was more than just impressed with Alan’s playing on this album, in fact, he called Alan the best harmonica player ever. Hooker would also go on to say later in his life that nobody played his music better than Canned Heat. The Hooker and Heat sessions brought out what was arguably some of Alan’s best work, but unfortunately, these sessions were to be his last.
On September 3, 1970, at the height of Canned Heat’s fame, Wilson passed away from an apparent overdose of powerful sleeping pills on a hill behind the house of his band mate Bob Hite. The spot where Alan was found is where he often slept as he loved to be part of nature. Although the cause of death was officially ruled an accident, Alan’s close friends believe it was a suicide because Alan had attempted to kill himself before. No one knows for sure why Alan died, but there is no question that he was looking for a less polluted, more peaceful world where he could put his troubled mind at ease.
Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson was an amazing human being and there will never be another person like him. The music just flowed out of him in the most natural way. He was an innovative yet accurate interpreter of the early blues music and his songs will live on forever and continue to inspire musicians like myself.
- Kyle Fosburgh
Essay copyright 2008 Kyle Fosburgh, all rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited by law.
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