Alan Wilson, The Blind Owl

Alan Wilson (1943–1970) was to Canned Heat what another Wilson, Brian, was to the Beach Boys: the musical genius in residence. Out today from Severn Records, The Blind Owl, a two-CD compilation of Canned Heat tracks featuring Wilson’s guitar, harmonica, and voice.

I have to say it: this release includes a short piece about Alan Wilson by me. There are also track-by-track notes by the Heat’s longtime manager Skip Taylor. Me, a writer of liner notes: something I never imagined when I began listening to Canned Heat more than forty years ago.

And the Heat plays on, with Fito de la Parra, Harvey Mandel, Dale Spalding, and Larry Taylor: a venerable foursome.

[I have found that on days like today, music is the one thing that helps.]

Related reading
Alan Wilson
Canned Heat in Illinois
Hooker ’n Heat

[Full disclosure: I had no idea that a blog post I wrote in 2010 appears in this compilation until I bought a copy. I sent a link to the post to Skip Taylor in 2010, thinking that someone in the Canned Heat circle would appreciate reading what I had written. Indeed, someone did, and then used my writing without permission. But I’m honored to see my writing in an Alan Wilson compilation, and I did ask for and receive a free copy.]