Customer Reviews

Muddy & The Wolf

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

 

 

This is a magnificent live album that shows why these Chicago blues legends are still legends today. Both performances are engaging, witty, and raw. This includes classics such as All Aboard, I'm Ready, Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had, What a Woman!, and Red Rooster played in all their forceful glory.

So why does this loose a star? It is for casual fans only. Both performances are available in completion on Muddy's Fathers and Sons and the Wolf's The London Sessions, so this is of little use to anyone who has them. Therefore only casual fans would be interested. Otherwise this album is an excellent live blues album, with near perfect sound and appearances from legends Otis Spann, Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, and longtime Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart. So in conclusion if you want some great blues that fits neatly into your budget don't hesitate on Muddy and the Wolf!

the title of this CD is misleading. The songs on this CD are taken from two albums, "The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions", and "Fathers And Sons", a Muddy Waters LP, both released in the early 70's. I have both of the orignial albums on vinyl, and they have more songs and are better sound quality. None of the songs on this CD have Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters playing together. But the songs are good.

Go to track 6. That live version of 'Long Distance Call' alone is worth the admission price. The stinging slide licks are hot enough to peel paint of walls. Couple that with Muddy's fine ad-libbing at the end and you get blues Heaven.

The rest of the album is good, but lacks the real electricity of the classic Chess catalog.

If you have no other classic Muddy or Wolf records, this is a good start.

First and foremost Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf were the two kings of the Chicago Blues scene. The two of them dominated Chess Records from the 1950's until the label's demise in the 1970's. They competed for the best songs, musicians and attention from the Chess brothers. The competition between the two ultimately resulted in a style of Blues that the rest of the world stands in awe of.

This recording, actually a re-release of parts of two earlier albums is a great look into why Waters and Wolf were so great. The Muddy Waters recordings features the cream of Chicago's Blues scene. Otis Spann, Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Sam Lay and Duck Dunn play on most of the tracks. The line-up for the Howlin' Wolf sessions is even more impressive. Made during his London Sessions, these cuts feature england's brrightest and best; Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and long-time Howlin' Wolf rhythm guitarist, Hubert Sumlin.

If you want to get a great sample of what made these two Blues giants the cornerstone of the Chicago Blues scene, then I strongly suggest that you get this album, then go out and get a bunch of their solo recordings as well. You can't go wrong.

muddy and the wolf. The title says it all. two of the best blues artists ever on one excellant disc. i find myself drawn more towards the muddy tracks but the wolf is great just because hes howlin wolf and he rocks. very comforting, honest music. anything on chess usually is.

the howlin wolf tracks are all taken from the london sessions cd. my guess is that the same is true of muddy's tracks, but i don't know for sure. imho, the highlight of the whole cd is the the rehearsal for "little red rooster", where eric clapton et al beg for - and get - a lesson from the wolf. it might have made sense to them, but it's a mystery to me: "you just uh, you know, then he comes in..." of course, the music itself is outstanding.

I first bought this album as a freshmen in college *way* back in '97. I got interested in Muddy and the Wolf thru 60s covers by bands like The Doors, The Experience, Cream, Stones....

This music caught me off guard. I was not ready for the reality of the blues. Now, I listen to these two fellas religiously.

The album is comprised of two sets: one by Muddy, featuring the Paul Butterfield Blues band in support, and one set by the Howlin' Wolf with British rockers such as Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Bill Watts, as well as the Wolf's usual champion guitarist, Hubert Sumlin.

The sides with Muddy cook. Recorded live in '69, this is later period Muddy, but ya know, he never lost a step. Even in the late 70s his music is uncompromising and powerful. Paul Butterfield's harp play is one of a kind, and seriously complex(I dabble in the harmonica.) Having learned first hand from Little Walter, Butterfield knows his chops and brings Muddy's contributions to this album to another level.

The entire concert from which the 6 Muddy sides are taken is also available on Chess, titled FATHERS AND SONS. This is recommended as well.

The Wolf's sides are slightly less engaging, but still very good in the annals of bluesdom. Clapton adds a nice sound, and Steve Winwood is complementary as well. Definately not the Wolf's most intense takes, but this is very good music. The Chess album that these 7 tracks are pulled from is called "The London Sessions."

A wonderful introduction to the Muddy and the Wolf, or a nice way to fill some gaps in one's blues collection.

Highly recommended, but both sets are available in extended form.

This CD brings together selections from Muddy Waters' "Fathers and Sons" sessions and "Howling Wolf's London Sessions". AT NO POINT DO MUDDY WATERS AND HOWLING WOLF APPEAR TOGETHER AS THE TITLE INDICATES. The music is wonderful, but it is readily available on the aformentioned cd's with more songs, better sound. So WHY does MCA Chess continue to make this compilation available. It must be to fool potential listeners. Muddy Waters
and Howling Wolf are allways 5 Stars, but buy "Fathers and Sons" "The London Howling Wolf Sessions" instead.

When I was buying this, I did not know much about Muddy's or Wolf's discography, and I didn't bother reading any reviews. In fact, I first thought it might be Muddy's own original CD called "Muddy and the Wolf" for some strange reason. It isn't. Half of this CD is Muddy Waters, and the other half is Howlin' Wolf. This is not a collaboration either. This is SOME of the material taken from Muddy's highly acclaimed Fathers and Sons CD and SOME of the material taken from Wolf's London Sessions and basically glued together into one incomplete disc. If you think you want a *sample* of either man's style, this is probably a bad place to start because it only represents Muddy late in his career doing electrical blues and Wolf in a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration with the British rockers in London. Not a typical sample of each man's career at all. I do own Wolf's London Sessions and find them interesting material, but they are not by any means a true representation of the bluesman that Wolf was. As for Muddy, you'd do much better just getting his Fathers and Sons CD. Save your money here!

I had this on vinyl and played it so much I wore it out. Great to see this available for download, it's like an old friend. Since the time I first got this, I've expanded my blues collection, so I've got most everything on this collection on the two London Collections (the Expanded one with Howlin' Wolf and the Muddy Waters release), but I've got a special fondness for this particular release, so I'm giving it five stars.

As others have pointed out, this isn't Muddy and Wolf playing together, but selections taken from the London Sessions... That being said, for a blues fan, this is a fun item for you collection. Some fine renditions of classic blues songs to be had here!