At Newport 1960

now this is blues. clapton can fuck off.

This album is credited with introducing Chicago-style blues to a white audience and influencing the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Angus Young, and more. Its footprint is so massive that it can't be overstated, and it's easy to see why. Waters starts with some blues standards and slowly turns up the heat until the crowd is going nuts. He plays his penultimate song twice, reportedly exhausting himself to the point that Otis Spann had to sing the final number. It's an expert balance of frenetic energy and casual blues musicianship. Just incredible. Best track: I've Got My Mojo Working - Pt. 2

I prefer the Muddy Waters

The album that inspired a generation of white British musicians to sound like poor versions of this album.

Live albums that end with "At Newport" are guaranteed to be an artist's best. Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and now Muddy Waters. Waters is obviously a mainstay of blues, and I'd say there isn't nearly enough blues on this list, but I'm glad they chose this one. Blues is a pretty simple genre, so you need to bring as much personality in order to make it shine. Waters had personality in spades. He has full command over the audience, with his naturally compelling voice and excellent guitar skills. The whole set is great, but "Got My Mojo Working" is the clear highlight, followed by part 2 and then the excellent closer "Goodbye Newport Blues". This one is a bonafide classic.

This may be more a criticism of early blues (or blues in general), but a lot of these tunes sound so similar. I know that's just me being uneducated and unfamiliar with the nuance of solos and lyrical stylings, but I can't quite get into it.

Fun fast and influential Blues delivered with plenty of mojo. Stellar drums guitar and harp throughout. Got my brand in you, I feel so good, got my mojo working

A legend who many of my favorite bands cite as one of their influences. I think I would enjoy a studio album more than a live one.

Man, this album is pure fire! Muddy Waters and his band absolutely tear it up at Newport. The energy is electric, the guitar riffs are scorching, and Muddy's vocals are raw and powerful. From the blues classics like "Hoochie Coochie Man" to the newer hits like "Got My Mojo Working," every track is a masterpiece. It's like being transported back in time to witness a legendary performance. This is a must-listen for any blues fan, or really anyone who appreciates good music.

Ahh, that was a fun listen. Certainly understand why it's made the list! Love a bit of funky harmonica. These songs are really jams, at the end of the day. Relaxing, fun, bluesy. All among my favorite moods. What I love about this album is that it meets you where you are. If you're in a good mood it's toe-tapping, and if you're not, it's mellow. Somehow, amazingly, it occupies both spaces at once very effectively. The sound is so polished it's hard to believe it's even a live album. Amazing. Fave track: I Feel So Good.

As a guitarist who discovered the blues early on, I recognize this album;s role in bringing the blues to a wider US and UK audience in the early '60s. Muddy Water's influence on artists such as the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and countless others cannot be overstated. His was the definitive statement of the Chicago Blues (by way of Mississippi). His music is buoyant, joyous, and super accessible.

A rip roaring album that showcases how damn good Muddy Waters was. It’s got grit, it’s got amazing solos hell it even boogies and I don’t know what else you’d want from a blues album.

This album is the culmination and the reason music exists. It’s so raw and pure. We all owe much credit to Muddy Waters and his contemporaries for this earliest version of rock and roll.

Loved this collection of classic blues performed live. I was personally surprised at how good the recording was for it being from 1960. Stellar guitar, great harmonica, the twiddling of a piano, Muddy's distinctive howl, it all works wonderfully.

A lot of history in this dude. Sounds good for being live and really starts cookin' after a few songs. The last Newport blues festival, so important in multiple ways. Pretty classic. 3.5

This is good. I would be interested in hearing a version that wasn't live.

It’s not what I would usually choose to listen to, but was nice background music for work. He walked so Stevie Ray Vaughan could run!

I just find the blues so depressing

OMG, a genuinely great blues album (not just a bunch of young white Englishmen playing their copies thereof). This is the real deal, and massively influential (on said English whiteboys). Muddy Water sis probably more important for the series of sides he released starting in 1948, but Dimery will not include compilations, so we have this live 'best of' instead. Can't complain too much, though. Perfect, no notes. Fun fact: Muddy posed with John Lee Hooker's guitar for the cover photo. He _actually_ played a Telecaster. for the gig. You can always trust a man with a Tele.

The audience watching this at the Newport Folk Festival must have been like, WTF.

Excellent album. Muddy Waters is one of the all time greats. Otis Spann on piano and James Cotton on harmonica. This would have been a great band to see. I've been listening to this album for a while. 5 stars all the way. Just exactly perfect.

Uptempo blues muziek. Hier kan ik niet blijven op stilzitten!

Brilliant, despite it being a series of fairly straight blues performances this sounds fantastic. Blues being so formulaic at times, often it's a case of not what one plays, but how one does it; and Waters oozes charisma. Big boy music, played with authority and panache. Makes a lot of what we listen to sound quite juvenile, don't it?

Love to see Muddy Waters on the list, a true blues legend. Very obviously the progenitor of the blues-rock style that launched copycat acts like the Stones, Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin to their early success. To quote Chance the Rapper: "I got the Chicago blues. We invented rock before the Stones got through." The "we" in that lyric refers to Muddy Waters. I'm not too bothered by this being a live album, considering that a lot of Muddy's best work preceded the album format entirely. I do wish we had certain hits on here like "Rolling Stone" and "Mannish Boy," but these are still great selections. He's got such a fantastic voice for this kind of music, and all the musicians kill it, especially the harmonica, shout out to James Cotton. Really dug this one. Favorite tracks: I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man, Meanest Woman, Soon Forgotten, Goodbye Newport Blues. Album art: A simple picture of Muddy Waters, likely taken at the show. It's a great shot though, great color contrast. You can tell he means business. 4/5

Live albums really don’t do it for me. I would rather be there. And a lot of these sound so similar. I get it but I don’t at the same time

Enjoyed listening to this, although mainly as a historical document. Love the Them cover of "Baby Please Don't Go", of course

hoochie coochie, meanie-bo-beanie

Muddy waters is obviously an icon. That album was not my cup of tea though.

Picture this, it's 2001 and your mom just took you to Famous Dave's. You sit down and stare at the tires, license plates and gas pumps surrounding you. The waitress brings you your fourth refill of mountain dew: code red. You pray over your Chicken Tenders and Wilbur Beans and then dig in. Muddy Waters fills your ears, playing the same song 400 times in a row. Two stars.

Clearly a milestone but too old for me

blues.

So boring. Every song sounds the same. No build or variety. Not a single song that was enjoyable. I can understand that this may have significance and was an influence for better music, but it is really boring when listened to 60+ years later.

Not my kind of music sorry

One of the holy grails of blues. Muddy ran deep. He also could be mischievous and light. So many clueless white boys have lionised this without really understanding. But if you’re prepared to go deep this is great. I’d probably recommend B B King live at cook county prison or live at the regal first. But that’s not a quality comparison. B B is a bit more accessible. 5 stars.

blues magic from one of the masters

I have always been drawn to solid guitar work and emotive singing that has some grit. And I can't not consider how influential this album was to the generation of blues influenced rock bands that were just a few years from stepping into the spotlight.

Never heard him play live before. I really enjoyed this album.

Great voice. Bluesy and every song is catchy.

Great album. Didn’t realize it’s one of the first live blues albums and could be the best one. So basically a single take of a whole album! Can I give more than 5 stars?!?

Really enjoyed listening to a young Muddy Waters. This is where a big chunk of of Rock & Roll came from from.

One of my favorite aspects of going through this list is listening to albums or artists I know by reputation, but never took the time to really sit down and give them the time they deserve. Muddy Waters is one of those artists. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I also feel that the live format added to the experience (though I typically prefer live albums in general), the whooping and hollering in "Feel so Good" made me feel so good.

Listened to the whole album while looking after a cat this morning, may be the most at peace I’ve ever been. Huge fan.

Just amazing. Every track is an incredible performance.

Classic blues.

10/10 Banger

fav tracks: Hoochie Coochie Man, Soon Forgotten, Goodbye Newport Blues Thoughts: My first time listening to Muddy Waters, and an introduction to music under the umbrella of American Blues. The performances are close to flawless, if not perfect. I really like the piano playing; some of the melodic runs played on the piano sound like something Hendrix would play on the guitar. I guess little stuff like that highlight the influence that early to mid 19th century blues has on rock. Would like to hear more from Muddy Waters and other contemporaries. Very Nice.

before listening i had never thought of the harmonica as a sexual instrument . now however....

Surprisingly, a live album where we didn't mind that it was live and the elements that made it so were to its credit. The blues is just a very reliable genre, and one that always gets us dancing.

Good, but not THAT good

When I get blues albums on this list, I always find that I tend to enjoy them, despite the fact that I don't think of myself as much of a blues guy. This sounds like it would have been a really fun concert, and reading about the historical context was interesting as well 4/5

Classic blues. Fun voice and sound effects.

I accidentally listened to almost all of this album on shuffle and I was thinking to myself, “this is a really stilted live performance, the edits are terrible…and why are there studio versions of the songs interspersed with the live versions?” Turns out I’m just not very smart.

Live. Very talented. Foundation of blues in America? I knew a couple of the songs.

Imagining this record in its original context didn’t happen for me: I’ve heard these moves copied across too many antecedents, which is understandable as it’s a perfect example of what it is. My inability to raise anything specific to this record is a measure of the extent that what made it fresh became wallpaper to my musical childhood.

Very bluesy. Not bad but too repetitive

If you are not REALLY into blues, every song in this album will sound the same very quickly.

Didn't expect to like this at all but was surprisingly enjoyable. Very impressive vocally, but also very repetitive. [3]

I'm sure this is important somehow but I don't care for the blues.

Not overly shit. Just boring. Like half the albums I've had on this list already.

Man I just don’t likes blues music. I think it’s boring. This album was boring.

Old soulful blues(?). Whan I think about when people talk about the genre from the 50s or 60s. Nice rhythms but nothing I would listen to daily.

Yep that’s a Blues album. Sounds exactly like every other one we’ve gotten on this list

Live albums generally have a mid level ceiling with me. They’re not a necessity when exploring an artist’s discography because they’re often not an actual project that has a theme, or concept, or true coherency. The quality lives and dies by the setlist and your interest will be truly subjective depending on how big of a fan you are of the particular artist. For me? I’m not a fan of blues as a sole genre. I need other flavours mixed in, otherwise I’m zoning out. I find it lacks punch, energy, and true character; and there just isn’t enough variety to really evolve it beyond the few tracks you might hear from time to time. This is really the best way I can describe this album. The only time I found it engaging was the double feature of ‘I’ve Got My Mojo Working’. Outside of that, though? Everything felt like it all blending in together far too much. It’s not egregiously bad or anything. If you’re a hardcore fan of blues then this should be right up your alley. It’s just not up my alley at all. It’s so not up my alley that’s a whole other continent away. It left almost no impression on me by the time the album was over; and outside of two tracks that perked me up due to more prominent jazz elements I genuinely disliked it. I’ll still give it an appreciative 2/5, though.

Not super into Blues, every song just sounds identical to every other Blues song out there. The album is super clean for a live performance though, great recording. Fav Track: Tiger In Your Tank

I'm very glad that this exists. It didn't connect with me personally, but I can recognize how influential it is.

Too old school for me. No disrespect. I just don't like the blues.

Dat water do be muddy do Best Song's: I've Got My Mojo Working & Got My Mojo Working - Pt. 2 Worst Song: Everything else was meh

Just... not my favorite. I understand why it's "Good", but for me it was a little too slow and dated to find enjoyable. I think in a movie at the right scene you could perfectly fit one of these beautiful songs, but it's not for me for daily driving.

This is a collaboration of two things I don’t like much: Blues music and live albums. I’m glad I listened to this piece of music history and agree with it being in this list, but I won’t be listening again.

Sounds like the music from the weird uncle in Dixie’s Double Trouble on SNES

Not terrible, but it gets so repetitive that I tuned it out by the time the album was over.

Great voice and energy to these songs but ultimately they ended up sounding the same

If you're a blues fan, this album is like the bible of your world. I, however, am not. Instrumentals too similar. Lyrics very simple. Pretty dull after a few tracks.

It’s fine. Wouldn’t listen again.

I know this is one of those that I should enjoy but don't. Father of the blues and all that. I'm a nope for Muddy Waters.

I lived in Los Angeles for more than a decade and it may shock you that nobody went to the beach. The beach was for tourists. Santa Monica beach, and especially Venice Beach was dirty and gross. If you wanted to go swimming you went south. Manhattan, Beach .. Redondo Beach ... still pretty gross. Newport Beach, now that's where you went if you really wanted to go swimming, But now I hear there's Muddy Waters at Newport Beach and it's not very good and in fact kinda sad, boring and not really worth the drive. By the time you get there, you may be thinking to yourself ... that's a lotta hype, was it even worth it...?

I know I am supposed to be blown away by this. Maybe at the time it was revolutionary. But this does nothing for me.

I've said it before. Live albums basically amount to a best of album. Muddy Waters is a generational artist who deserves to be included. If you're going to do so, make sure you highlight a studio recording.

3/10 Giro di Blues, Virtuosismi su armonica e ritmicità verbali usati ad nauseam. Insopportabile.

Any Chicago Blues from the 50's and 60's wins an automatic 5 stars from me.

Favorite Track: I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man

Excellent album. I don't normally like live albums, but this one was quite good.

Super cool. Live.

Amaze

Super chill

Good

Classic, real-deal American blues from one of the absolute greats.

That was a nice change of pace. I like the classic blues sound and that life experience can be heard in muddy Waters' voice.

Very good

I really love these live recordings from the sixties. Reminds me of the recordings of Johnny Cash from Folsom. So welll recorded and mastered. From the first track to the last i feel so attentive to the record and hanging on his every word. With the music echoing in and out around his lyrics. Really incredible recording.

Блюз, какой он должен быть, да и еще и в лайве

I loved this one. I love his sound

marvellous - fierce, singular, with one of the greatest voices in popular music

No body made a live album without a debt to this album No guitarist ever picked up a guitar without a debt to this man This is rock n roll's DNA. Polymath Ps I love live albums ever since the Iron Maiden classic Live after Death, I still have the tape from when I was 14, with all the details worn off the plastic. I don't agree with comments about a studio version is my point.

The type specimen for electric blues - absolutely masterful performance that understandably had a seismic effect on rock music at large. Fave tracks - well, I can say "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man", "Baby, Please Don't Go", and "I've Got My Mojo Working 1 + 2", but they're all bangers!

Chill

Beautiful. Live sessions rule.

Great stuff. A classic album. Shame it's so short

I'm not typically a big fan of live albums, they always feel like "best of" albums - something that's great for the people who were there, but whatever for the at-home listener. Because of that, I felt surprised there was a live album on this list - considering he has so many other studio albums. However, this was one steller at-home listen. (And since listening to his studio album "Hard Again," I actually prefer this.) This album was apparently considered the FIRST live blues album - so that's great, and worthy of making the list. This album sounds way ahead of it's time, I can't believe this was 1960. Way more rockin' than what you'd think when you're hear "blues music," but became its own iconic sound. Harmonica like I've never heard it before. * Edit: Coming back to this album to change my rating from a 4 to a 5, especially considering what I said about live albums before. This album is excellent, and the fact that it was recorded live makes it that much cooler. THIS is the blues I want to listen to. It's raw, soulful, and pretty damn perfect.

Went feral for this, and it didn't even have mannish boy