Hard Again

I had the privilege of seeing Muddy Waters open for Johnny Winter When waters was touring his comeback record Hard Again; considered one of the best blues albums of all time. James Cotton on harmonica, Pinetop Perkins on piano, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith on drums and Winter on guitar. Johnny Winter repays his dues by revitalizing the greatest blues artist in history with an extraordinary LP. I bought it after the show, and I still listen to it. Perfection.

I don't know how you can listen to this and not love it. Every second of this album is gold.

Listening to this album is like eating 6 day old leftover food for the 4th time in the same week. The first night, it was delicious, but in the end, we eat it out of principle so as not to waste.

I'm glad that Mr. Waters is able to get it up again. He must be pumped full of viagra.

Absolute beast of an album. Quintessential, essential, cornerstone work from one of the most important artists in American music. The man is a legend and this album is legendary.

I'm not usually a blues guy, but this album brings such incredible energy. It's undeniable. The production is also great, every instrument feels like it's at just the right level. You can hear each part without any of them standing out too much 4/5

An actual goddamn delight, open with the quintessential blues song "Mannish Boy" and the smile will never leave your face. The hoochie-coochie Chicago blues bars, Johnny Winter hollering in the background like a maniac, the tight band, the fact it was recorded as is in, like, a couple of days, its just so raw... This is that sauce. This is the shit.

Great album, all the playing is on point and muddys being muddy. Mannish boy might be the greatest opening track of all time

Loved this. Listened to it twice more over the weekend.

Damn that slide guitar

Empezó bailando pero luego se durmió.

Real blues untouched by pop music done by a master with Johnny Winter allowing Waters to do what he does best, no restrictions. What more can I say?

as much of a cunt as it makes me sound, i prefer his earlier stuff. this is all a bit polished and formulaic - yes i know the blues by its very nature is formulaic - but this is that type of blues that i slag off clapton for where its lost its soul.

I know this album. I mean, I really know this album. Every single track. Because they are all amazing. This is a great start to the morning thank you @1001_albums_gen I think I'll be walking to work to prolong my journey today 😍 Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Johnny Winter (with 'miscellaneous screams'). Pure pure joy

A fantastically bluesy and soulful album with some of the greatest guitar playing of all time.

So good. The Blues are my happy place. As good and as relevant today as it was in 1977.

It's hard to come up with a better example of Chicago Blues or of a band just jamming and having fun. This album was produced by Johnny Winter who also gets credited for miscellaneous screams as an instrument. The energy is high with most songs sounding like they were recorded live. A lot of high points throughout but James Cotton's harmonica, OMG. I admit to not being a harmonica historian but this is the best and most devastating use of that instrument that I've heard. I'd say he pretty much steals the show but there are so many great moments. This is Muddy's first album for Blue Sky Records after dropping Chess Records. "Mannish Boy" starts the show and is one of the most famous and best blues song that I know of with memorable uses in "Risky Business" and The Band's " The Last Waltz". Winter's screams and Cotton's harmonica make this 1955 re-recording a highlight of any album and an absolute stunner of a song. There are two other Muddy re-recordings "I Want to be Loved" and " I Can't Be Satisfied." Not to be outdone, the guitars absolutely sing on "Bus Driver", an absolute jam with Cotton's harmonica. The bus driver stole his woman; as if that alone is not a great subject for a blues song. The only song which I've heard elsewhere more than once is "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named it Rock and Roll, Part 2" which features great guitars from Muddy, Bob Margolin and probably Johnny Winters. Every song is great here, pretty much a highlight. If I didn't know blues and had to pick one album to get, this album might be it.

Thumping blues record full of grit and dirt. Waters has bucketloads of charisma and the band are just the finest musicians assembled (the harmonica here becomes a stunning solo instrument). A cold stone classic.

He’s hard, I’m hard, are there any more hard people I should know about???

Great to see the name Muddy Waters not referring to the hedge fund. I was wondering why they edited out the crowd noise and was surprised to find it wasn’t live. Crosseyed Cat is my fave on this LP. As the penultimate track it clearly shows there is no filler. “Can’t be Satisfied” is insane. After a steel guitar solo, the broken coke bottle typically gives way to the guitar pick to take the rhythm. Not here though; the steel keeps rolling . Q: What song on this LP did the Stones played at the El Mocambo w Maggie T watching? A: Track1

More like shitty waters.

Astounding blues album. One of my favourite albums I've never heard that this 1001 albums list has given me. Each track is terrific. THIS is what the blues can and should sound like. Buddy was in his 60s when this was released, and he absolutely owns it. Can't say much more other than absolutely great.

Amazing blues album.

What a powerhouse of a record. One of my favorites from this project so far. Best track: All of them? Let's go with Crosseyed Cat

I had to hang on, To push on through. I learned one thing The hard way, sir… Blues ain’t my thang, Oh, no no.

Great artist, great album. Must hear if you're a blues lover. But really one everyone should listen. Starts off with THE definitive blues track and goes on from there.

Hard nosed Chicago Blues, from a master of the form, with a great band that swings!

Super Stuff from Muddy... "Mannish Boy" a classic blues call here but what is not to like on this. I will be adding it to my collection for sure.

Chicago Blues at its rockin' and stompin' finest. I know the blues is a vast and deep ocean from which nearly all Western tonal music comes, and I totally get how easily music in the boundless "blues" genre can disappear into that unfathomably huge ocean, but when it's done like this, it's all good. I often caught myself tapping my foot and bobbing my head as the tracks grooved on. The whole album moves, and all the players are superb -- and whoa, man, Pinetop Perkins on the piano, holy smokes! Reminds us that the blues didn't emerge as a musical style so very long ago as a means to bring others down, but as a process to sing and play it out to feel better.

Wow. Amazing.

Class album

Loved it. Nice find

awesome

Nothing like the sound of someone else's suffering to cheer you up. This was a really good time.

A muscular outing from Muddy Waters. Johnny Winter records Muddy's touring band a rough immediacy that captures the power and authority of the music. The inclusion of re-recordings of some of Muddy's greatest songs (Mannish Boy especially) make this a terrific capstone of Muddy's career. White boy blues lawyers wish they could play like this.

really felt it when he said "I'm a hoochie-coochie man"

who put all these white boys in my blues album

Viagra blues

THE SAME FUCKING SONG FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES

BANGER!!! ENTIRELY BANGER!!! Mannish Boy is my song of the summer. Mr. Waters, I too want to be loved #2. The blues had a BANGER baby and they named it ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. I'm walkin' thru the park listening to Walkin' Thru the Park and I am having a ball of time doing it! muddy waters you are the only man for me!

Hard to beat the M-A-N himself. I have listened to this album plenty of times and it is a foundation of not only blues guitar, but blues bass as well. Most of my bass playing on blues songs is just ripping off the incredible Charles Calmese.

i couldn't tell you why, but i enjoyed this one more than the other muddy waters album on this list. in case this escapes anyone's notice...damn, he's good.

that album was awesome, it had a lot of different blues elements I really loved. 9/10

Love these authentic blues guitar licks and harmonicas. Muddy may also have the best voice for the blues. Was interesting to learn that Johnny Winter produced.

I love blues classics and this is top tier! Muddy Waters was one of the best there was, the opening track still kills.

Sounds like where the blues were born. I like the whole of it. The riffs are classic - Mannish Boy and Bus Driver riffs have become synonymous with what the blues sound like. And there's a dive bar sensibility to this album with the "crowd" chiming in here and there. The lyrics are minimal, but convey the mood perfectly in between the numerous blues breakdowns, which are the focal point of the record. I Want to Be Loved Again - Simple, real, and another classic bluesy feeling. Jealous Hearted Man - I've now heard a lot of records about women leaving men, men not being good and begging for women to come back, etc., and it has almost never worked better than it does in this album. I Can't Be Satisfied - Just when I was about to say how the one complaint I could make about this album is that the rhythm and style at this point is starting to run together, here comes I Can't Be Satisfied. This song is a perfect placement in the album. A different style, cleaner, smaller, more technical, and awesome. What if the Blues Got Pregnant and they named the baby rock and roll - A return to the classic blues riff, but this time with more observational substance. Another classic. What a talent! Deep Down in Florida - I love how this album moves. No song overstays. I am always ready for what's next. Crosseyed Cat - A new take on the "lost by baby song, and I loved it." I mean - where does he come up with this stuff? Little Girl - Sounds like Bus Driver, but a variation. Easy to groove to, and again - simple but genuine blues. And those breakdown sections are sweet. Could have been the last track, easy. Walking Thru the Park - Interesting choice to make this the closer. It works too though! Great album!

The King of the Blues and the most important Blues album of all time. I can't quantify that and the Blues had been around for decades at this point, but to breathe a heavy gust back into the genre in 1977 can not be understated.

Muddy waters. Not much to say here. Classic, pure blues.

One of the most influential blues musicians. Interesting instrumentals, soulful vocal performance. Sounds exactly what I'd expect blues to sound like. Does get a bit repetetive, but that's just blues I guess. I don't listen to blues a lot, so taking that into account this album is a nice 5/5.

Amazing solos, smooth production Muddy Waters' iconic voice combine for a great blues album. (huehue hard again)

If there is one quintessential blues album, this might be it.

I could listen to this all day long. I think I will buy it. Hopefully mofi did a version. So very, very good

Gran energía, pesadón, una vibrita badass. Me gustó, sí. Desde mi mínimo conocimiento para apreciar el blues, me pareció deleitable todo el disco. Además de la famosísima canción inicial, mis favoritas fueron I want to be loved #2 y I can't be satisfied que tiene una ondita bastante diferente al resto de los tracks. Mood: I want to be loved #3

I’ve never listened to Muddy and I really enjoyed this album. It reminded me of my ship days, chillin in a booth at the BB King Blues Club with a cocktail. Just sitting back and listening to the jam.

Excelente servicio. De los géneros que no escucho mucho, pero que me emocionan genuinamente. Disfrutable de inicio a fin. Mis favoritas: "Mannish Boy", claaaro, "I Want To Be Loved #2" y una con un gran título "The Blues Had A Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll". 10/10

This is a party led by a voice most would recognise, fewer might name. I don’t know if Muddy Waters pioneered this muscular, foot-stomping, easy-pour version of blues, but surely he made the Platonic ideal in this record, the soundtrack to every post-70’s rowdy American bar scene in cinema.

Really immediate and exciting, one of the best sounding blues recordings I've encountered. Classic structures, sugestive lyrics, still workshopping inevitable viagra/Mt. McKinley joke.

Subtract a star from this impeccable artist, on this album, only because the richer instrumentation IMO obfuscates the raw energy of Waters. Dare I say it MUDDIES THE WATERS, but seriously folks. It feels indelibly marked in the post-Last-Waltz period; indeed his guitarist joined The Band with Muddy during that magical show. I was hoping that the harp player was Paul Butterfield, but no, he was gone by ‘77. My favourite track on this record is I Can’t Be Satisfied; it feels like half the band went on a beer run late at night, someone picked up a slide, and they just went for it. Raw, swung and funky. Makes me think of a gold-plated CD of his glorious second album on which he mostly plays solo. Many hours spent with Adam listening to that one.

A solid collection of blues songs from one of the best blues singers of all time. Blues isn't my favorite genre, and it's tough for me to listen to a whole album without being reminded of how repetitive it can get. Still, Muddy Waters is a legend. 3.7/4

This is pretty good, classic blues stuff, not a ton that really stands out in any big way, but it's good straight forward blues guitar playing. Good stuff, great background jams.

3 star. It seems like the first song was the original inspiration for “Bad to the Bone.” I really liked this version though, so it’s really interesting that the other version seems to be more famous. I liked the album in general too! Couple really good songs with an ok rest of the album - that makes it a 3!

Some damn good playing on this one! Kinda feel like most of it sounds pretty similar though

Very traditional Blues album, down to its roots. As much as I can appreciate how influential Muddy Waters was and, I'm sure, this album was too, there's a lot of similarity throughout this album. Some people like that and would call it a "theme", but I do like a bit of diversity. So again, while I can appreciate the album, I don't think it's for me, and that's okay.

Very hard hitting blues/ soul. The real predecessor of so much rock and roll (the father you might say) and the Gainesville shout out in Deep Down in Florida! Great track

Incredibly talented musician. Not sure I'd choose to listen to this again.

No. 72/1001 Mannish Boy 4/5 Bus Driver 3/5 I Want To Be Loved #2 3/5 Jealous Hearted Man 3/5 I Can't Be Satisfied 3/5 The Blues Had A Baby 3/5 Deep Down In Florida 3/5 Crosseyed Cat 3/5 Little Girl 2/5 Walkin' Thru The Park 2/5 Average: 2,9 Was an ok listen, Blues just isn't something I find super exciting.

Blues. I feel like this is good for a couple songs but to me bluesy riffs that drag on get draining to listen to for a full album. Not bad music, but wouldn’t listen to it as an album again.

A solid blues album. I found myself not getting lost in the music though. It wasn't bad, but not really engaging either.

Just didn’t hit the spot for me like BB King does.

Blues always feels a bit like jazz to me where, if for example, you don't know that the only time Hooty McBoob played with Jim "Daddy" Sausage was in Chicago in Nov 1927, then you're an idiot. I'm sure it's massively significant and influential, but......... *shrug*

Despite being one of the building blocks of rock & roll, blues is forever tarnished by middle-aged men telling me 'if you can play blues, you can play anything'. I can play blues, Bill; doesn't mean I can play Animals as Leaders. I can feel the joy in the room, but it doesn't result in a affecting record for me. I know this is a me thing.

Du bon blues, mais très "blues blues". Ça n'aide pas que je ne suis pas le plus grand fan de ce style, mais justement c'est tellement "meat & potatoes" comme blues que ça me laisse un peu indifférent. 4.5/10

Mannish Boy is the quintessential track that sets the tone for the rest of the album: standard blues that, whilst no doubt composed and played by skilled musicians, becomes rather repetitive and does not draw me back for repeat listens. More of my issue with the genre being too formulaic (a walking bass line, noodling guitar solo and far too much harmonica on what feels like every song) than a reflection of the album itself!

I always fit a bit intimidated by the blues no matter how many times I try to get into it. Like reggae, it represents something beyond the music itself, and I feel like I can only partially understand it as a white kid from the suburbs. On this album, though, what transcends genre is the guitar. Like Santana, you immediately know who is playing, and you can feel a whole generation of people listening and saying, "Yes, I want to sounds like that too, forever..."

This is what I think of when someone says the blues

not something i’d normally listen too but i really liked it reminded me of the movie sinners

What a very fine record.

Original blues vibes

Saturday May 30th, 2026. As I listen to Muddy Waters' more, I start to enjoy his music more and more. I like the blues, and Muddy Waters' is a great blues musician. I like the unique character of his music, especially in the lyrics. A lot of the songs sound similar but its the blues, so that makes sense. There are also some great piano parts. 9/10.

It’s naaasty, the electric guitar and electric harmonica absolutely rule this album, and Mr. Waters himself is performing like he’s in his prime. No skips, every song is attention grabbing, and the funk is in me.

Hell yeah, been waiting on some blues. Listened to this while making dinner on a hot summer day and the vibes felt perfect.

*1977. Blues. *Energetic, joyful, fun... this is a great 49 mins of blues. *Feels like all of the best parts of the south, without the icky parts. RATING - 8/10

Muddy Waters’ Hard Again serves as a triumphant mid-career resurgence that captures the raw, unfiltered energy of electric blues at its peak, immediately defined by the legendary "Mannish Boy," where the iconic riff and boisterous background shouts create an infectious, high-voltage atmosphere. This aggressive energy carries throughout the record, notably on the driving, eight-minute "Bus Driver," which uses piercing electric guitars to maintain a pace so compelling the length is hardly felt, even as the album shifts into the distinct, refreshing tones of "I Can’t Be Satisfied" and the aptly titled "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll." While the technical production occasionally falters—with tracks like "I Want to Be Loved" and "Jealous Hearted Man" suffering from recessed vocals and muddy percussion—the sheer instrumental prowess on display more than compensates, offering everything from sharp mouth organ work and bright piano flourishes on "Cross-eyed Cat" to sophisticated solos on "Little Girl." Ultimately, despite these minor mixing gripes, the album remains a gold standard for the genre; it is a masterclass in musicality where the grit of the vocals and the brilliance of the band prove that authentic blues is defined by its soul and presence rather than technical perfection.

Now this is some good ass Chicago blues

Superb. Genuinely, the real stuff

magical <3

Sonidos conocidos, que se usan en músicas actuales, letras picantes con ritmos sexys, me gusto

What a great album for my morning bagel and coffee. Just slapped as that getting started in the morning soundtrack. I like blues, but definitely don’t listen to it as much as I should, so I appreciate when albums like this pop up. 4.5 / 5

A must listen to album for anyone who claims to love music. Blues are fantastic and this one is a true classic.

This is practically the definition of blues, or at least this is what I am thinking of when I say blues. This album and something from Robert Johnson...

Now THIS is how you do blues. I've heard so much modern blues rock that has all the rough edges sanded off, and it's so refreshing to hear some that still has some tangible grit to it. The playing from everyone involved is excellent. It sticks very close to the standard blues formula of improvising around a consistent series of chords, but the improvising is so well done that it's hard to complain. The guitar and harmonica solos in particular are great, there's so much personality and feeling to match the technical ability. I was honestly shocked to find out that this isn't a live album. Muddy Waters himself is an excellent vocalist, bringing some incredibly passionate and soulful vocals to the table. I loved his self-depreciating, mildly raunchy sense of humor, it gave this album such a distinct personality. Highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates some hard-nosed rock and roll.

Incredible all the way through. Made me a Muddy fan and I'm going to make a station of his music after listening.

So many of his songs are built on the same basic structures, but that molasses voice and the way he makes that guitar whine are irresistible. "Can't Be Satisfied" is among my favorite songs ever.

Fun listen; high energy, classic blues

Mannish Boy is one of my favorite Muddy Waters songs. If you listen to this and don't understand why the Rolling Stones would want to steal Blues music from Black Musicians you need to really get with it.

A lot of modern music came from copying Muddy Waters style. Thank goodness as he created a great sound.

Incredible so dense

Some Chicago blues

This is a classic example of Chicago blues and, if you haven't already embraced the genre, this should be your first mandatory listen. Johnny Winter produced it and the album also features blues legends Pinetop Perkins and James Cotton.

Very much a classic. The grandfather of modern music. You can hear the influences in contemporary music including direct samplings from this album.