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There are scores of Muddy Waters compilations out there, and while it might be overreaching a bit to call this 24-track single-disc set definitive, it is still a mighty good selection, including as it does all of Waters' major singles from Chess Records and its Aristocrat Records imprint between the years 1948 and 1964 along with a single track from 1976's Hard Again, Waters' first actual LP, which was released on the Columbia subsidiary Blue Sky and produced by Johnny Winter. All that's really missing here in order to give this set a full sweep through Waters' career is a couple of tracks from the series of field recordings Alan Lomax did with Waters in 1941 and 1942 when Muddy was still known as McKinley Morganfield, with "I Be's Troubled" being the most likely candidate, since it was the song Muddy rewrote for his first single, 1948's brilliantly intimate "I Can't Be Satisfied," the song that kicks off this set. Other obvious highlights here include 1950's "Louisiana Blues," a chunk of swampy blues that was harmonica man Little Walter's debut recording with Waters, the spooky but bright "I'm Ready" (one wonders what Waters would think of this song being used for a Viagra commercial) from 1954, and the chugging original recording of "Got My Mojo Working" from 1957. "You Shook Me" from 1962 features a Waters vocal over a basic track recorded by Earl Hooker a year earlier, yet still manages to sound edgy and immediate. "My Home Is in the Delta," an acoustic outing from 1963 featuring Buddy Guy, is a low-key and atmospheric masterpiece that could well serve as Waters' own concise autobiography. The Winter-produced cut from 1976, "Crosseyed Cat," sounds big and messy by comparison, and leaving it off this compilation would have made 1964's "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had," Waters' last hit for Chess, a much more fitting final track. In the end, Waters' considerable reputation rests with his Chess sides, and deservedly so, and since all of the essential ones are here, this makes a close to ideal introduction to one of the most important voices in blues history.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
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Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Ernest "Big" Crawford, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 1948 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Ernest "Big" Crawford, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 1948 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Ernest "Big" Crawford, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Marshall Chess, Producer
℗ 1950 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Ernest "Big" Crawford, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 1950 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Elgin Evans, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ernest "Big" Crawford, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 1950 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Muddy Waters, MainArtist - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - RALPH BASS, Producer
℗ 1951 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer, Drum, AssociatedPerformer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1951 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Muddy Waters, MainArtist - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Big Crawford, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Elgin Edmunds, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1953 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Fred Below, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocals, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Fred Below, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Muddy Waters, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - JAMES MOORE, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Fred Below, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Muddy Waters, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - BO DIDDLEY, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Melvin R. London, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Muddy Waters, MainArtist - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Norman Dayron, Producer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bernard Roth, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Muddy Waters, MainArtist - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Pat Hare, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1956 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Muddy Waters, MainArtist - Walter Horton, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1956 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Preston Foster, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Muddy Waters, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Little Walter, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1957 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Muddy Waters, MainArtist - James Cotton, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Rogers, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Pat Hare, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1957 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Muddy Waters, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - James Cotton, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Luther Tucker, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Pat Hare, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Andrew Stephenson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1958 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Muddy Waters, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - James Cotton, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - James B. Oden, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Pat Hare, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Andrew Stephenson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Francis Clay, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1959 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Muddy Waters, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - A.C. Reed, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - J.B. Lenoir, ComposerLyricist - Earl Hooker, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Lafayette Leake, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - John "Big Moose" Walker, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Little, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1962 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Buddy Guy, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Clifton James, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - S.P. Leary, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - James "Pee Wee" Madison, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1964 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Muddy Waters, Guitar, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Marshall Chess, Producer - S.P. Leary, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - James "Pee Wee" Madison, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1964 UMG Recordings, Inc., Courtesy of Geffen Records
Album review
There are scores of Muddy Waters compilations out there, and while it might be overreaching a bit to call this 24-track single-disc set definitive, it is still a mighty good selection, including as it does all of Waters' major singles from Chess Records and its Aristocrat Records imprint between the years 1948 and 1964 along with a single track from 1976's Hard Again, Waters' first actual LP, which was released on the Columbia subsidiary Blue Sky and produced by Johnny Winter. All that's really missing here in order to give this set a full sweep through Waters' career is a couple of tracks from the series of field recordings Alan Lomax did with Waters in 1941 and 1942 when Muddy was still known as McKinley Morganfield, with "I Be's Troubled" being the most likely candidate, since it was the song Muddy rewrote for his first single, 1948's brilliantly intimate "I Can't Be Satisfied," the song that kicks off this set. Other obvious highlights here include 1950's "Louisiana Blues," a chunk of swampy blues that was harmonica man Little Walter's debut recording with Waters, the spooky but bright "I'm Ready" (one wonders what Waters would think of this song being used for a Viagra commercial) from 1954, and the chugging original recording of "Got My Mojo Working" from 1957. "You Shook Me" from 1962 features a Waters vocal over a basic track recorded by Earl Hooker a year earlier, yet still manages to sound edgy and immediate. "My Home Is in the Delta," an acoustic outing from 1963 featuring Buddy Guy, is a low-key and atmospheric masterpiece that could well serve as Waters' own concise autobiography. The Winter-produced cut from 1976, "Crosseyed Cat," sounds big and messy by comparison, and leaving it off this compilation would have made 1964's "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had," Waters' last hit for Chess, a much more fitting final track. In the end, Waters' considerable reputation rests with his Chess sides, and deservedly so, and since all of the essential ones are here, this makes a close to ideal introduction to one of the most important voices in blues history.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 24 track(s)
- Total length: 01:13:19
- Main artists: Muddy Waters
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Geffen
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Blues
© 2006 UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2006 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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