Super Super Blues Band [Original recording reissued]

Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Chess MCA Records
• ASIN: B000002O96
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,765 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #41 in Music > Blues > Chicago Blues
  • #46 in Music > Blues > Traditional Blues
  • #88 in Music > Blues > Regional Blues

Editorial Reviews

The linking theme behind this two-LP-on-one-CD compilation seems to be the fact that, on both Two Great Guitars and Super Super Blues Band, Chess Records was trying to coax or force collaborations between the company's established stars. Two Great Guitars was the more spontaneous and inspired of the two albums, coming about on a day when Chuck Berry happened to turn up at Chess when Bo Diddley was cutting a session, and they decided to try and cut something together -- the result was a pair of superb extended guitar workouts that were unique in their time; no rock & roll record had ever featured jams of this length, or showcased the bags of tricks of a pair of axe-men like this. Although the usual assumption is that the featured guitarist on each of the tracks got the spotlight, the fact is that Bo Diddley holds his own even on the Chuck Berry piece "Chuck's Beat," providing a relentless, sometimes thunderous and sometimes shimmering rhythm guitar backup to Berry's lead guitar that's a show in itself. "Bo's Beat" features the piano nearly as prominently as either of the guitarists, and Berry wanders through some intelligent variations on his most familiar licks, part of a very busy band. The Super Super Blues Band album was more problematic, being a company-dictated collaboration between Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley that never quite fits together -- Muddy and the Wolf never got along sharing their repertory, and Bo Diddley seems caught in the middle of a nasty argument a lot of the time; sadly, Chuck Berry wasn't on Chess at the time, or else he might've been here in place of the unwilling and unhappy Wolf. There's occasionally some interesting playing or singing, and it's always nice to hear more Holwin' Wolf (nothing here is as awkward as Wolf's work on the infamous "Howlin' Wolf's New Album" of the same period), but it's not a prime example of the work of anyone involved. The BGO disc is a fresh remastering of the original albums, which date from the late 1980's in their American CD editions and sound a lot better here, and it may be worth owning for anyone wanting the pyrotechnics of Two Great Guitars -- it doesn't have the two Bo Diddley bonus cuts from the U.S. version, however. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A+++ My Best Buy In the Last 4 Years & I got it used for $6!, March 17, 2005

By 

HershonJones (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Super Super Blues Band (Audio CD)

I question some of these reviewers musical tastes. I previously had not gotten this CD because the CD packaging looks shoddy and I thought the CD itself must be shoddy- boy was I wrong. I think the performances are utterly wonderful on these tracks, Bo is Bo, Muddy is Muddy, Wolf is Wolf, not some polite watered down versions of themselves which almost always happens when superstars collaborate.
I can't say enough about this album. To me this is rocking blues the way its suppose to be played, a fun go for it attitude! The people who are giving this a bad review probably think that the only true blues is that to be played in the cotton fields by a bunch of poor black people not the Chicago electric elite! I lucked out and got this album used for close to nothing. Buy this album. You'll love it!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Mess of the Blues, January 10, 2005

By 

Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Super Super Blues Band (Audio CD)

This album is a follow up to the previously released album Super Blues. The first album had Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Little Walter. This album substitutes Howlin' Wolf for Little Walter. The album features a jam session featuring the three stars, with legendary bluesmen Otis Spann, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy and Clifton James lending support. They run through some of their best known songs. The performances are long and sloppy, but kind of fun. These songs aren't nearly as good as the original versions, but it's fun hearing these legends work together (and make fun of each other). This is by no means an essential blues album, but fans of these guys may want to get it anyway.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A REAL TREAT, June 27, 2005

By 

William Olmstead "Bluesman" (North Hollywood, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Super Super Blues Band (Audio CD)

Despite what some of the reviewers state, this album is a real treat for fans of Muddy, Wolf and Bo. It's just alot of fun to listen to . I am a huge fan of Muddy and Wolf and to hear them interact and have fun with Bo Diddley is worth the price of admission. Any Blues fan should buy this album.