While there are a number of average anthologies of classic
Hot Tuna recordings,
Best of Grunt: Trimmed and Burning is arguably the most diverse single disc to have been culled from their "classic" late-'60s and '70s back catalog. With a running time of nearly 80 minutes, it is likewise one of the lengthiest as well. Keen-eyed enthusiasts might also note that song for song it matches the 1995 Edsel Records release
Trimmed and Burning. One glaring omission is the dearth of any representation from their self-titled live acoustic debut,
Hot Tuna (1969). Instead, the opening pair of tracks -- a high-octane cover of
Rev. Gary Davis' "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" and the
Jorma Kaukonen (guitar/vocals) original "Been So Long" -- come from the electric
First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (1971). The band's first studio effort,
Burgers (1972), is the source for the instrumentals "Water Song" and the edgy midtempo rocker "Sunny Day Strut." More seasoned enthusiasts will undoubtedly be impressed with the clever inclusions from
The Phosphorescent Rat (1973) and
America's Choice (1975), with the deeper cuts "Soliloquy for 2," "Corners Without Exits," and "In the Kingdom" from the former, plus "Hit Single #1," "Sleep Song," and the too rarely anthologized "Serpent of Dreams" from the latter. Similarly, the
Yellow Fever (1975) track "Bar Room Crystal Ball" is a welcome addition. It helps offset one of the weaker links, the unnecessary remake of
Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied" from
Hoppkorv (1976). Wrapping up
Best of Grunt: Trimmed and Burning are two excellent "unplugged" tunes from
Double Dose (1978) in the form of the simple and lovely take of
Kaukonen's
Jefferson Airplane era instrumental timepiece"Embryonic Journey" and the bluesy "Killing Time in the Crystal City" -- a number that would not surface again until
Kaukonen's solo
Too Hot to Handle (1985) several years later. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide