Free Form Patterns
| Free Form Patterns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1968 | |||
| Recorded | February 1, 1968 | |||
| Studio | International Artists Studio, Houston, TX | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 43:11 | |||
| Label | International Artists IA LP 6 | |||
| Producer | Lelan Rogers | |||
| Lightnin' Hopkins chronology | ||||
| ||||
Free Form Patterns, (also released as Reflections), is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins backed by the rhythm section of The 13th Floor Elevators recorded in Texas in 1968 and released on the International Artists label.[1][2][3]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Record Collector | [5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [6] |
AllMusic's Al Campbell stated: "While not as revolutionary as John Lee Hooker's sessions with Canned Heat, Free Form Patterns steers clear of the late-'60s psychedelic trappings that screwed up such similar sessions as Electric Mud. No one tried to bend Hopkins to fit a foreign musical approach on Free Form Patterns; he made the music bend to him".[4] Record Collector observed "Free Form Patterns isn't some hippy hybrid, it's a pure blues album – actually, scrub that; it's a pure Lightnin’ Hopkins album".[5] Raul de Gama said "True to form – to free form, actually – Lightnin’ Hopkins’ music unfolds as the avant-garde of the day. His notes carry a singular drawl – a Texas drawl – as they roll over each other to form that seminal wave travelling so fast, and yet as sinuous as it makes its way into the inner ear of the mind ... The considerable degree of balance and integration of melody, harmony and rhythm, of composition, individuality and tradition is impressively maintained throughout".[7] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings said: "Despite these interpolations it's a rather lacklustre affair".[6]
Track listing
All compositions by Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins except where noted
- "Mr. Charlie" – 7:02
- "Give Me Time to Think" – 3:49
- "Fox Chase" (Billy Bizor, Marty Rubenstein) – 2:53
- "Mr. Ditta's Grocery Store" – 5:30
- "Open Up Your Door" – 3:54
- "Baby Child" (Bizor, Rubenstein) – 3:35
- "Cooking's Done" – 3:48
- "Got Her Letter This Morning" – 4:57
- "Rain Falling" – 4:33
- "Mini Skirt" – 3:10
Personnel
Performance
- Lightnin' Hopkins – electric guitar, vocals
- Duke Davis – bass
- Danny Thomas – drums
Billy Bizor, harmonica and vocals
Production
- Lelan Rogers – producer
- Jim Duff – engineer
References
- ^ Both Sides Now: International Artists Album Discography accessed November 13, 2018
- ^ Wirz' American Music: Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins discography accessed November 13, 2018
- ^ International Artists Records: album details accessed November 13, 2018
- ^ a b Campbell, Al. Lightnin' Hopkins: Free Form Patterns – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^ a b Record Collector Review accessed November 13, 2018
- ^ a b Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. London: Penguin. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ de Gama, R. JazzdeGama Review accessed November 13, 2018
