The first disc in this package, Live At The Kaleidoscope, was recorded in 1969 and is the original line up most remember from the Woodstock movie. It's typical boogie/blues/rock and roll music performed with verve and gusto.

Being a live disc, there's plenty of room for soloing and the guys take full advantage of it by having some great all out jams, especially on their version of "Sweet Sixteen". What's nice about Canned Heat is they knew when to stop, unlike too many of the excessive solos from that time, which now seem interminable to listen to. These come to an end before you're starting to wonder if they will ever finish.

The only drawback to the disc is it seemed to take the first couple of songs for them to get the sound under control, so the vocals are a bit buried in the mix at the start. Considering the time period, though, and the lack of great recording gear, it's still all around decent enough sound.

The 1977 studio disc Human Condition is notable because it is the last recording to feature the vocals of Bob Hite before he died. The band was working on their next recording when he collapsed from the heart attack. The mid-seventies were a hard time for a band like Canned Heat as disco was all the rage and pure rock and roll blues music wasn't in very high demand.

It was either dance music or progressive rock schlock the record executives wanted. Rock and roll was too unclean and uncivilized for the slick and boring overproduced music and styles of the time. Human Condition was a record deal offered them by the Takoma record label and, unfortunately, it just didn't sell as there was no market for it.

The title track, "Human Condition," was the last song the late Alan Wilson had written and it's a great blues/rock number, as are all the cuts on this disc. They even brought in some special guests to help out, including the Chamber Brothers to sing background vocals on "Strut My Stuff", "Open Up Your Backdoor", and "Wrapped Up". This album proved they could still play the music they loved, even if no one wanted to listen anymore.

If you're not familiar with Canned Heat, or you were like me and really only knew them through the one song, then Canned, Labeled, and Shelved will make a great addition to your music library. Although there is still a version of the band out there, it's pretty much in name only as all that's left from the 1977 line up is drummer Adolfo "Fito" De La Parra. They are signed to Ruf Records in Germany (who seem to be "the" Blues label now) and are producing, on average, an album a year.

Canned, Labeled, and Shelved is the history of the band, and before you start buying anything new, you really ought to know where they came from and meet the originators. It would only be polite to pay your respects.