Muddy Waters
The Lost Tapes
(Blind Pig BPCD 5054)
The question is not whether I recommend this collection of lost tapes, previously only available through
TopCat; thats a no brainer. If you are a fan of the "Mud" or even a fan of blues in general, this should be spinning on your CD player. If you go into your favorite restaurant hungry, you know youre going to eat. The real question here is what is on the menu. What is Muddy Waters serving up?
This is not the Muddy Waters youve heard on those late sixties Chess releases; this is a man in his element playing the music that defined him. Mr. Morganfield, also sometimes known as Muddy Waters, does the things he does best in front of a crowd and thats one of the reasons this is a fabulous CD. These are all the tracks you want to hear him work on and the sound quality is surprising considering the time period.
The menu here is full of goodies; from Dixons "Hoochie Coochie Man," to Fosters "Got My Mojo Working," around to a long version of the Oden song "19 Years Old," all the way to the song I defy you not to crank the volume up when you hear it, "Manish Boy."
On the Ala Carte side, there is a short interview and dialogue with the audience.
The true beauty of this collection is that it documents something most of us knew all along: the man from Rolling Form, Mississippi was more than just a legend, he was a remarkable live performer. The TopCat release shows solid evidence that the "Mud" who modernized the blues by adding an electric guitar and developed the ensemble-driven Chicago style was more than some footnote in a Whos Who of Blues. The repertoire here is smooth and fulfilling, with just a hint of spontaneous rawness to it.
You cant listen to this disc without gaining new respect for a fantastic gathering of artists: George "Harmonica" Smith blowing the harp, "Pinetop" Perkins banging the ivories, Sammy Lawhorn and Pee Wee Madison swinging axes, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones on the bass and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on the skins. These werent the wide-eyed youngsters that would come later on to worship at the Muddy Waters Touring Altar; these were seasoned professionals who knew how to bend sound to perfection. This CD is as much a testament to their skills as to Muddy Waters. If the blues were a college class, this CD is required reading.
This enhanced Blind Pig release also features a multimedia video program showcasing a rare interview and a live performance of "Long Distance Call." This is a neat addition to the package, unfortunately, like most things in this world, its a Windows only deal. No Macs.
- Bill Fountain -
Southwest Blues CD Review - August 1999
Current Reviews -
1999 Reviews - available at our store
