Video Classics: ‘On the Road Again’ – Canned Heat

Still Telling Tales of the Country: Canned Heat, circa 2009 (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

One of the reasons ‘rock’ endures as a genre is because of its willingness not only to redefine itself for each new generation, but also because of its practice of appropriating the styles of other genres. Few styles, however, have been plundered as wholesale by rock musicians as blues, however. Take a listen to “On the Road Again” by Canned Heat to see how a bit of a rock beat and an electric guitar turns an otherwise straight-up blues jam into a rock song …

http://www.youtube.com/v/OrljWGIHB7c&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Today, mention “On the Road Again” and many think of the well-known Willie Nelson standard. But Canned Heat recorded theirs a good dozen years before Willie, in 1968 (though Bob Dylan had an “On the Road Again” as early as 1965. Though they share the same title, all three are different songs … and says something about just how much of one’s life one spends on the road as a working musician.

Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again” was adapted by Alan Wilson from a song of the same name recorded in 1953 by Floyd Jones, a Chicago blues musician.Jones’ song was itself an adaptation of ”Big Road Blues” recorded in 1928 by Delta blues musician Tommy Johnson.

“On the Road Again” appears in spot #454 on the 1996 Firecracker 500 list of great rock songs … not bad for a blues tune.

Add your thoughts to the comments below or take a look at Video Classics past…