Canned Heat
Future Blues

THE REVIEW

As with almost all artists of those times, a year was more than enough to space out one record release from another. The result often left one astonished, as it highlighted states of compositional grace, in practically unrepeatable times: masterpieces one after another, double, triple, quadruple albums, daring works, experiments, ambitions rising higher each year. However, the golden era must eventually run its course, and somewhere along the line, one has to stop to rest. For Canned Heat, the first misstep comes in 1970.

While the cover of this album can be considered successful and captures the imagination (how did a band that now belongs to the past envision the blues of the future?), listening to this album is quite disappointing. And not just because there's not enough "modern" blues: one immediately senses that, and the opener "Sugar Bee"—four words and a boogie without inspiration—is enough to realize that the album will not live up to its promises of innovation.

The real disappointment, as we mentioned, stems from the quality of the tracks contained here: not only is it not futuristic blues, and at times not even conceivable for the future, but it isn't even good. And sometimes it's not even blues, like the half rockabilly of "Shake It And Break It," or the half 1950s rock 'n' roll of the final title track.

"So Sad" is a very strong blues that gradually loses its vigor and is saved when the guitar takes center stage, and "Let's Work Together" is an excellent mix of boogie and surf, almost a doo-wop rock piece worthy of the Bay City Rollers or Rubettes: you'd expect to hear a eunuch choir at any moment, but it never sinks that low.

I believe that the blues of the 2000s, the blues of now, is already entirely encapsulated in the previous "Hallelujah," for reasons related to structures, metrics, sonorities, executive courage, and taste. The historical blues, instead, is in "Canned Heat" and "Boogie With Canned Heat," while the '68 blues is present in "Living The Blues." However, the blues within "Future Blues" is solid, standard, without blemishes but lacks flair at the same time. No new sounds, no surprises, even a scat accompanied by a horn section, as if we were at the House Of Blues on one of those pointless grand gala nights, witnessing the usual performance of the ninety-year-old with the big wig and the silver sequined dress.

A completely unbalanced step, a regression, a definite leap back among the pages of this history book, and quite a few chapters back.