Living the Blues is the third album by American blues rock band Canned Heat, a double album released in late 1968. It was one of the first double albums to place well on album charts. It features Canned Heat's signature song, "Going Up the Country", which would later be used in the Woodstock film. John Mayall appears on piano on "Walking by Myself" and "Bear Wires". Dr. John appears on "Boogie Music". The 20-minute trippy suite "Parthenogenesis" is dwarfed by the album-length "Refried Boogie", recorded live. Chart performance

The album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated December 7, 1968, peaking at No. 18 during a seventeen-week run on the chart. Track listing Side one "Pony Blues" (Charlie Patton) – 3:48 "My Mistake" (Alan Wilson) – 3:22 "Sandy's Blues" (Bob Hite) – 6:46 "Going Up the Country" (Alan Wilson; Henry Thomas) – 2:50 "Walking by Myself" (Jimmy Rogers) – 2:29 "Boogie Music" (L.T. Tatman III) – 3:00 "Tell Me Man Blues" (1929 recording by Henry Sims) – 0:15

Side two "One Kind Favor" (Lemon Jefferson) – 4:44 "Parthenogenesis" (Canned Heat) – 19:57 I Nebulosity II Rollin' and Tumblin' III Five Owls IV Bear Wires V Snooky Flowers VI Sunflower Power (RMS Is Truth) VII Raga Kafi VIII Icebag IX Childhood's End

Side three "Refried Boogie (Part I)" (Canned Heat) (Recorded Live) – 20:10

Side four "Refried Boogie (Part II)" (Canned Heat) (Recorded Live) – 20:50

Personnel Canned Heat Bob Hite – vocals Alan Wilson – slide guitar, vocals, harmonica, jaw-harp (tracks 2.I, 2.II, 2.IX), chromatic harp (track 2.VIII) Henry Vestine – lead guitar Larry Taylor – bass, congas (track 2.V) Adolfo de la Parra – drums

Additional personnel Dr. John – horn arrangements, piano (track 6) Miles Grayson – horn arrangements (track 3) John Fahey – guitar (track 2.I) John Mayall – piano (tracks 5 & 2.IV) Jim Horn – flute (track 4) Joe Sample – piano (track 3)

Production Rich Moore – engineer Ivan Fisher – assistant engineer Skip Taylor – producer Canned Heat – producer

Charts

Chart (1968) Peakposition US Billboard Top LPs18 References