The Best of Muddy Waters

Last updated
The Best of Muddy Waters
Best of Muddy Waters 1958 Chess Records.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedApril 1958 (1958-04)
RecordedChicago, April 1948 – September 1, 1954
Genre Chicago blues
Length35:40 [1]
Label Chess
Producer Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Muddy Waters chronology
The Best of Muddy Waters
(1958)
Muddy Waters Sings "Big Bill"
(1960)

The Best of Muddy Waters is a greatest hits album by Muddy Waters released by Chess Records in April 1958. The twelve songs were originally issued as singles between 1948 and 1954 and most appeared in Billboard magazine's top 10 Rhythm & Blues Records charts.

Contents

The album is the first by Waters and the third by Chess on the long playing (or LP record) format. [2] Chess re-sequenced the tracks and re-titled it Sail On for release in February 1969. [3]

The album was re-released on compact disc in 1997 by Chess and MCA Records. The Blues Foundation Hall of Fame inducted it as a "Classic of Blues Recording" in 1983. [4]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by McKinley Morganfield a.k.a. Muddy Waters, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Just Want to Make Love to You" Willie Dixon 2:49
2."Long Distance Call" 2:38
3."Louisiana Blues" 2:49
4."Honey Bee" 3:20
5."Rollin' Stone" 3:05
6."I'm Ready"Dixon3:01
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hoochie Coochie"Dixon2:49
2."She Moves Me" 2:54
3."I Want You to Love Me" 3:01
4."Standing Around Crying" 3:19
5."Still a Fool" 3:14
6."I Can't Be Satisfied" 2:41

Personnel

Release history

RegionLabelFormatCatalog
United States Chess LP LP 1427
Worldwide reissueChessLPLP CH-9255
USChess Cassette CHC-9255
USChess/MCA CD CHD-31268
Japan MCACDUICY-3199

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muddy Waters</span> American blues musician (1913–1983)

McKinley Morganfield, known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues". His style of playing has been described as "raining down Delta beatitude".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muddy Waters discography</span>

Muddy Waters (1913–1983) was an American blues artist who is considered a pioneer of the electric Chicago blues and a major influence on the development of blues and rock music. He popularized several early Delta blues songs, such as "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Walkin' Blues", and "Baby, Please Don't Go", and recorded songs that went on to become blues standards, including "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Mannish Boy", and "Got My Mojo Working". During his recording career from 1941 to 1981, he recorded primarily for two record companies, Aristocrat/Chess and Blue Sky; they issued 62 singles and 13 studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Walter</span> American blues harmonica player (1930–1968)

Marion Walter Jacobs, known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him comparisons to such seminal artists as Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix. His virtuosity and musical innovations fundamentally altered many listeners' expectations of what was possible on blues harmonica. He was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, the first and, to date, only artist to be inducted specifically as a harmonica player.

<i>At Newport 1960</i> 1960 live album by Muddy Waters

At Newport 1960 is a live album by Muddy Waters recorded during his performance at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 3, 1960. With his longtime backup band, Muddy Waters plays a mix of his older popular tunes and some newer compositions. Chess Records released the album in the United States on November 15, 1960.

<i>The Anthology: 1947–1972</i> 2001 greatest hits album by Muddy Waters

The Anthology: 1947–1972 is a double compilation album by Chicago blues singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. It contains many of his best-known songs, including his R&B single chart hits "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", "Just Make Love to Me ", and "I'm Ready". Chess and MCA Records released the set on August 28, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollin' Stone (Muddy Waters song)</span> Song first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1950

"Rollin' Stone" is a blues song recorded by Muddy Waters in 1950. It is his interpretation of "Catfish Blues", a Delta blues that dates back to 1920s Mississippi. "Still a Fool", recorded by Muddy Waters a year later using the same arrangement and melody, reached number nine on the Billboard R&B chart. "Rollin' Stone" has been recorded by a variety of artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble No More (song)</span> Blues song recorded by Muddy Waters in 1955

"Trouble No More" is an upbeat blues song first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1955. It is a variation on "Someday Baby Blues", recorded by Sleepy John Estes in 1935. The Allman Brothers Band recorded both studio and live versions of the song in the late 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoochie Coochie Man</span> Blues standard written by Willie Dixon

"Hoochie Coochie Man" is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954. The song makes reference to hoodoo folk magic elements and makes novel use of a stop-time musical arrangement. It became one of Waters' most popular and identifiable songs and helped secure Dixon's role as Chess Records' chief songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forty Days and Forty Nights</span> Blues song first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1956

"Forty Days and Forty Nights" is a blues song recorded by Muddy Waters in 1956. Called "a big, bold record", it spent six weeks in the Billboard R&B chart, where it reached number seven. "Forty Days and Forty Nights" has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of artists.

<i>I Am the Blues</i> 1970 studio album by Willie Dixon

I Am the Blues is the sixth studio Chicago blues album released in 1970 by the well-known bluesman Willie Dixon. It is also the title of Dixon's autobiography, edited by Don Snowden.

<i>The Best of Little Walter</i> 1958 greatest hits album by Little Walter

The Best of Little Walter is the first LP record by American blues performer Little Walter. First released in 1958, the compilation album contains ten Little Walter songs that appeared in the Top 10 of the Billboard R&B chart from 1952 to 1955, plus two B-sides. The album was first released by Checker Records as LP-1428, which was the first LP record released by Checker, and then released on Chess Records with the same catalog number.

"I'm Ready" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954. It was a hit, spending nine weeks on the Billboard R&B chart where it reached number four. The song became a blues standard and has been compared to "Hoochie Coochie Man", the standard also written by Dixon that Waters recorded earlier in 1954.

<i>His Best</i> (Little Walter album) 1997 greatest hits album by Little Walter

His Best is a greatest hits album by Chicago blues harmonica player Little Walter, released on June 17, 1997 by MCA and Chess Records as a part of The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection. The album is seen as the CD successor to the 1958 The Best of Little Walter and features ten of the songs from that album.

<i>The Real Folk Blues</i> (Muddy Waters album) 1966 compilation album by Muddy Waters

The Real Folk Blues is a 1966 compilation album of Muddy Waters recordings, released on the Chess record label in January 1966. The album was the first release of The Real Folk Blues series and has since been re-released in multiple formats. The album features some of Waters' first recordings.

<i>Super Blues</i> 1967 studio album by Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Little Walter

Super Blues is a 1967 studio album by a blues supergroup consisting of Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter. The album was released in both mono and stereo formats by Checker Records in June 1967. A follow-up album The Super Super Blues Band was released later that year and featured Howlin' Wolf replacing Little Walter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Start Me Talkin'</span> 1955 single by Sonny Boy Williamson II

"Don't Start Me Talkin'" is a blues song written and performed by Sonny Boy Williamson II. It was Williamson's first single recorded for Checker Records, and reached number three in the US Billboard R&B chart in 1955.

<i>Down and Out Blues</i> 1959 compilation album by Sonny Boy Williamson

Down and Out Blues is the first LP record by American blues musician Sonny Boy Williamson. The album was released in 1959 by Checker Records.

<i>Fathers and Sons</i> (album) 1969 studio album / Live album by Muddy Waters

Fathers and Sons is the seventh studio album by the American blues musician Muddy Waters, released as a double LP by Chess Records in August 1969.

<i>More Real Folk Blues</i> (Muddy Waters album) 1967 compilation album by Muddy Waters

More Real Folk Blues is an album compiling singles recorded by blues musician Muddy Waters between 1948 and 1953 that was released by the Chess label in 1967.

<i>McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy Waters</i> 1971 compilation album by Muddy Waters

McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy Waters is a compilation album by blues musician Muddy Waters featuring tracks recorded between 1948 and 1953 released by the Chess label in 1971.

References

  1. 1 2 Chadbourne, Eugene. "The Best of Muddy Waters [Chess] - Muddy Waters: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  2. Howard Mandel, ed. (2005). The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues. Billboard Books. pp. 176, 182. ISBN   0-8230-8266-0.
  3. Chess (1989). Muddy Waters: Chess Box (Box set booklet). Muddy Waters. Chess/MCA Records. p. 26. OCLC   154264537. CHD3-80002.
  4. O'Neal, Jim (1983). "1983 Hall of Fame Inductees: The Best of Muddy Waters – Muddy Waters (Chess, 1958)". The Blues Foundation . Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  5. "Muddy Waters: The Best Of Muddy Waters" (PDF). Record Mirror . No. 184. 18 September 1964. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.