Cold as Ice

The follow-up to his 2004 Grammy-nominated album, Blues with a Vengeance, John Lee Hooker, Jr.'s Cold as Ice, is filled with songs about mundane events with a downtrodden vibe. "You Blew It Baby" has a big band beginning to it while Hooker talks about a man in his friend's life who is of questionable personality, with lyrics like, "I got a text message late last night and when I read it I couldn't go back to sleep. I'm not gonna tell you who it was baby, I'm gonna keep on anonymity. But I did a background check on your new friend. He was just released from prison and is runnin' on parole." On "Fed Up," listeners can envision Hooker grinding away on his guitar while Michael Skinner pounds away on drums. The song is another one about a run-of-the-mill errand gone amiss, with lyrics such as, "I went down to the public library to return a couple of books. The lady said there was a message about me on the wall and I went to have a bit of a look." The title track has more sizzling guitar work from Hooker and keyboard play from Will "Roc" Griffin. This track speaks of a relaxing chore Hooker engaged in that caused him to reflect on his past, with lyrics like, "Sittin' in the park, feedin' the pigeons and reminiscin'." John Lee Hooker, Jr.'s Cold as Ice, contemplates on the average man's adversities, and Hooker's voice emanates the ache these happenings have brought.