Customer Reviews

The Chess Box :Muddy Waters

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

More casual fans will probably be better served by MCA/Chess's much cheaper (but very good) two-disc compilation "The Anthology: 1947-1972". But if you're looking for the best and currently most thorough available overview of Muddy's recordings for Aristocrat and Chess, this is it.
It is not the final word on Muddy Waters - his excellent latter-day recordings with Johnny Winter as producer aren't here, and you'll need some of his live stuff as well - but these 72 tracks do include the vast majority of his best songs from 1947 and twenty-five years on.

Disc one spans 1947-1954, and most of the 24 tracks feature just Muddy Waters on slide guitar and bassist Ernest "Big" Crawford backing him, although the great Sunnyland Slim rolls the ivories on a few songs, like the delightful 1947 single "Gypsy Woman".
Muddy's arsenal of slide guitar riffs may seem limited, but his playing on the 1948 hit "I Can't Be Satisfied" and the mellow "Train Fare Home" is really great, demonstrating what a fine guitarist he actually was.

Percussion doesn't show up until two-thirds of the way through the disc, when the "classic" Muddy Waters band begins to take shape: Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on second guitar, drummer Elgin Evans, and Otis Spann playing the piano.
Along with the songs already mentioned, the lean, mean "I Feel Like Going Home" and "Rollin' And Tumblin'" are among the highlights on disc 1, which ends with the tough, swinging "Blow Wind Blow" and the classic "Hoochie Coochie Man". Big Walter Horton plays superb harmonica on "Blow Wind Blow".

Disc 2 includes the majority of Muddy's classic 50s singles, from "I'm Ready" and the thumping "I Just Want To Make Love To You" to "Got My Mojo Working", the Bo Diddley-ripoff "Mannish Boy", and the superbly swinging "I Love The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love". Harpist James Cotton appears for the first time on "I Love The Life I Live", blowing a truly inspired harmonica riff.
And there are several lesser-known songs here as well, including previously unreleased takes and singles which make their LP/CD debut on this album. Most of them are good, although not quite great, with the exception of a very fine rendition of Jimmy Oden's "Take The Bitter With The Sweet".

Disc 3 covers 1960-1972, and includes a few live recordings, as well as two alternates from the sublime "Fathers And Sons" sessions. Opening with the great live "I Feel So Good" from the Newport album, it is highlighted by Muddy's version of Eddie Boyd's "Twenty-Four Hours", the mid-60s hit singles "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had", and a hornless version of "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I'm Gone", one of the few good cuts from the otherwise forgettable "London Sessions" album.

There is nothing here from the misguided and completely superflous "Electric Mud", or from Muddy's last Chess-effort, "The Woodstock Album", but that detracts little or nothing from the greatness of this compilation, the finest overview of Muddy Waters' Chess sides available.

A comprehensive collection from the best bluesman ever. Sure, others have done significant recordings, established new sounds, forged creative sounds, but no one has been *the man* for decades, like Muddy has. Regardless of whether it is these priceless early recordings where the genius was just starting to come through or whether it is any of the numerous eras Muddy went through, they are all well represented on this set.

The supporting book is one of the best I've seen ever. It is comprehensive, has new and unusal photos, and gives a good history of Waters' recordings.

The one belongs in the "if I was on a desert island and take only one CD, which one would it be" category.

McKinley Morganfield was born in Mississippi in 1913. He was given the name of Muddy Waters by his grandmother at an early age.

Muddy Waters was one of the Blues musicians who was deftly able to make the transition from the cotton field, delta, acoustic blues, to the electric sound which has remained with us since. He not only made the transition, but set an example for others.

Disc one of the box set covers the period 1947-1954. Disc two covers the hits of the 1950's, many of which inspired English rockers who were preparing to hit the shores. And Disc three covers the latter period from 1960 through 1972. It should be noted that there are recordings before and after the time periods on this box, and as such, this box set could not be termed "all inclusive". Not covered are the very early years of Muddy's singing, as covered by The Complete Plantation Recordings. And the Blue Sky recordings (I'm Ready; Hard Again; King Bee) of the 1980's cover the latter part of his career. This box set covers the meaty, main portion of his career and are definitely the set to get if you are going to get just one for your collection. The book that comes with this 3-CD set also gives a very nice overview of Muddy's life and career, something that the mp3 downloads cannot do.

Muddy Waters was one of the most influential blues singers of all time and influenced generations of singers who came after him. If you plan on getting only one collection of Muddy Waters, I would strongly recommend this 3-CD set. You can now buy the songs individually through Amazon, but it is strongly recommended to buy the box set en total.

They get no bluer than this. Muddy was, and is, the real deal.

Highly recommended. 5 Stars.

The essentials are all here. If you dig a heavy dose of all things Muddy, this is the place to go. A wonderful overview of every period of Muddy's career. Little Walter rocks on the 50's tracks. Check the Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon Boxes as well. Outstanding.

This is the only box set that I can think of that could be essential. All of these historic recording, represents one of the greatest achivements of popular music in the 20th century. Muddy Waters changed music forever. The first half of disc one alraedy delivers some of best performance ever, like 'feel like going home'and 'cant be satisfied', Muddy's first big sellers that turned him into a star. He was still playing very much in the Delta style, although by that time he was cooking in juke joints with one of the best blues band ever. The recordings included in the second half of disc one and practically all disc two are simply in a league of its own, comparably only perhaps to Elvis sun sessions and Loui Armstrong hot five and sevens in terms of perfection and influence in music. Disc three proves that the man could not make a bad record, and includes a live track from Live at Newport, your next essential purchase.
The box includes a booklet with details of every session, and essays on Muddy the man and the musician. This is as good as blues music can get.

72 tracks on this compilation, and not a single flaw.
The Plantation Recordings from the early 40's and his late 70's albums produced by Johnny Winter are all fine, because again, he just couldn't open his mouth and sing a BAD song.
But leave these ones alone, and get The Chess Box (Everything he has done for Chess between 1947-1972). Just like other Chess artists (Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy) - the Chess years are his best by far, and the tracks put chronologically here serves you ear and historic sense great.
The music here is absolutely astonishing - Muddy's clear, throaty famous vocal and whining slide work, Little Walter's/James Cotton's weeping harmonicas, Otis Spann on piano and all the other members of this legendary blues band.

5 stars without a doubt. Just get it.

This is a fabulous box set. Not only does it have almost all of muddys songs, they have not been remastered with todays sound. Although the hisses and pops have been removed the music is in its original form. I thank the producers for that. If you only have one Muddy Waters collection this should be it. You can't go wrong.

This is a definite winner for anyone who is interested in starting a collection of "Basic Blues." The accompanying book is well illustrated and gives you a nice feel for Muddy's backround. Get the Howlin' Wolf package too and you will be all set to enjoy two original Blues' Masters.

Muddy Waters/Chess Box: Muddy Waters had the most appealing voice in Blues history and his songs are undeniable classics. This three CD box set ought to be a part of everyone's collection. This set defines "essential". This may only prove to be the starting point of your discovery of Muddy Waters but this is indeed the starting point. Highly recommended.

This three CD box set covers the Chess Records recordings of Muddy Waters. Muddy was unquestionably one of the all time greatest blues singers, as the 72 songs included here amply prove. The earliest song here is from 1947 and the last song is from 1972. There are more songs from the early years than the later years, and rightly so, because most of his "classics" were recorded early in his career. The box does include all his classic songs, plus several rare and unreleased songs. This is a must get for any fan of the blues.