Autobiography in Blues

Autobiography in Blues is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in 1959 and released on the Tradition label the following year.^[1][2][3][4]

Autobiography in Blues
Studio album by Lightnin' Hopkins
Released	1960
Recorded	February 16 & 26, 1959
Studio	Houston, TX
Genre	Blues
Length	43:33
Label	Tradition TLP 1040
Producer	Mack McCormick
Lightnin' Hopkins chronology
Country Blues (1959) Autobiography in Blues (1960) Down South Summit Meetin' (1960)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings	[6]
DownBeat	[7]

AllMusic stated: "Not having recorded commercially for several years, Lightnin' was in serious mood, resulting in a set of masterful performances that carried more weight than his later, frequently arbitrary sessions".^[5] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings awarded the album 3 stars, calling it a "satisfying example of Lightnin' in a private setting" and noting that "the recording lends warmth to both voice and acoustic guitar".^[6]

DownBeat reviewer Pete Welding awarded the album 5 stars.^[7] He wrote that the album, "has the ring of utter truth, and the validity of its message is immediately apparent to listeners from every disparate cultural background — not just the background that produced the music".^[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins and Mack McCormick except where noted

1. "In the Evening, the Sun Is Going Down" – 4:13
2. "Trouble in Mind" (Richard M. Jones) – 2:53
3. "Mama and Papa Hopkins" – 4:42
4. "The Foot Race Is On" – 2:42
5. "That Gambling Life" – 4:52
6. "When the Saints Go Marching In" (Traditional) – 2:44
7. "Get off My Toe" – 4:59
8. "75 Highway" – 4:10
9. "Bottle It up and Go" – 3:42
10. "Short Haired Woman" – 3:38
11. "So Long Baby" – 1:47
12. "Santa Fe Blues" – 3:11

Personnel

Performance

• Lightnin' Hopkins – guitar, vocals

Production

• Mack McCormick – supervision, engineer