Alan Wilson - The Blind Owl (1966-70) (2013) 2CD

His was the voice of the Woodstock generation who asked “baby, do you want to go” in the classic Canned Heat anthem “Going Up the Country.” Now Severn Records presents The Blind Owl, a two-CD compilation featuring Alan Wilson’s greatest works with the legendary band he helped form in 1965.

The Blind Owl features 20 songs that clock in at over 60 minutes of satisfying electric blues boogie. In addition to the iconic “Going Up the Country” are the reflective “My Time Ain’t Long,” Little Walter’s “Mean Old World,” and the band’s breakout recording “On the Road Again” from their critically acclaimed Boogie with Canned Heat.

Painfully awkward, the eccentric Wilson battled anxiety and bouts of depression as heard in “My Mistake” and “Change My Ways.” He was keenly attuned to environmental issues and in almost prophetic foretelling wrote about man’s negative impact on the planet in his lamenting “Poor Moon,” a theme found in many of his works. Fan favorite “Time Was” (still being performed by Canned Heat today) sheds light on tensions within the band, as the upbeat “Shake It and Break It” adapts lyrics from a song penned by Charley Patton, another of Wilson’s musical heroes. Dr. John serves as guest keyboardist on “An Owl Song” and the set concludes with “Childhood’s End,” the last installment of a nine part psychedelic symphony Wilson termed “Parthenogenesis.”

In September of 1970 Wilson’s body was found on a hillside behind bandmate Bob Hite’s California home. An overdose of barbiturates cut his life short making him an unwitting member of the infamous 27 Club.

Who knows what might have been for the Blind Owl. All that is certain is that his legacy remains strong today despite an early demise as proven in this collection of remarkable recordings. Alan Wilson: The Blind Owl is a must for any serious blues collector as well as fans of 60’s psychedelic rock.