Muddy Waters | ||
| Allmusic Biography : A post-war Chicago blues scene without the magnificent contributions of McKinley Morganfield, better known as Muddy Waters, is absolutely unimaginable. From the late 40s on, he eloquently defined the citys aggressive, swaggering, Delta-rooted sound with his declamatory vocals and piercing slide guitar attack. When he passed away in 1983, the Windy City would never quite recover. Like many of his contemporaries on the Chicago circuit, Waters was a product of the fertile Mississippi Delta. Born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, he grew up in nearby Clarksdale on Stovalls Plantation. His idol was the powerful Son House, a Delta patriarch whose flailing slide work and intimidating intensity Waters would emulate in his own fashion. Musicologist Alan Lomax traveled through Stovalls in August of 1941 under the auspices of the Library of Congress, in search of new talent for the purpose of field recording. With the discovery of Morganfield, Lomax must have immediately known hed stumbled across someone very special. Setting up his portable recording rig in the Delta bluesmans house, Lomax captured for Library of Congress posterity Waters mesmerizing rendition of "I Bes Troubled," which became his first big seller when he recut it a few years later for the Chess brothers Aristocrat logo as "I Cant Be Satisfied." Lomax returned the next summer to record his bottleneck-wielding find more extensively, also cutting sides by the Son Simms Four (a string band that Waters belonged to). Waters was renowned for his blues-playing prowess across the Delta, but that was about it until 1943, when he left for the bright lights of Chicago. A tiff with "the boss man" apparently also had a little something to do with his relocation plans. By the mid-40s, Waters slide skills were becoming a recognized entity on Chicagos South side, where he shared a stage or two with pianists Sunnyland Slim and Eddie Boyd and guitarist Blue Smitty. Producer Lester Melrose, who still had the local recording scene pretty much sewn up in 1946, accompanied Waters into the studio to wax a date for Columbia, but the urban nature of the sides didnt electrify anyone in the labels hierarchy and remained unissued for decades. Sunnyland Slim played a large role in launching the career of Muddy Waters. The pianist invited him to provide accompaniment for his 1947 Aristocrat session that would produce "Johnson Machine Gun." One obstacle remained beforehand: Waters had a day gig delivering Venetian blinds. But he wasnt about to let such a golden opportunity slip through his talented fingers. He informed his boss that a fictitious cousin had been murdered in an alley, so he needed a little time off to take care of business. When Sunnyland was finished that auspicious day, Waters sang a pair of numbers, "Little Anna Mae" and "Gypsy Woman," that would become his own Aristocrat debut 78. They were rawer than the Columbia stuff, but not as inexorably down-home as "I Cant Be Satisfied" and its flip, "I Feel Like Going Home" (the latter was his first national R&B; hit in 1948). With Big Crawford slapping the bass behind Waters gruff growl and slashing slide, "I Cant Be Satisfied" was such a local sensation that even Muddy Waters himself had a hard time buying a copy down on Maxwell Street. He assembled a band that was so tight and vicious on-stage that they were informally known as the Headhunters; theyd come into a bar where a band was playing, ask to sit in, and then "cut the heads" of their competitors with their superior musicianship. Little Walter, of course, would single-handedly revolutionize the role of the harmonica within the Chicago blues hierarchy; Jimmy Rogers was an utterly dependable second guitarist and Baby Face Leroy Foster could play both drums and guitar. On top of their instrumental skills, all four men could powerfully sing. 1951 found Waters climbing the R&B; charts no less than four times, beginning with "Louisiana Blues" and continuing through "Long Distance Call," "Honey Bee," and "Still a Fool." Although it didnt chart, his 1950 classic "Rollin Stone" provided a certain young British combo with a rather enduring name. Leonard Chess himself provided the incredibly unsubtle bass drum bombs on Waters 1952 smash "She Moves Me." "Mad Love," his only chart bow in 1953, is noteworthy as the first hit to feature the rolling piano of Otis Spann, who would anchor the Waters aggregation for the next 16 years. By this time, Foster was long gone from the band, but Rogers remained and Chess insisted that Walter -- by then a popular act in his own right -- make nearly every Waters session into 1958 (why breakup a winning combination?). There was one downside to having such a peerless band: As the ensemble work got tighter and more urbanized, Waters trademark slide guitar was largely absent on many of his Chess waxings. Willie Dixon was playing an increasingly important role in Muddy Waters success. In addition to slapping his upright bass on Waters platters, the burly Dixon was writing one future bedrock standard after another for him: "Im Your Hoochie Coochie Man," "Just Make Love to Me," and "Im Ready"; all seminal performances and each blasted to the uppermost reaches of the R&B; lists in 1954. When labelmate Bo Diddley borrowed Waters swaggering beat for his strutting "Im a Man" in 1955, Muddy turned around and did him tit for tat by reworking the tune ever so slightly as "Mannish Boy" and enjoying his own hit. "Sugar Sweet," a pile-driving rocker with Spanns 88s anchoring the proceedings, also did well that year. 1956 brought three more R&B; smashes: "Trouble No More," "Forty Days & Forty Nights," and "Dont Go No Farther." But rock & roll was quickly blunting the momentum of veteran blues aces like Waters; Chess was growing more attuned to the modern sounds of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Moonglows, and the Flamingos. Ironically, it was Muddy Waters who had sent Berry to Chess in the first place. After that, there was only one more chart item, 1958s typically uncompromising (and metaphorically loaded) "Close to You." But Waters Chess output was still of uniformly stellar quality, boasting gems like "Walking Thru the Park" (as close as he was likely to come to mining a rock & roll groove) and "Shes Nineteen Years Old," among the first sides to feature James Cottons harp instead of Walters, in 1958. That was also the year Muddy Waters and Spann made their first sojourn to England, where his electrified guitar horrified sedate Britishers accustomed to the folksy homilies of Big Bill Broonzy. Perhaps chagrined by the response, Waters paid tribute to Broonzy with a solid LP of his material in 1959. Cotton was apparently the bandmember who first turned Muddy on to "Got My Mojo Working," originally cut by Ann Cole in New York. Waters 1956 cover was pleasing enough but went nowhere on the charts. But when the band launched into a supercharged version of the same tune at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival, Cotton and Spann put an entirely new groove to it, making it an instant classic (fortuitously, Chess was on hand to capture the festivities on tape). As the 1960s dawned, Waters Chess sides were sounding a trifle tired. Oh, the novelty thumper "Tiger in Your Tank" packed a reasonably high-octane wallop, but his adaptation of Junior Wells "Messin With the Kid" (as "Messin With the Man") and a less-than-timely "Muddy Waters Twist" were a long way removed indeed from the mesmerizing Delta sizzle that Waters had purveyed a decade earlier. Overdubbing his vocal over an instrumental track by guitarist Earl Hooker, Waters laid down an uncompromising "You Shook Me" in 1962 that was a step in the right direction. Drummer Casey Jones supplied some intriguing percussive effects on another 1962 workout, "You Need Love," which Led Zeppelin liked so much that they purloined it as their own creation later on. In the wake of the folk-blues boom, Waters reverted to an acoustic format for a fine 1964 LP, Folk Singer, that found him receiving superb backing from guitarist Buddy Guy, Dixon on bass, and drummer Clifton James. In October, he ventured overseas again as part of the Lippmann and Rau-promoted American Folk Blues Festival, sharing the bill with Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Big Joe Williams, and Lonnie Johnson. The personnel of the Waters band was much more fluid during the 1960s, but he always whipped them into first-rate shape. Guitarists Pee Wee Madison, Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson, and Sammy Lawhorn, harpists Mojo Buford and George Smith, bassists Jimmy Lee Morris and Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, and drummers Francis Clay and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (along with Spann, of course) all passed through the ranks. In 1964, Waters cut a two-sided gem for Chess, "The Same Thing"/"You Cant Lose What You Never Had," that boasted a distinct 1950s feel in its sparse, reflexive approach. Most of his subsequent Chess catalog, though, is fairly forgettable. Worst of all were two horrific attempts to make him a psychedelic icon. 1968s Electric Mud forced Waters to ape his pupils via an unintentionally hilarious cover of the Stones "Lets Spend the Night Together" (session guitarist Phil Upchurch still cringes at the mere mention of this album). After the Rain was no improvement the following year. Partially salvaging this barren period in his discography was the Fathers and Sons project, also done in 1969 for Chess, which paired Muddy Waters and Spann with local youngbloods Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield in a multigenerational celebration of legitimate Chicago blues. After a period of steady touring worldwide but little standout recording activity, Waters studio fortunes were resuscitated by another of his legion of disciples, guitarist Johnny Winter. Signed to Blue Sky, a Columbia subsidiary, Waters found himself during the making of the first LP, Hard Again, backed by pianist Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie Smith, and guitarist Bob Margolin from his touring band, Cotton on harp, and Winters slam-bang guitar, Waters roared like a lion who had just awoken from a long nap. Three subsequent Blue Sky albums continued the heartwarming back-to-the-basics campaign. In 1980, his entire combo split to form the Legendary Blues Band; needless to note, he didnt have much trouble assembling another one (new members included pianist Lovie Lee, guitarist John Primer, and harpist Mojo Buford). By the time of his death in 1983, Muddy Waters exalted place in the history of blues (and 20th century popular music, for that matter) was eternally assured. The Chicago blues genre that he turned upside down during the years following World War II would never recover, and thats a debt well never be able to repay. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 42 Title: Double Play Released: Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:13:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Stuff You Gotta Watch (02:41) 2 Iodine in My Coffee (03:20) 3 Close to You (02:57) 4 Youre Gonna Miss Me (02:37) 5 Mean Red Spider (02:11) 6 Diamonds at Your Feet (02:19) 7 Youre Gonna Need My Help (03:01) 8 Shes All Right (02:23) 9 So Glad Im Living (02:45) 10 One More Mile (03:09) 11 I Cant Call Her Sugar (02:30) 12 You Cant Lose What You Aint Never Had (02:57) 13 Sad Letter (03:00) 14 I Cant Be Satisfied (02:44) 15 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 16 Walkin Thru the Park (02:45) 17 Train Fare Blues (02:45) 18 Sittin Here Drinkin (02:35) 19 I Got a Rich Mans Woman (03:00) 20 Mean Mistreater (02:47) 21 Forty Days and Forty Nights (02:50) 22 Rollin and Tumblin (02:59) 23 All Aboard (02:50) 24 Rock Me (03:19) 25 Rollin Stone (03:09) 26 Im Ready (03:00) |
 | Album: 2 of 42 Title: The Best of Muddy Waters Released: 1958 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Just Want to Make Love to You (02:53) 2 Long Distance Call (02:41) 3 Louisiana Blues (02:52) 4 Honey Bee (03:21) 5 Rollin’ Stone (03:08) 6 I’m Ready (03:03) 7 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 8 She Moves Me (02:58) 9 I Want You to Love Me (03:05) 10 Standing Around Crying (03:22) 11 Still a Fool (03:17) 12 I Can’t Be Satisfied (02:42) |
 | Album: 3 of 42 Title: Muddy Waters Sings Big Bill Broonzy Released: 1960-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 27:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tell Me Baby (02:15) 2 Southbound Train (02:54) 3 When I Get to Thinking (03:05) 4 Just a Dream (on My Mind) (02:30) 5 Double Trouble (02:44) 6 I Feel So Good (02:53) 7 I Done Got Wise (02:56) 8 Mopper’s Blues (02:51) 9 Lonesome Road Blues (03:04) 10 Hey, Hey (02:42) |
 | Album: 4 of 42 Title: Folk Singer Released: 1964 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Home Is in the Delta (04:00) 2 Long Distance (03:32) 3 My Captain (05:12) 4 Good Morning School Girl (03:14) 5 You Gonna Need My Help (03:07) 6 Cold Weather Blues (04:41) 7 Big Leg Woman (03:28) 8 Country Boy (03:28) 9 Feel Like Going Home (03:53) 10 You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had (02:58) 11 The Same Thing (02:44) |
| Folk Singer : Allmusic album Review : Muddys "unplugged" album was cut in September of 1963 and still sounds fresh and vital today. It was Muddy simply returning to his original style on a plain acoustic guitar in a well-tuned room with Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on second acoustic guitar. The nine tracks are divvied up between full rhythm section treatments with Buddy and Muddy as a duo and the final track, "Feel Like Going Home," which Waters approaches solo. What makes this version of the album a worthwhile buy is the inclusion of five bonus tracks from his next two sessions: An April 1964 session brings us Willie Dixons "The Same Thing" and Muddys "You Cant Lose What You Never Had," while the October 1964 session features J.T. Brown on sax and clarinet on "Short Dress Woman" and "My John the Conqueror Root," as well as "Put Me in Your Lay Away," another strong side. Folk Singer offers both sides of Muddy from the early 60s. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 42 Title: Down on Stovall’s Plantation Released: 1966-12-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Be’s Troubled (03:05) 2 Rambling Kid Blues (03:15) 3 You Got to Take Sick and Die Some of These Days (02:07) 4 Burr Clover Blues (03:11) 5 Pearlie Mae Blues (03:21) 6 Country Blues, No. 1 (03:24) 7 Why Don’t You Live So God Can Use You (02:07) 8 Rosalie (02:59) 9 Take a Walk With Me (02:55) 10 Joe Turner (02:45) 11 You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Dead and Gone (03:14) 12 I Be Bound to Write to You (03:17) 13 Country Blues No. 2 (03:35) |
| Down on Stovall’s Plantation : Allmusic album Review : These Library of Congress field recordings made by Alan Lomax from 1941-1942 feature Muddy with Percy Thomas on guitar, Louis Ford on mandolin, and Henry Sims on violin. Capturing Muddy in a string-band context playing his earliest repertoire, this is a major historical document. Unfortunately, the Universe edition of these recordings omits several interview segments with Muddy and Lomax, which most fans of this music will definitely want, making The Complete Plantation Recordings on MCA/Chess the version to own. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 42 Title: The Super Super Blues Band Released: 1967 Tracks: 7 Duration: 44:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Long Distance Call (09:15) 2 Ooh Baby / Wrecking My Love Life (06:34) 3 Sweet Little Angel (06:38) 4 Spoonful (04:13) 5 Diddley Daddy (05:12) 6 The Red Rooster (07:25) 7 Goin Down Slow (04:49) |
| The Super Super Blues Band : Allmusic album Review : This is easily a "super super blues bust." Power trios, of course, were hip in the late 60s -- even at down-home Chess Studios, where ad hoc "supergroups" were assembled for 1967s Super Blues and its sequel, Super Super Blues Band. (No one ever accused Chess Records of being subtle.) The band on Super Super Blues Band included two-thirds of the original Super Blues headliners -- Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley -- with Howlin Wolf replacing Little Walter to round out the trio. Unlike Walter, who was willing to cede the spotlight to Diddley and Waters on Super Blues, Wolf adamantly refuses to back down from his rivals, resulting in a flood of contentious studio banter that turns out to be more entertaining than the otherwise unmemorable music from this stylistic train wreck. Although Wolf and Waters duke it out in earnest on the blues standards, the presence of Diddley (and his rave-up repertoire) makes the prospect of an ensemble impossible; in the end, there are just too many clashing ingredients (the squealing "girlie" choruses vs. Wolfs growl, Diddleys space guitar antics vs. Waters uncompromising slide guitar) to make the mix digestible. Meanwhile, as the three frontmen struggle to outduel each other on every song, they drown out an underused, all-star backing band made up of Otis Spann on piano, Hubert Sumlin on guitar, Buddy Guy on bass, and Clifton James on drums. At least it sounds like they had fun doing it. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 42 Title: Electric Mud Released: 1968 Tracks: 8 Duration: 36:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Just Want to Make Love to You (04:19) 2 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (04:51) 3 Let’s Spend the Night Together (03:10) 4 She’s Alright (06:36) 5 Mannish Boy (03:49) 6 Herbert Harper’s Free Press News (04:37) 7 Tom Cat (03:42) 8 The Same Thing (05:42) |
| Electric Mud : Allmusic album Review : This album marks what could probably be considered the nadir of Muddy Waters career, although at the time it did sell somewhere between 200,000 and 250,000 copies, a lot for Waters in those days. By 1968, Waters was no longer reaching black audiences, who were mostly listening to soul music by that time, and he also wasnt selling records to more than a relatively small cult of white blues enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Cream were selling millions of records each using licks and sometimes songs learned from Waters. Previously, in 1966, Chess Records had recorded Waters Brass and the Blues, trying to make him sound like B.B. King, and this time Leonard Chess son Marshall conceived Electric Mud as a way for Waters to reach out to the Rolling Stones/Hendrix/Cream audience. Recorded in May of 1968, Electric Mud features Waters in excellent vocal form, running through new versions of old songs such as "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Shes Alright," "Hoochie Coochie Man," "Mannish Boy," and "The Same Thing." But he isnt playing, and the band that is -- Phil Upchurch, Roland Faulkner, and Pete Cosey on guitars, Gene Barge on sax, Charles Stepney on organ, Louis Satterfield on bass, and Morris Jennings on the drums -- is trying awfully hard to sound like the Jimi Hendrix Experience-meets-Cream, playing really loud with lots of fuzztone and wah-wah pedal. The covers of the old songs are OK, if a little loud -- "Shes Alright" starts to resemble "Voodoo Chile" more than its original, "Catfish Blues," and thats fine if youre looking for Waters to sound like Hendrix (no one has ever explained the "My Girl" fragment with which the song closes, however). The most interesting of the "new" songs is his cover of "Lets Spend the Night Together" (barely recognizable as the Stones song), which opens with the band sounding like theyre in the middle section of "Sunshine of Your Love." Waters pulls this and the rest off vocally, and the album did got him some gigs playing to college audiences that otherwise might not have heard him. Ironically, he was never able to play these songs on-stage, his own band being unable to replicate their sound, and he was never comfortable with the album. It would be a few years before producers realized that the solution was to simply let Muddy be Muddy, not Jimi. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 42 Title: After the Rain Released: 1969 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Am the Blues (04:41) 2 Ramblin Mind (04:48) 3 Rollin and Tumblin (04:50) 4 Bottom of the Sea (05:25) 5 Honey Bee (04:18) 6 Blues and Trouble (04:24) 7 Hurtin Soul (04:39) 8 Screaming and Crying (05:02) |
| After the Rain : Allmusic album Review : After the Rain dates from the most controversial period in Muddy Waters history -- along with its predecessors, Electric Mud (probably the most critically despised album in Muddys catalog) and Brass and the Blues (an effort to turn him into B.B. King), it came out of an era in which Chess Records was desperately thrashing around trying any musical gambit to boost the sales of its top blues stars. But unlike Electric Mud, in which the repertoire selected by producer Marshall Chess was mostly unsuited, and the musical settings provided by Phil Upchurch, Pete Cosey et al. were too loud and too frenetic for Muddys style of singing, After the Rain simply let him be Muddy Waters. The album mostly featured higher-wattage remakes of a lot of familiar repertoire, including "Honey Bee" and "Rollin and Tumblin," and also reintroduced Muddys own electric guitar, which had mostly been unheard on his recordings of the 1960s (and completely missing from Electric Mud). And on the tracks where he does play lead, theyre first-rate representations of his talent as it stood at the tail end of the 1960s, powerful and bold, like a king (or maybe even a god) surveying a blues landscape he had shaped, and ranging across it freely. Even the tracks on which the heavily modernistic touches appear (such as Coseys bowed guitar on "Bottom of the Sea") dont harm the flow or tone of the overall album. The latter is as close to an experimental track as After the Rain gets, and Muddy gets into the spirit of the piece as a singer far better here than he did on most of the preceding album. But mostly he is just himself here, not overly bold -- which may be the records major flaw, but an understandable one after the reception accorded Electric Mud -- and not too much different from the previous decade. And its immensely pleasing on that basis alone, even if the sales figures didnt reflect this -- it would take time for Muddy to rebuild his old audience, and he and Chess Records would go on to try other settings, working with young white blues enthusiasts (Fathers and Sons) and U.K. rock admirers (The London Muddy Waters Sessions) with varying results, some of them (The Woodstock Album) award-winning. But After the Rain, though ignored at the time, was a worthy and thoroughly worthwhile addition to his discography, and not just as a curio -- moments like "Honey Bee," "Blues and Trouble," "Screamin and Cryin," and "Hurtin Soul" show what he could do with these younger players in tow (as opposed to the other way around on Electric Mud), and all of it will bring a smile to any real fan. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 42 Title: Fathers and Sons Released: 1969-08-18 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:07:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 All Aboard (02:50) 2 Mean Disposition (05:42) 3 Blow Wind Blow (03:38) 4 Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had (03:06) 5 Walking Thru the Park (03:20) 6 Forty Days and Forty Nights (03:07) 7 Standin’ Round Cryin’ (04:05) 8 I’m Ready (03:37) 9 Twenty Four Hours (04:48) 10 Sugar Sweet (02:18) 11 Long Distance Call (06:37) 12 Baby, Please Dont Go (03:04) 13 Honey Bee (03:57) 14 The Same Thing (06:00) 15 Got My Mojo Working, Part One (03:25) 16 Got My Mojo Working, Part Two (05:12) 17 Live the Life I Love (02:51) |
| Fathers and Sons : Allmusic album Review : The resurgence of Chicago-based blues in the mid- to late 1960s came with an entirely new breed of icons to bear the torch. Among them was the decidedly electric Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Joining Muddy Waters (guitar/vocals) and Otis Spann (piano) on the aptly titled Fathers and Sons are three Butterfield Blues Band alumni: Michael Bloomfield (guitar), Sam Lay (drums), and leader Paul Butterfield (guitar). Further augmenting the personnel is Booker T. & the MGs Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass) and Buddy Miles (drums) -- who cameos during the live "Got My Mojo Workin" finale. This all-star cast helps reclaim some of Waters fire, which had been summarily doused on his previous outing Electric Mud -- a tasteless pseudo-psychedelic disaster. The poorly executed scheme had been designed to introduce Waters music to a younger and mostly white audience. In essence, Fathers and Sons is able to accomplish with musical integrity what Electric Mud couldnt through gimmickry. Additionally, the incorporation of the younger generation of bluesmen solidified Waters stature as one of the pre-eminent forces in Chicago blues to a decidedly fresh and underdeveloped audience. The LP is split between studio sides cut on April 21-23 and a half-hour live set. This performance, during the Super Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree, was documented on the evening following the final day of studio recording. The event was held at Auditorium Theater in (where else?) Chicago. Simplifying the process is Fathers and Sons set list, which consists exclusively of vintage Waters material. "Mean Disposition" and "Standin Round Cryin" drip with Bloomfield and Butterfields nasty languid electric funk, and feature Waters determined and energized vocals. On the uptempo blues/rockers "Walking Thru the Park" and "Sugar Sweet," the nimble and lyrical guitar passages meld the distance between Waters and the electric blues of Cream and Led Zeppelin. Without question, the highlight of Fathers and Sons is the live performances that are incessantly fueled by the explosive nature of the musicians on-stage as well as the audience. "Long Distance Call" and the two-part "Got My Mojo Working" are the finest pieces on the album. They likewise rate among the most complementary marriages of Chicago R&B; with rock & roll. Of Muddy Waters later recordings, it certainly got no better than the summit meeting heard on Fathers and Sons. Fans of Waters true and natural showmanship, as well as enthusiasts of blues-based rock & roll, will find plenty to revisit. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 42 Title: We Three Kings Released: 1971 Tracks: 14 Duration: 22:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 She’s Into Something (02:55) 2 Take the Bitter With the Sweet (03:17) 3 Read Way Back (02:38) 4 I’m Your Doctor (02:25) 5 Tiger in Your Tank (02:22) 6 Meanest Woman (?) 7 Lonesome Room Blues (03:09) 8 Five Long Years (02:53) 9 Twenty Four Hours (02:38) 10 I Don’t Play (?) 11 Just You Fool (?) 12 Change Your Way (?) 13 I’ve Been Abused (?) 14 Mister Airplane Man (?) |
 | Album: 11 of 42 Title: The London Muddy Waters Sessions Released: 1972 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blind Man Blues (03:32) 2 Key to the Highway (02:27) 3 Young Fashioned Ways (04:25) 4 I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town (03:57) 5 Who’s Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I’m Gone (05:04) 6 Walkin’ Blues (03:04) 7 I’m Ready (04:11) 8 Sad Sad Day (05:20) 9 I Don’t Know Why (04:00) |
| The London Muddy Waters Sessions : Allmusic album Review : If you like hearing 70s British rock stars attempting to jam with one of the originators of the form, then youll probably like the results from this tepid 1971 session. Only the late Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher seems to be interacting with the old master here (and guitarist Sammy Lawhorn) while Stevie Winwood, Georgie Fame and Mitch Mitchell seem to be totally lost. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 42 Title: Cant Get No Grindin Released: 1973 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cant Get No Grindin (Whats the Matter With the Meal) (02:50) 2 Mothers Bad Luck Child (05:00) 3 Funky Butt (02:57) 4 Sad Letter (04:18) 5 Someday Im Gonna Ketch You (03:16) 6 Love Weapon (04:08) 7 Garbage Man (02:43) 8 After Hours (03:53) 9 Whiskey No Good (04:39) 10 Muddy Waters Shuffle (02:19) |
| Can't Get No Grindin' : Allmusic album Review : Muddys next-to-last Chess album, Cant Get No Grindin marked a return to working with a band of his own after several experimental line-ups and recordings -- Pinetop Perkins took over the piano spot from the late Otis Spann, with Chess veteran harpist James Cotton aboard, and PeeWee Madison, and Sammy Lawhorn handling the guitars (apart from Muddys axe, natch). The music is raw, hard-edged, and sharp (the guitars slash and cut), more like a successor to Muddys classic 1950s sides (he rethinks a bunch 50s numbers here) than to the London Sessions, Super Blues, brass blow-outs, and psychedelic albums that hed been doing. Its also easy to hear Muddys heart in this release -- he fairly oozes soul out of every note he sings. The title track, "Sad Letter," and "Mothers Bad Luck Child" are all killer tracks, and most of the rest isnt far behind, though "Garbage Man" is the best known of the newer tracks, thanks to subsequent covers. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 42 Title: "Unk" in Funk Released: 1974 Tracks: 9 Duration: 34:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rollin and Tumblin (07:30) 2 Just to Be With You (03:56) 3 Electric Man (03:10) 4 Trouble No More (02:40) 5 "Unk" in Funk (03:23) 6 Drive My Blues Away (02:49) 7 Katie (03:06) 8 Waterboy Waterboy (04:00) 9 Everything Gonna Be Alright (03:35) |
| "Unk" in Funk : Allmusic album Review : The nine sides on Unk in Funk (1974) are among the last newly recorded material that Muddy Waters (vocals/guitar) would issue during his nearly 30 year association with Chess Records. Backing up the Chicago blues icon is a band hed carry with him for the remainder of his performing career, including Pinetop Perkins (piano), Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson (guitar), Bob Margolin (guitar), Calvin "Fuzz" Jones (bass), and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (drums). They run through a better than average selection of Waters classics with newer compositions more or less tossed in, presumably to keep the track list fresh. Although Waters certainly has nothing to prove, he attacks his old catalog with the drive and command of a man putting it all on the line. That same spirit of quality and authenticity shapes his umpteenth overhaul of "Rollin and Tumblin," as Waters guitar -- the only time he plays on the whole platter -- rekindles his singular sounding fretwork. Demonstrating why they were suitable rhythmic foils for Waters, Jones and Smiths gritty timekeeping perfectly holds down the slinky methodical groove churning beneath the update of "Just Had to Be with You." This allows the artist a chance to let loose with some inspired vocal improvisations. The bouncy frolic of "Trouble No More" and the vintage Chicago R&B vibe of "Drive My Blues Away" offer the most authentic presentation of Waters then and now. While the newer songs, "Katie" and "Waterboy, Waterboy," reveal that the ol mule still has a bit of kick in him yet. "Electric Man" is one of two cuts by Amelia Cooper (Waters granddaughter) and Terry Abrahamson, typifying the style of self-aggrandizing lyrical plodding over generic blues changes that had marred several of the blues legends later efforts. All is not lost, however, thanks to some playful interaction between Waters and harp blower Carey Bell Harrington. Cooper and Abrahamsons other contribution -- "Unk in Funk" -- shares its credit along with talent agent Ted Kurland. Again, while the sentiment is well-intended, the playing is marginalized with little to no substantive territory gained. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 42 Title: The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album Released: 1975 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Why Are People Like That? (03:37) 2 Going Down to Main Street (04:16) 3 Born With Nothing (05:23) 4 Caldonia (06:21) 5 Funny Sounds (04:36) 6 Love, Deep as the Ocean (05:15) 7 Let the Good Times Roll (05:15) 8 Kansas City (05:12) 9 Fox Squirrel (03:54) |
| The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album : Allmusic album Review : Of all the post-Fathers & Sons attempts at updating Waters sound in collaboration with younger white musicians, this album worked best because they let Waters be himself, producing music that compared favorably to his concerts of the period, which were wonderful. His final album for Chess (recorded at Levon Helms Woodstock studio, not in Chicago), with Helm and fellow Band-member Garth Hudson teaming up with Waters touring band, it was a rocking (in the bluesy sense) soulful swansong to the label where he got his start. Waters covers some songs he knew back when (including Louis Jordans "Caldonia" and "Let the Good Times Roll"), plays some slide, and generally has a great time on this Grammy-winning album. This record got lost in the shuffle between the collapse of Chess Records and the revival of Waters career under the auspices of Johnny Winter, and was forgotten until 1995. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 42 Title: Hard Again Released: 1977-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 45:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mannish Boy (05:24) 2 Bus Driver (07:47) 3 I Want to Be Loved (02:21) 4 Jealous Hearted Man (04:24) 5 I Can’t Be Satisfied (03:30) 6 The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll (#2) (03:35) 7 Deep Down in Florida (05:26) 8 Crosseyed Cat (06:00) 9 Little Girl (07:06) |
| Hard Again : Allmusic album Review : After a string of mediocre albums throughout most of the 1970s, Muddy Waters hooked up with Johnny Winter for 1977s Hard Again, a startling comeback and a gritty demonstration of the masters powers. Fronting a band that includes such luminaries as James Cotton and "Pine Top" Perkins, Waters is not only at the top of his game, but is having the time of his life while hes at it. The bits of studio chatter that close "Mannish Boy" and open "Bus Driver" show him to be relaxed and obviously excited about the proceedings. Part of this has to be because the record sounds so good. Winter has gone for an extremely bare production style, clearly aiming to capture Waters in conversation with a band in what sounds like a single studio room. This means that sometimes the songs threaten to explode in chaos as two or three musicians begin soloing simultaneously. Such messiness is actually perfect in keeping with the raw nature of this music; you simply couldnt have it any other way. There is something so incredibly gratifying about hearing Waters shout out for different soloists, about the band missing hits or messing with the tempos. Hey this isnt pop music, its the blues, and a little dirt never hurt anybody. The unsung star of this session is drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, whose deep grooves make this record come alive. The five-minute, one-chord "Mannish Boy" wouldnt be nearly as compelling as it is if it werent for Smiths colossal pocket. Great blues from one of the dominant voices of the genre. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 42 Title: I’m Ready Released: 1978 Tracks: 12 Duration: 56:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’m Ready (03:24) 2 33 Years (05:19) 3 Who Do You Trust (04:59) 4 Copper Brown (04:56) 5 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (03:58) 6 Mamie (05:34) 7 Rock Me (03:53) 8 Screamin’ and Cryin’ (05:04) 9 Good Morning Little School Girl (03:29) 10 No Escape From the Blues (06:17) 11 That’s Alright (04:58) 12 Lonely Man Blues (04:17) |
| I’m Ready : Allmusic album Review : For the middle album of his Johnny Winter-produced, late-70s musical trilogy, blues giant Muddy Waters brought a new spirit to some familiar material. Starting with members of Waters touring band -- pianist Pinetop Perkins, bassist Bob Margolin, and drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith -- Winter added underrated guitarist (and longtime Waters foil) Jimmy Rogers and extraordinary harp player Big Walter Horton to the mix. The songs recorded for Im Ready offer a mix of new material and vintage hit singles like the title cut, the mid-60s jewel "Screamin and Cryin," or the Willie Dixon-penned "Im Your Hoochie Coochie Man." Waters and band provide these well-worn gems with a little new studio polish, but it is with the newer songs that the performers really shine. On the powerful "33 Years," Waters punctuates his tale of lost love with snaky slide guitar, assisted by Hortons wailing electric harp. "Who Do You Trust" features some of Waters dirtiest vocals, the bluesman growling the lyrics while Winter layers his twangy slide above Hortons harp and Perkins mournful ivories. "Rock Me" is old-school blues, Waters revisiting this classic cut for the umpteenth time as Rogers and Horton support his vocals with smoky guitar and guest player Jerry Portnoy adds some subtle but assertive electric harp to the affair. Im Ready closes with the Sonny Boy Williamson chestnut "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," the high-spirited Waters sounding in good form as Portnoys harp flails away in the background. Although nearing the end of his career, Waters experienced a well-deserved artistic and commercial resurgence thanks to the three albums recorded with Winter for Blue Sky. Hard Again, Im Ready, and King Bee all bring a harder edge to Waters classic performances, with Winters production heavy on the guitar and lighter on the brassy Chicago blues sound unfamiliar to the rock-oriented target audience. For new listeners trying to get a feel of what the blues is all about, Im Ready and its bookends are the albums to start with. Once you experience a taste of Muddy Waters, youll be ready for more. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 42 Title: King Bee Released: 1981 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’m a King Bee (03:51) 2 Too Young to Know (04:31) 3 Mean Old Frisco Blues (03:46) 4 Forever Lonely (04:35) 5 I Feel Like Going Home (03:43) 6 Champagne & Reefer (04:36) 7 Sad Sad Day (05:25) 8 (My Eyes) Keep Me in Trouble (03:19) 9 Deep Down in Florida #2 (04:08) 10 No Escape From the Blues (02:07) 11 I Won’t Go On (04:17) 12 Clouds in My Heart (07:46) |
| King Bee : Allmusic album Review : This 1981 recording found Waters being produced by rocker Johnny Winter, who had brought Muddy back to form on the Hard Again album. Winter was smart enough to surround the great one with musicians who knew his music intimately -- regular band members like Calvin Jones, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, and Bob Margolin dot the lineup -- and Johnny keeps his own excesses in check on a nice brace of tunes. While most of the tunes here are recuts of older Chess material, Muddys versions of Slim Harpos title track and his own "Champagne & Reefer" are worth checking out. Not the place to start a Muddy Waters collection, but a good one to add to the collection after youve absorbed the classics on Chess. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 42 Title: Blues Roots, Volume 11: Im a Country Boy Released: 1982 Tracks: 13 Duration: 43:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tiger in Your Tank (04:22) 2 I Cant Be Satisfied (02:41) 3 Country Boy (04:56) 4 Messin With the Man (02:17) 5 Land Lady (02:38) 6 When the Eagle Flies (02:44) 7 County Jail (03:01) 8 Got My Mojo Workin, Parts 1 and 2 (07:20) 9 Kinfolks Blues (02:28) 10 Love Affair (02:47) 11 Memphis Blues (Goin Back to M.) (02:38) 12 Woman Wanted (02:49) 13 Put Me on Your Lay Away Plan (02:54) |
 | Album: 19 of 42 Title: Muddy & The Wolf Released: 1982 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Aboard (02:50) 2 Blow Wind Blow (03:38) 3 Can’t Lose What You Never Had (03:04) 4 Walkin’ Thru the Park (03:18) 5 I’m Ready (03:37) 6 Long Distance Call (06:22) 7 Rockin’ Daddy (03:44) 8 What a Woman (03:01) 9 Who’s Been Talking? (03:05) 10 Red Rooster (05:21) 11 Highway 49 (02:47) 12 Do the Do (02:17) |
| Muddy & The Wolf : Allmusic album Review : The title is a bit of a ringer, since this isnt a collaborative effort in any way, shape, or form. Muddy & the Wolf contains a half-dozen live Muddy Waters tracks with backing from Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Otis Spann, the material culled from the Fathers & Sons sessions. The set also features tracks by Howlin Wolf from his London sessions with Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr. File under "just OK." | ||
 | Album: 20 of 42 Title: In Memoriam Released: 1983 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:30:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Rollin Stone (03:00) 2 I Cant Be Satisfied (02:41) 3 Rollin & Tumblin, Part II (02:31) 4 Kind Hearted Woman (02:34) 5 Louisiana Blues (02:49) 6 Long Distance Call (02:39) 7 She Moves Me (02:55) 8 Im Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:44) 9 I Just Wanna Make Love to You (03:01) 10 I’m Ready (03:03) 11 Honey Bee (03:20) 12 I Want You to Love Me (03:01) 13 40 Days and Forty Nights (02:51) 14 Baby Please Dont Go (03:01) 1 Manish Boy (02:30) 2 Look What Youve Done (02:20) 3 The Same Thing (02:35) 4 Lets Spend the Night Together (03:00) 5 Lay Away Plan (02:54) 6 Memphis (02:38) 7 My Home Is in the Delta (04:00) 8 Rock Me (live) (04:20) 9 What Is That She Got (04:30) 10 You Dont Have to Go (03:25) 11 Strange Woman (05:00) 12 Blow Wind Blow (04:30) 13 Country Boy (04:58) 14 Got My Mojo Working (03:39) |
 | Album: 21 of 42 Title: The Original Hoochie Coochie Man Released: 1984 Tracks: 15 Duration: 42:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Walkin Thru the Park (02:44) 2 Train Fare Home Blues (02:47) 3 Sittin Here Drinkin (02:34) 4 I Got a Rich Mans Woman (02:52) 5 Mean Mistreater (02:47) 6 The Stuff You Gotta Watch (02:47) 7 Iodine in My Coffee (03:29) 8 Close to You (03:06) 9 You Gonna Miss Me (02:36) 10 Mean Red Spider (02:17) 11 Diamonds at Your Feet (02:25) 12 You Gonna Need My Help (03:07) 13 She’s All Right (02:27) 14 So Glad Im Living (02:50) 15 One More Mile (03:17) |
 | Album: 22 of 42 Title: Muddy Waters Sings Big Bill Broonzy / Folk Singer Released: 1986 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:02:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tell Me Baby (02:16) 2 Southbound Train (02:54) 3 When I Get to Thinking (03:06) 4 Just a Dream (on My Mind) (02:30) 5 Double Trouble (02:44) 6 I Feel So Good (02:54) 7 I Done Got Wise (02:57) 8 Mopper’s Blues (02:53) 9 Lonesome Road Blues (03:04) 10 Hey, Hey (02:41) 11 My Home Is in the Delta (04:00) 12 Long Distance (03:32) 13 My Captain (05:11) 14 Good Morning School Girl (03:14) 15 You Gonna Need My Help (03:07) 16 Cold Weather Blues (04:41) 17 Big Leg Woman (03:28) 18 Country Boy (03:28) 19 Feel Like Going Home (03:53) |
 | Album: 23 of 42 Title: The Muddy Waters Collection: 20 Blues Greats Released: 1987 Tracks: 20 Duration: 58:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 2 Got My Mojo Workin (03:35) 3 Rollin’ Stone (03:08) 4 Mean Mistreater (02:42) 5 Rock Me (03:12) 6 Mean Red Spider (02:17) 7 Forty Days and Forty Nights (02:52) 8 Stuff You Gotta Watch (02:49) 9 All Aboard (02:50) 10 Lonesome Room Blues (03:00) 11 Please Have Mercy (03:13) 12 She’s All Right (02:29) 13 Iodine in My Coffee (03:29) 14 Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (02:58) 15 I’m Ready (03:03) 16 You’re Gonna Miss Me (02:37) 17 Sad Sad Day (03:09) 18 Oh Yeh (02:58) 19 I Can’t Call Her Sugar (02:31) 20 I Feel So Good (02:25) |
 | Album: 24 of 42 Title: Masters of the Blues: The Best of Muddy Waters Released: 1988 Tracks: 18 Duration: 54:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 2 Walkin Thru the Park (02:45) 3 Got My Mojo Working (04:14) 4 Rollin Stone (03:00) 5 I Just Want to Make Love to You (02:51) 6 Still a Fool (Two Trains Running) (03:16) 7 Rollin & Tumblin (03:00) 8 Im Ready (03:03) 9 Tiger in Your Tank (02:16) 10 I Want You to Love Me (03:02) 11 Rock Me (03:46) 12 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 13 She Moves Me (02:57) 14 Standing Around Crying (03:22) 15 Long Distance Call (02:40) 16 40 Days and Forty Nights (02:51) 17 Gone to Main Street (02:28) 18 My Eyes (Keep Me in Trouble) (03:08) |
 | Album: 25 of 42 Title: More Real Folk Blues Released: 1988-08-15 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sad Letter (02:57) 2 Gonna Need My Help (03:05) 3 Whiskey Blues (02:30) 4 Down South Blues (02:50) 5 Train Fare Blues (02:45) 6 Kind Hearted Woman (02:35) 7 Hello Little Girl (02:51) 8 Early Morning Blues (03:05) 9 Too Young to Know (03:12) 10 Shes Alright (02:28) 11 Landlady (02:40) 12 Honey Bee (03:21) |
| More Real Folk Blues : Allmusic album Review : The companion volume to the first Waters entry in the Real Folk Blues series is even more down-home than the first. Featuring another brace of early Chess sides from 1948-1952, this release features some essential tracks not found on The Chess Box. With the bludgeoning stomp of "Shes Alright" featuring Elgin Evans outstanding drumming and the moody introspection of "My Life Is Ruined" to be counted up among the numerous highlights, this is a fine budget package that Muddy (and lovers of early Chicago blues) fans certainly shouldnt overlook. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 42 Title: Trouble No More: Singles (1955–1959) Released: 1989 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sugar Sweet (02:31) 2 Trouble No More (02:40) 3 All Aboard (02:50) 4 Don’t Go No Further (02:55) 5 I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love (02:51) 6 Rock Me (03:11) 7 Got My Mojo Working (02:51) 8 She’s Got It (02:48) 9 Close to You (03:06) 10 Mean Mistreater (02:47) 11 Take the Bitter With the Sweet (03:08) 12 She’s Into Something (02:45) |
 | Album: 27 of 42 Title: The Muddy Waters Collection Released: 1989 Tracks: 14 Duration: 55:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wheres My Woman Been (03:07) 2 Blow Wind Blow (03:58) 3 Howlin Wolf (05:04) 4 Cant Get No Grindin (04:18) 5 Trouble No More (02:39) 6 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 7 Baby Please Dont Go (02:41) 8 Mannish Boy (05:10) 9 Everything Gonna Be Alright (03:17) 10 Got My Mojo Working (02:42) 11 Honky Tonk (06:44) 12 Off The Wall (03:42) 13 Garbage Man (04:01) 14 Long Distance Call (05:04) |
 | Album: 28 of 42 Title: Muddy, Brass and the Blues Released: 1989 Tracks: 10 Duration: 30:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Corine, Corina (03:41) 2 Piney Brown Blues (03:14) 3 Black Night (03:19) 4 Trouble in Mind (02:55) 5 Going Back to Memphis (02:42) 6 Betty and Dupree (03:02) 7 Sweet Little Angel (03:31) 8 Take My Advice (02:52) 9 Trouble (02:25) 10 Hard Loser (03:08) |
 | Album: 29 of 42 Title: The Chess Box Released: 1989-11-07 Tracks: 72 Duration: 3:35:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gypsy Woman (02:35) 2 Good Looking Woman (02:43) 3 Mean Disposition (02:35) 4 I Can’t Be Satisfied (02:42) 5 I Feel Like Going Home (03:10) 6 Train Fare Home Blues (02:47) 7 Mean Red Spider (02:17) 8 Streamline Woman (03:18) 9 Little Geneva (02:47) 10 Rollin’ and Tumblin’, Part 1 (03:00) 11 Rollin’ Stone (03:08) 12 Walking Blues (02:57) 13 Louisiana Blues (02:54) 14 Evans Shuffle (02:12) 15 Long Distance Call (02:41) 16 Honey Bee (03:21) 17 She Moves Me (02:58) 18 Still a Fool (03:17) 19 Stuff You Gotta Watch (02:50) 20 Standing Around Crying (03:22) 21 Flood (02:40) 22 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 23 Blow Wind Blow (03:11) 24 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 1 I Just Want to Make Love to You (02:52) 2 I’m Ready (03:03) 3 Smokestack Lightnin’ (03:08) 4 Young Fashioned Ways (03:01) 5 Mannish Boy (02:56) 6 Trouble No More (02:41) 7 Forty Days and Forty Nights (02:52) 8 Just to Be With You (03:15) 9 Don’t Go No Farther (02:56) 10 Diamonds at Your Feet (02:25) 11 I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love (02:51) 12 Rock Me (03:11) 13 Look What You Done (02:23) 14 Got My Mojo Working (02:51) 15 Good News (02:49) 16 Evil (02:17) 17 She’s Nineteen Years Old (03:19) 18 Close to You (03:06) 19 Walkin’ Thru the Park (02:46) 20 Blues Before Sunrise (with false starts, dialogue) (03:53) 21 Lonesome Road Blues (03:04) 22 Take the Bitter With the Sweet (dialogue, false start, alt. take) (03:52) 23 She’s Into Something (02:45) 24 Southbound Train (02:54) 25 Double Trouble (02:47) 1 I Feel So Good (live) (02:56) 2 You Shook Me (02:44) 3 You Need Love (02:44) 4 Twenty Four Hours (02:31) 5 Elevate Me Mama (alternate take) (03:04) 6 So Glad I’m Living (02:54) 7 My Love Strikes Like Lightning (02:45) 8 You Don’t Have to Go (alternate take) (02:51) 9 Things That I Used to Do (03:14) 10 My Home Is in the Delta (04:00) 11 Good Morning School Girl (03:14) 12 The Same Thing (02:44) 13 You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had (02:57) 14 Short Dress Woman (02:48) 15 Making Friends (02:37) 16 Black Night (Hornless alternate mix) (03:18) 17 Bird Nest on the Ground (02:53) 18 Country Boy (live) (04:42) 19 Sugar Sweet (alternate “Fathers and Sons” take) (02:17) 20 All Aboard (alternate “Fathers and Sons” take) (02:40) 21 Going Down Slow (live) (04:08) 22 Who’s Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I’m Gone (original hornless London mix) (05:06) 23 Can’t Get No Grindin’ (What’s the Matter With the Meal) (02:49) |
| The Chess Box : Allmusic album Review : The Chess Box does not contain all the great music Muddy Waters made. His talent and legacy are too large to be captured in a mere three discs, even one that spans from 1947 to 1972. This means, of course, that his legendary plantation recordings with Alan Lomax are not here, nor is his dynamic late-70s comeback, Hard Again. But, truth be told, it doesnt feel like theyre missing, since Waters legend was built on the music that he made for Chess, and much of the greatest of that is here. Few box sets have chronicled an artists best work as effectively as this; even the handful of rare, previously unreleased recordings sit perfectly next to the essential singles (this is particularly true of alternate takes of Fathers and Sons material). Sure, there are great Chess sides that arent here, but those are great sides that the serious listener and aficionado need to seek out. For everybody else, this is a monumental chronicle of Waters at his best, illustrating his influence while providing rich, endlessly fascinating music. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 42 Title: Muddy Waters Released: 1990 Tracks: 15 Duration: 44:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I Cant Call Her Sugar (02:30) 2 You Cant Lose What You Aint Never Had (02:57) 3 I Cant Be Satisfied (02:44) 4 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 5 Walkin Thru the Park (02:44) 6 Sittin Here Drinkin (02:35) 7 I Got a Rich Mans Woman (03:00) 8 Forty Days and Forty Nights (02:51) 9 Rollin and Tumblin (02:59) 10 Rollin Stone (03:08) 11 Shes All Right (02:23) 12 Hoochie Coochie Man (02:58) 13 Wheres My Woman Been (04:26) 14 Got My Mojo Workin (03:37) 15 Standin and Cryin (02:24) |
 | Album: 31 of 42 Title: Rollin & Tumblin Released: 1990 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:10:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Gypsy Woman (02:35) 2 I Feel Like Going Home (03:10) 3 Train Fare Home Blues (02:47) 4 Down South Blues (02:55) 5 Sittin Here and Drinkin (Whiskey Blues) (02:35) 6 Mean Red Spider (02:17) 7 Streamline Woman (03:28) 8 Little Geneva (02:47) 9 Canary Bird (02:45) 10 Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (02:58) 11 You Gonna Need My Help (03:07) 12 Sad Letter Blues (03:02) 13 Early Morning Blues (03:09) 14 Too Young to Know (03:13) 15 Howling Wolf (02:42) 16 Flood (02:40) 17 My Life Is Ruined (02:38) 18 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 19 Blow Wind Blow (03:11) 20 Smokestack Lightnin’ (03:08) 21 Young Fashioned Ways (03:01) 22 Just to Be With You (03:15) 23 Dont Go No Further (02:56) 24 I Live the Life I Love (02:50) |
 | Album: 32 of 42 Title: They Call Me Muddy Waters Released: 1990 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 When the Eagle Flies (02:44) 2 Crawlin’ Kingsnake (02:30) 3 County Jail (03:01) 4 Its All Over (03:22) 5 Bird Nest on the Ground (02:53) 6 They Call Me Muddy Waters (03:23) 7 Find Yourself Another Fool (02:40) 8 Kinfolks Blues (02:26) 9 Making Friends (02:37) 10 Blind Man (03:01) 11 Two Steps Forward (02:39) 12 Howling Wolf (02:42) |
 | Album: 33 of 42 Title: The Father of Chicago Blues Released: 1990 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:12:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sugar Sweet (02:18) 2 Twenty Four Hours (04:48) 3 All Aboard (02:50) 4 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 5 I’m Ready (03:03) 6 Long Distance Call (02:41) 7 I Want to Love Me (03:04) 8 Honry Bee (03:23) 9 Gone to Main Street (02:28) 10 She Moves Me (02:57) 11 I Cant Call Her Sugar (02:29) 12 I Can’t Be Satisfied (02:43) 13 Rollin Stone (03:06) 14 You Gonna Miss Me (02:36) 15 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 16 Standing Around Crying (03:22) 17 Got My Mojo Working (02:51) 18 Still a Fool (03:16) 19 Louisanna Blues (02:51) 20 I Just Want to Make Love to You (02:51) 21 You Cant Lose What You Aint Never Had (02:54) 22 Blow Wind Blow (03:38) 23 Forty Days and Forty Nights (03:07) 24 Walkin Thru the Park (03:20) |
 | Album: 34 of 42 Title: Blues Anthology Released: 1990 Tracks: 17 Duration: 52:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sugar Sweet (02:18) 2 Twenty Four Hours (04:48) 3 Still a Fool (03:13) 4 Baby, Please Dont Go (03:10) 5 All Aboard (02:50) 6 Louisiana Blues (02:50) 7 Standing Around Crying (03:19) 8 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 9 She Moves Me (02:56) 10 Just Make Love to Me (02:50) 11 Honey Bee (03:22) 12 Youre Gonna Miss Me When Im Dead and Gone (02:32) 13 Blow Wind Blow (03:38) 14 Im Ready (03:01) 15 Rollin Stone (03:05) 16 Long Distance Call (02:39) 17 Forty Days and Forty Nights (03:07) |
 | Album: 35 of 42 Title: Chicago-London Released: 1990-01-07 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:12:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Aboard (02:50) 2 Mean Disposition (05:42) 3 Blow Wind Blow (03:38) 4 Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had (03:06) 5 Walking Thru the Park (03:20) 6 Forty Days and Forty Nights (03:07) 7 Standin’ Round Cryin’ (04:05) 8 I’m Ready (03:37) 9 Twenty Four Hours (04:48) 10 Sugar Sweet (02:18) 11 Blind Man Blues (03:32) 12 Key to the Highway (02:27) 13 Young Fashioned Ways (04:25) 14 I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town (03:57) 15 Who’s Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I’m Gone (05:04) 16 Walkin’ Blues (03:04) 17 I’m Ready (04:11) 18 Sad Sad Day (05:20) 19 I Don’t Know Why (04:00) |
 | Album: 36 of 42 Title: The Real Folk Blues Released: 1990-10-25 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mannish Boy (02:56) 2 Screamin and Cryin (03:08) 3 Just to Be With You (03:17) 4 Walking in the Park (02:44) 5 Walking Blues (02:57) 6 Canary Bird (02:45) 7 Same Thing (02:43) 8 Gypsy Woman (02:35) 9 Rollin & Tumblin (03:00) 10 40 Days and Forty Nights (02:51) 11 Little Geneva (02:50) 12 You Cant Lose What You Never Had (02:55) |
| The Real Folk Blues : Allmusic album Review : Once Chess discovered a white folk-blues audience ripe and ready to hear the real thing, they released a series of albums under the Real Folk Blues banner. This is one of the best entries in the series, a mixed bag of early Chess sides from 1949-1954, some of it hearkening back to Muddys first recordings for Aristocrat with only Big Crawford on strings in support, with some wonderful full band sides rounding out the package to give everyone the big picture. A couple of highlights to pay special attention to are the cha cha/shuffle strut of the band charging through "Walkin Through the Park" and the "Im a Man"-derived nastiness of "Mannish Boy." | ||
 | Album: 37 of 42 Title: Rare and Unissued Released: 1991-04-09 Tracks: 16 Duration: 44:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Little Anna Mae (02:33) 2 Mean Disposition (02:33) 3 Feel Like Going Home (03:09) 4 You’re Gonna Miss Me (02:34) 5 Standing There Trembling (02:21) 6 Last Time I Fool Around With You (02:32) 7 Where’s My Woman Been (03:03) 8 Stuff You Gotta Watch (02:47) 9 Lonesome Day (03:28) 10 Iodine in My Coffee (03:28) 11 Smokestack Lightnin’ (03:08) 12 Let Me Hang Around (02:12) 13 Born Lover (02:55) 14 Deep Down in My Heart (03:05) 15 Good Looking Woman (02:42) 16 Mean Red Spider (02:18) |
 | Album: 38 of 42 Title: Super Blues Released: 1992 Tracks: 11 Duration: 47:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Long Distance Call (05:07) 2 Who Do You Love (04:15) 3 I’m a Man (05:42) 4 Bo Diddley (04:31) 5 You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover (03:30) 6 I Just Want to Make Love to You (06:09) 7 My Babe (03:56) 8 You Don’t Love Me (04:11) 9 Studio Chatter (01:27) 10 Sad Hours (05:08) 11 Juke (03:31) |
| Super Blues : Allmusic album Review : This is the first of two super session albums that Chess produced in the late 60s. Time has been a bit kinder to this one, featuring Muddy, Bo Diddley and Little Walter, than the one cut a year later with Howlin Wolf standing in for Walter. Its loose and extremely sloppy, the time gets pushed around here and there and Little Walters obviously in bad shape, his voice rusted to a croak and trying to blow with a collapsed lung. But there are moments where Bos heavily tremoloed guitar sounds just fine and the band kicks it in a few spots and Muddy seems to be genuinely enjoying himself. Granted, these moments are few and way too far between, but at least nobodys playing a wah-wah pedal on here. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 42 Title: Blues Sky Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:00:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jealous Hearted Man (04:24) 2 I Can’t Be Satisfied (03:30) 3 Crosseyed Cat (06:00) 4 Who Do You Trust (05:02) 5 Mamie (05:38) 6 Screamin and Cryin (05:07) 7 Too Young to Know (04:34) 8 Forever Lonely (04:25) 9 I Feel Like Going Home (03:43) 10 My Eyes (Keep Me in Trouble) (03:19) 11 Streamline Woman (live) (04:47) 12 Deep Down in Florida (live) (09:52) |
 | Album: 40 of 42 Title: Ol Man Mud Released: 2000 Tracks: 20 Duration: 37:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Mean Red Spider (02:24) 2 Jitterbug Blues (02:57) 3 Hard Day Blues (02:51) 4 Burying Ground Blues (02:45) 5 Gypsy Woman (?) 6 Little Anna Mae (02:33) 7 Good Lookin Woman (?) 8 Mean Disposition (02:36) 9 I Cant Be Satisfied (02:42) 10 Feel Like Going Home (03:10) 11 Train Fare Home (?) 12 Kind Hearted Woman (02:36) 13 Down South Blues (02:53) 14 Sittin Here Drinkin (?) 15 Youre Gonna Miss Me (?) 16 Mean Red Spider (02:17) 17 Standin Here Tremblin (02:24) 18 Streamline Woman (?) 19 Hard Days (02:36) 20 Muddy Jumps One (02:28) |
 | Album: 41 of 42 Title: Hoochie Coochie Man Released: 2005-04-05 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Im Your Hoochie Coochie Man (04:01) 2 Good Morning Little School Girl (03:27) 3 Thats Alright (04:58) 4 Walking Through the Park (03:57) 5 I Want to Be Loved (02:24) 6 The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll (03:38) 7 Howling Wolf (live) (05:54) 8 Im a King Bee (03:53) 9 Sad Sad Day (05:26) 10 Baby Please Dont Go (live) (04:13) |
 | Album: 42 of 42 Title: Live the Life Released: 2008 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:11:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Been a Long, Long Time (04:23) 2 Look Under My Bed (04:26) 3 Tribute to Martin Luther King (04:40) 4 Sarah Street (06:24) 5 Worried Life Blues (04:00) 6 Kansas City (04:11) 7 Tin Pan Alley (07:29) 8 5 Long Years (07:32) 9 Live the Life I Love (03:21) 10 I Wanna Go Home (05:59) 11 Cant Lose What You Aint Never Had (03:37) 12 High Rising (04:36) 13 Everythings Gonna Be Alright (02:09) 14 Whats on Your Worried Mind (02:27) 15 Mean Old Train (03:03) 16 My Baby Left Me (02:54) |