Customer Reviews

Woodstock Album

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In marked contrast to the hard, aggressive sound of his work with Johnny Winter the following year, this album shows another, far more relaxed side to Muddy Waters, as he revisits old songs and launches new ones in the laid-back company of his regular sidemen and some celebrity names. Producer and songwriter Henry Glover had gone into partnership with Levon Helm from the Band and converted a barn into a recording studio called Bearsville in Turtle Creek, Woodstock NY, and the Muddy Waters sessions, recorded 6-7 February 1975, were the first fruits.
Although there is a light front-porch touch throughout the album, probably influenced by Levon Helm's subtle drumwork and Garth Hudson's distinctive organ and accordion accompaniment, there is nothing lacklustre about it, with fine contributions thoughout from local resident Paul Butterfield on harmonica and from Waters' regular piano player and vocalist Pinetop Perkins. The album kicks off with Why Are People Like That, written by Bobby Charles, another Woodstock resident. Muddy Waters switches to slide guitar for two of his own new songs, and performs Kansas City in honour of Henry Glover, who produced it for Little Willie Littlefield back in 1952 (as KC Lovin'). Louis Jordan and his Tympani Five are also remembered through versions of Caldonia and Let The Good Times Roll.
The album concludes with a previously unreleased bonus track, Fox Squirrel, a Muddy Waters composition.

Winner of a Grammy in 1975, The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album is one funky, greasy taste of Muddy at his finest. Driven by Levon Helm and Garth Hudson of the Band, as well as blues stalwarts Pinetop Perkins, Paul Butterfield and Bob Margolin, Muddy sounds like he's having a good old time, breathing new life into such standards as Caldonia and Kansas City. If you like the blues, Muddy-style, you'll love this album.

This album has some of my favorite Muddy tunes. I almost get the feeling of being there. You can hear them having a good time jamming together, and you get a chance to hear Pinetop do a little singin' too. The quicker tunes are my favorite especially Caldonia and Kansas City. It makes me feel like I'm sipping Jackn'Coke in a bar. Makes me wanna dance.

Adam Gussow, a superb blues harmonica player who offers generous instructional videos on his own YouTube channel, some weeks ago posted a feature highlighting an album that had been an influence on his approach to the blues harp, the obscure Muddy Waters Woodstock Album. The album is a revelation, as it has Waters stepping a few steps back from the rocking , Chicago style back beat, raw and blistering in a fashion only genius can achieve, and here taking up a swing upbeat. Save for the rumblings of Waters' voice, always a place of deep echo and lean-close innuendo, some of these tracks would fit in well with the suited urbanity of B.B.King. It is a gem alright, a rousing, spirited transitional session placing Waters beyond his stylistic comfort zone. But not too far. Pinetop Perkins provides a bright piano throughout, and former Band utility musician Garth Hudson is a triple threat here on organ, saxophone and accordion; his accordion work, surprisingly, is a wonderful blues instrument, as can be heard on the sturdy workouts on "Going Down to Main Street","Caldonia".

Whatever jokes the instrument and it's players have suffered at the hands of one comedians over the decades abates somewhat with Hudson's finely fingered boogie and sparkling fills. What caught my ear was the harmonica playing of the late Paul Butterfield; perhaps among the handful of truly important blues harpists , his playing here equals his best efforts. Punchy, fleet, gutty and clean in the same breath, Butterfield demonstrates his mastery of tone and phrase, combining a moaning raunch and inspiring single-note runs for maximum effect. Butterfield fans ought to acquire this disc straight away; it's an essential addition to your harmonica player collection. This is a terrific addition his previous collaboration with Waters, the stomping Fathers and Sons. For Waters, he is relaxed, at ease, in full command of his singularly masterful voice; within that limited range he can raise the voice to it's breaking point , emphasing a point, highlighting a hurt, suggesting a rebellion against what brings him down, and then slide to the lowest corner of his range and provide the gritty realism that is his hallmark as a blues artist.One is also served a generous portion of Waters' slide guitar work, a perfect compliment to Bob Margolin's stinging bends and blurs; Waters touch is sure and spare, producing a thin, nervous, clear line . It is a wonderful texture in a full bodied, hard swinging band. A battler, a lover, a philosopher of the hard road, never with self pity, never without wit.

I still think this is a superb CD. Unlike other reviewers, I don't think it's fair to compare this to (Fathers And Sons). This is different yes, but you would not want him to keep doing the same things over & over. The music & sound quality are great an easy five star CD. A must have for a Muddy fan unlike (Electric Mud). It also has Paul Butterfield on it a big plus, not only that this is all we have left of Muddy. So why not just enjoy it.

This album was recorded in 1975 right before the Blue Sky albums with Johnny Winter . I have to admit , I bought it because it was cheap and I just wanted to fill out my Muddy Waters collection .
I was really surprised when I learned how good this album is , considering it's fairly obscure .
It's got top notch musicians ,Pinetop Perkins , Bob Margolin , Levon Helm and Garth Hudson from The Band and Paul Butterfield to round things out ..nice little outfit.
The songs are all very good , ranging from covers to originals . Track 2 Going Down to Main Street is a great rockin sorta song , a great version of Caldonia, a few nice bluesy originals called Funny Sounds and Born With Nothing and a great bluesy thing called fox Squirrel ( listed as a bonus track ) ...if you're a Muddy Waters fan , you'll be very ,very happy with this lp

By 1975 Muddy Waters had already been playing the blues for about forty years. He would unfortunately have only eight years left until his passing but what he managed to achieve this late in his career was no small feat. And it begins here with The Woodstock Album which was the brainchild of The Band's Levon Helm and 'his mentor' Henry Glover.
Recorded in the winter of '75 - with Muddy's sidemen Bob Margolin on guitar and Pinetop Perkins on piano plus Levon on drums; The Band's Garth Hudson on organ, accordion and saxophone; Paul Butterfield on harmonica; Fred Carter on bass and guitar; and Howard Johnson on saxophone - this album feels relaxed and spontaneous while keeping the blues very much in its core.
As a result, Muddy got his second Grammy Award something which surely revitalised his career and made way for his also brilliant partnership with Johnny Winter the following year.

After 27 years recording for Chess Records, this April 1975 album was Muddy's last for the label - and I think it's a bit of a forgotten gem.

PAUL BUTTERFIELD provides fabulous bluesy Harmonica throughout, PINETOP PERKINS plays piano (guest vocals also on Kansas City & Caldonia) with both GARTH HUDSON and LEVON HELM of THE BAND throwing in Keyboards/Accordion and Drums/Bass respectively. While it's a straight-up blues album for the most part, Hudson's Accordion playing gives some of the tracks a slightly swing/Cajun feel - and is a genuine surprise and treat for it too. Special mention should also go to Paul Butterfield's harmonica playing, which is fantastic throughout - clearly enthused by the mere proximity of the great man! In fact in each guest musician, you can 'feel' their affection for him right across all of the recordings.

Five of its eight tracks are Muddy Waters originals topped up with three cover versions. The three covers are Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller's peach "Kansas City", made famous by Wilbert Harrison and done by hundreds of others since, while the other two are the Louis Jordan R'n'B classics, "Let The Good Times Roll" and "Caldonia". Other contributions come from HOWARD JOHNSON on Saxophone, FRED CARTER on Bass and Guitar with BOB MARGOLIN on Guitar also - HENRY GLOVER produced the record.

This 1995 ERICK LABSON remaster has typically ace sound from one of Universal's primo engineers, while "Fox Squirrel" is a CD-only bonus track that is just that - a genuine discovery and bonus - astonishing that this McKinley Morganfield original was left off the record - nor ever used as a b-side?

"The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album" divides fans, but I feel it's a forgotten gem that deserves a rethink. And like all of his 70's recordings - I love it to bits. Test out "Going Down To Main Street" on iTunes and you'll get the idea. Enjoy!

I listen to "Nothin' But the Blues" every weekend on KJazz. Gary Wagner played a cut from this CD a few weeks back, a rocking little tune called "Why Are People Like That?". I knew I had to have the album. I have always liked the work of Muddy Waters. His earlier songs were what I would call traditional blues. But in his later years, Muddy really seemed to cut loose and have fun with the genre. Paul Butterfield accompanies him here along with Pinetop Perkins on a number of the cuts. It's a great little album with a bonus track to boot.

A great album produced by Levon Helm and recorded with great musicians. The Album won a Grammy for best ethnic or traditional recording. It was the last album that Muddy Waters recorded for Chess Records, with whom he had been recording for around twenty-seven years. He went on to make more landmark recordings for "Blue Sky" with Johnny Winters producing.

I used to have this on an LP, but now own it on CD. Bought it twice, so you know it is good.