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After issuing Complete sets dedicated to Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley, Hip-O Select finally got around to the titanic Howlin’ Wolf in the fall of 2011, releasing Smokestack Lightning: The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960, a 97-track, four-disc limited-edition box set containing everything the Wolf cut in his first decade of recording. Although the first years of the ‘60s treated him exceptionally well -- many classic sessions arrived in the first few years of the decade, many showcased on 1962’s peerless “rocking chair” album -- this is where his legacy lies: with the spooky, primal howl that kicks off “Moanin’ at Midnight” and the scores of earthy boogies and down-and-dirty grinds that followed. Smokestack Lightning stacks up plenty of alternate takes, a good chunk of them never released in the U.S., but the repetition doesn’t slow the set down or turn it repetitive. Instead, the repeated alternate takes sit well with the treasures -- many justly celebrated, some unearthed -- all adding up to a testament to Howlin' Wolf’s unearthly, mighty force.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, Vocals, Harmonica, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Willie Johnson, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Willie Steele, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1951 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Carl Germany, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Carl Germany, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1951 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1952 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1951 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1952 Geffen Records
Sam C. Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1952 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1952 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1952 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1952 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sam Phillips, Producer - Sonny Boy Williamson, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1952 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1952 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
DISC 2
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1953 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1953 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - McKinley Morganfield, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
Sam Phillips, Producer - CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Sonny Boy Williamson II, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1954 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1959 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1954 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1954 Geffen Records
WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Hubert Sumlin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Howlin' Wolf, Vocals, Harmonica, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Otis Spann, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Jody Williams, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Earl Phillips, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1954 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Mel London, ComposerLyricist - Marshall Chess, Producer
℗ 1955 Geffen Records
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
L. GRAHAM, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer - Howlin' Wolf, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1955 UMG Recordings, Inc.
CHESTER BURNETT, ComposerLyricist - WILLIE DIXON, Producer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Hubert Sumlin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Howlin' Wolf, Vocals, Harmonica, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Willie Johnson, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Earl Phillips, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Hosea Lee Kennard, Piano, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1956 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
After issuing Complete sets dedicated to Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley, Hip-O Select finally got around to the titanic Howlin’ Wolf in the fall of 2011, releasing Smokestack Lightning: The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960, a 97-track, four-disc limited-edition box set containing everything the Wolf cut in his first decade of recording. Although the first years of the ‘60s treated him exceptionally well -- many classic sessions arrived in the first few years of the decade, many showcased on 1962’s peerless “rocking chair” album -- this is where his legacy lies: with the spooky, primal howl that kicks off “Moanin’ at Midnight” and the scores of earthy boogies and down-and-dirty grinds that followed. Smokestack Lightning stacks up plenty of alternate takes, a good chunk of them never released in the U.S., but the repetition doesn’t slow the set down or turn it repetitive. Instead, the repeated alternate takes sit well with the treasures -- many justly celebrated, some unearthed -- all adding up to a testament to Howlin' Wolf’s unearthly, mighty force.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 4 disc(s) - 97 track(s)
- Total length: 04:49:14
- Main artists: Howlin' Wolf
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Hip-O Select
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Blues
© 2012 UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2012 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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