Hard Again

One of the greatest. Great album yet a bit repetitive.

Good album. Cool to see where a lot of modern blues got its roots.

Enjoyable muddy’s tone is so distinctive. Very 70’s album production

Not bad but not my cup of tea

Eyes closed head nods catch you just before you fall kind of blues, really enjoyed. A little jammy at the end but great!! And shoutout Mississippi muddy water

The instrumental parts of this album go so hard. They’re almost psychedelic, which is not something I would think to describe the blues as. I’ve been on a big alt-country/folk kick recently, maybe I’ll expand out to the blues as well.

Goed maar niet zo extraordinair

A good album, was cool to hear that iconic first track! Wouldn’t quickly re-listen to many other tracks but I liked it

Sehr bluesig ond zwar no guete aber ech fende nüd stecht bsonders use ond es ged besseri Blues

I think I wrote on another blues album that the progressions felt pretty predictable, which I'm realising just seems to be a blues thing. I wrote that I had heard the progression on Mannish Boy before but I think I can say that for much of the album, they same goes for Jealous Hearted Man That progression on Mannish Boy must come from that song originally, but I've heard it a million times to the point of cliche. I like the presentation of the song but the writing is pretty repetitive Does also feel like they don't really know how to end songs, they seem to all sound very similar outro wise Muddy Waters is obviously very good and I appreciate the enormous influence blues had on music, it just doesn't do much for me (and I think that probably goes for most of the genre) Highlights: Walkin' Thru the Park

Good listen

A lot of famous songs on here I have heard used in movie and tv. I enjoyed it!

This is a strange album to rate - it’s great blues and I really enjoyed it. I understand it’s some rerecordings and new tracks. My gripe is that for 1977 it’s not innovative or new; and I couldn’t hear the guitar. He’s a guitar player right? So why was it buried so low in the mix? You’d have thought Muddy played harmonica. That said from an enjoyment perspective it makes up for it as a very solid blues album

Much the same as the first muddy waters album, easy listen

This album kicks off with a great start. But after a couple of songs it becomes one big blur to me, with a sound totally dominated by fatiguing slide guitar and harmonica. 5 out of 10.

Music that oozes Black American history. Great soundtrack for while I was toiling in the field (repairing the planter box). Love the harmonicas and slow southern twang, but the guitar & drums heavier stuff really cut through. Mannish Boy is a belter of an opening track - gets right up in your face & demands you pay attention. Also liked Deep Down in Florida. Dad - Right up your alley Dust - Worth a go

Normally the blues always leaves me cold, but this was enjoyable somehow. Maybe because it was inoffensive background music to journalling.

Not really a blues listener but this album with its cozy and yet bombastic southern American feel really itched my brain in a place nothing else could scratch.

Good blues album

Love Mannish Boy! First heard this song in the movie Risky Business. Great American blues.

Harmoni🅱️🅱️a overload

Familiar songs, great vibes, amazing voice, stellar guitar work

7/10 This is a really difficult album for me to rate, in part because I suppose I haven't decided whether I'm going to be rating these 1001 albums based purely on my personal enjoyment, or what I perceive to be their musical merits regardless of my taste. There are lots of individual elements of this album that I love - Muddy's vocals, and everything from guitar to harmonica to piano is played brilliantly. Crosseyed Cat or the famous Mannish Boy are probably the songs that I'd choose to showcase this album at its best. The dichotomy for me is that I find it musically inspiring to learn how to play this stuff, and of course Muddy Waters has been incredibly influential on so many artists that I love, but in terms of just sitting and listening to it I don't derive much pleasure from the album. I guess I have a limited appreciation for twelve bar blues and a whole album of it is a bit much, although it does get my head bobbing. Muddy's legendary status shouldn't affect my rating, but listening to this album does really feel like listening to a legend do his stuff, which is pretty cool. All of that leaves me somewhere in the middle of the road with my final rating: ultimately I just didn't enjoy this as much as the albums I've given 4/5. Listens: 1

BANGER!!!!! Fuck yeah

Energetic, vibrant and funky. Ethan & i found it a bit repetitive :( Not my cup of tea entirely but I loved the vibe! Attending one of these shows live would be so fun.

1001 Albums Generator 3 Blues is a genre that has always been a blind spot for me. While I do love some Blues Rock, a la Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, I've never really found myself listening to blues. It is fitting that the first album in this challenge that is new to me is an album from the so-called King of the Electric Blues. Muddy Waters was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was a highly influential figure in the rise of the electric Chicago Blues movement, which gained prominence through the 40's and 50's and began influencing musicians across the globe in the late 50's to early 60's. But while the world moved away from this pure blues sound and the rock it inspired began taking over the charts instead, Waters stuck to his roots and at the age of 63 in 1977, far beyond the peak of the genre, released Hard Again. The opening track, Mannish Boy (known previously to me as "Bad to the Bone"), is a fantastic opener, featuring one of the most famous and archetypal blues riffs of all time. While it does go on for a bit long (unfortunately not uncommon for this album), the power of the riff and the ad-libs provided by Johnny Winter make this a wonderfully memorable vehicle for the political message of the song. While most of this album, and even parts of this song, are very sexual in nature, the chorus of this song is a direct attack on Jim Crow era America, in which black men were referred to as "boy" in spite of their age, as a way to infantilize and dehumanize them. Muddy Waters wrote this song in 1955 "[as] an assertion of black manhood" goddammit, and the energy and passion of his voice, in spite of his relatively advanced age, forcefully enshrine this song in the blues cannon. As iconic as that song is, it is only one of ten. The other nine songs, to my ears, are largely less memorable basic blues, with songs such as Bus Driver, Deep Down In Florida, and Little Girl feeling much too long for my tastes. This isn't even to say that the songs on this thing are bad; they certainly aren't. Every song is masterfully played, with the guitar and harmonica being standouts throughout. Waters' voice throughout is perfect for this music; his energy is absolutely infectious. My body was moving while I sat at my desk listening to this album. However, by the time I finished it, many of the songs had gone in one ear and out the other, even on subsequent listens. A man can only hear and truly appreciate a 12 bar blues so many times. My favorite songs were the ones that felt distinct from the pack. The largely acoustic affair of I Can't Be Satisfied is a nice break, and is surprisingly one of the songs I could most see myself coming back to. I Want to Be Loved #2 is probably the most infectious song here; Pinetop Perkins prevalently plays piano... persuasively and percussively. Jealous Hearted Man features some rockin guitar and harmonica soloing, probably the best of the album. The previously mentioned Mannish Boy finds itself distinct in that it does not follow a 12 bar blues, instead being built around its signature riff, which is great. This being the first new album for me in this challenge was certainly interesting. While the highs are quite high, I wish I was able to enjoy this more. The general repetitiveness of the music, in form, tempo, and texture, make this album one that I may not come back to often in full, although there are certainly some songs that I loved. 2.5/5 Favs: Mannish Boy I Want To Be Loved #2 I Can't Be Satisfied Least Fav: Bus Driver

A true classic, deserves its spot on the list even though it's not something I personally vibe a ton with.

Hmmm blues rock with a slight polished sheen

Some notable songs, I’m really not into this kind of music so it feels a bit lost on me. Mannish Boy is very recognisable drums

Great blues playing, harmonica work is excellent, a little repetitive maybe

To me this feels older than 1977. 'Mannish Boy' sounds a lot like 'Bad to the Bone', but it turns out there's a whole list of songs from the 50s on that use the same riff. (Guitar stuff isn't my area of expertise!) Anyway, if I were in the mood to listen to "oldies", this would fit the bill. There's something sociologically interesting about the first track being all "I'm a man, not a boy" (valid) and the last track being all "little girl! I want to be your man" (hm), but no need to muddy the waters with all that.

I find it easy to take the blues for granted. To hear the 12 bars as musical cliche; preconfigured by a thousand parodies, always already a relic whose symbolic potency is the preserve of historians, presumably. I also find it easy to park my car dangerously close to my letter box, though. Muddy Waters, here in his seventh decade, is perhaps peerless in terms of influence on 20th century music. The man himself is so abundantly present in this record that you’re almost forced to grapple with the idea that he IS the blues; likewise, it’s tempting to read his biography through the stylistic lens of the genre he pioneered (or to take that idea to it’s logic end: what’s music history if not one long call and response?). I listened to Hard Again four times through, letting the ridiculous assumptions I’d made about blues steadily undo themselves like knots in muscle. What I heard on first pass was what I thought I was hearing. Second time through I heard the record properly for the first time. Third time I got to letting myself be swept away by the sheer charisma of it. Fourth time was because I couldn’t think of anything better to put on. Across the record Muddy Waters corals a rowdy collection of players, serving as leader and focal point for the flow of some truly electrifying musicianship. “Jealous Hearted Man”, “Little Girl” and “Walkin’ Thru the Park” get my personal nod (there was a lot of nodding across the repeated listens, truth be told) … but I can imagine it going another way on another day. It’s perhaps slightly cruel to say so, but for evidence of the all encompassing gravitas of Muddy Waters, the live collaboration with the Rolling Stones, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, offers some perspective. It’s by no means a bad performance on his part but, standing beside Waters, Jagger feels oddly, uncharacteristically background. The peacocking rock n roll godhead is reduced to performative cheekiness while Waters just gets on with it. If only he’d have realised; lucky Mick had the best seat in the house.

Just some damn good blues, and the re-records on this are reminding me of this dudes influence. Unfortunately, I'm just not a blues person. Good for sitting in a bar during a live performance, but not something I'd put on in the car or just to listen to.

Arg bluesig, Mannish Boy einfach nur 1 Akkord durch Nach Track 4 endlich nicht mehr Mundharmonika das präsenteste Instrument The Blues had a Baby dings - krasse Zerre auf der Mundharmonika Crosseyed Cat bestes Riff

As a whole I liked it, but I probably would not listen again

I'm not a huge fan of classic blues and this particular album is not for me 100%. But I like blues/jazz and modern versions in general. I listened to Mannish Boy, one of the most popular Watter songs - liked it way more than the proposed album.

Blues etc. I get it but also I was p bored.

Solid old school blues. 3.5

3.0 - Ok

First and last tunes are my favourites!

Really conscious of the misogyny/machismo of the lyrics in this in a way I wasn’t when I was younger 🫣

All blues music sounds the same to me SORRYYYY

lots of heart n spirit

It end up being a bit repetitive. But not too bad.

Lo que sonaría si digo hey Siri pon rock and roll (?)

This is good; honestly, it's very good. It does kind of feel like exactly what I would expect a blues album to sound and feel like, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I really wish it did something different part way through the album. It's just kind of the same thing through the whole album. Again, it's really good! But also, *just* really good and nothing else. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'm looking at this too much from my 2025 perspective and am missing something contextually. Maybe I'm not appreciating the talent and skills of the musicians enough. I don't know, but it gets a good not great rating from me. Favorite Song(s): Deep Down in Florida

01) Mannish Boy - 7,0 02) Bus Driver - 6,0 03) I Want to Be Loved - 6,0 04) Jealous Hearted Man - 5,5 05) I Can't Be Satisfied - 6,5 06) The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll, Pt. 2 - 6,0 07) Deep Down in Florida - 5,5 08) Crosseyed Cat - 6,0 09) Little Girl - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,06 (61/100) Current ranking: 379/487 I'm sorry, but this is just boring to me.

Nice blues album by a real blues legend.

Enjoyable blues by one of the masters. Guitar and harmonica is fantastically soulful throughout. Best Tracks: - I Can't Be Satisfied - Deep Down In Florida - Mannish Boy Worst Tracks: N/A Rating: 7/10

- I want to rate this higher, because I know Muddy Waters is a legend. But every blues track sounds like the same three songs to me. And even those blur together. - I think "Deep Down In Florida" was my favorite?

Definitely not my style of music but I liked his voice

I’ve never much cared for George Thorogood, but I guess it turns out I’m just not much of a Blues guy. Maybe this shit hits hard if you’re walking along a sun scorched, lonesome dusty road or sitting in a Mississippi jail cell after a run in with the crooked local sheriff, but otherwise it’s gonna be a pass for me. And speaking of George Thorogood, he totally ripped off Manish Boy, so I guess I can hate him even more now. 2.5⭐️ rounding up because it’s not bad…I just don’t like it much 🤷🏻‍♂️

Overall: 6/10 Pretty good. Blues seems to be repetitive and simple to the point that you sort of wish more was going on at times. Great guitar work (of course) and great voice. Fav Song: Crosseyed Cat Least Fav Song: Bus Driver

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I find a whole album of this kind of delta blues a bit repetitive, but I can’t deny how good these songs are. Proper toe tapping thigh slapping riffs from one of the best the genre has to offer.

3 sterne

Cool, aber nicht ganz mein Genre, klang mir alles zu ähnlich

Definitely no doubt a blues album, nice addition to my knowledge of the genre. I listen to B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaugn, so it's a sound that I am familiar with

It's was good, not great...maybe I just wasn't in the mood for blues.

Aside from all sounding very similar, this is a good traditional blues album.

Latere albums van heilige bluesmen als Muddy Waters zijn altijd een beetje lastig te peilen, vind ik. Het voelt altijd alsof ze zich toch nog even willen bewijzen in de 'modern age', met de hulp van een nieuwe aanwas aan bluesy sessiemuzikanten met gelikte instrumenten waar de oude garde in z'n hoogtijdagen niet van durfde (en vooral niet konden) dromen. Vaak doen ze daarmee alleen die nieuwe generatie aan bluesmuzikanten een lol mee, want die mogen een aantal dagen met een levende legende de studio in. Het resultaat is vaak een verzameling nummers die ze over de tientallen jaren dat ze muziek maken al meermaals uitbrachten, maar nu met een moderne elektrische gitaar en betere opname-methodes. Ben er vaak niet zo fan van, omdat die stoffige sound van de Delta Blues (of van de Chicago Blues) juist voor mij het genre maakt. Het moet kraken, en je hoort het liefst de fundering van de 'front porch' meebewegen met de slidegitaar. Maar alhoewel dit album voor een groot deel voldoet aan dat profiel, moet ik toegeven dat dit album wel echt bolstaat van het klassieke blues-gogme. De man schrijft de meeste nummers zelf - de één wat sterker dan de ander. Het probleem van openen met je bekendste - en wellicht je sterkste - creatie is natuurlijk dat de rest er al snel een beetje achter aan hobbelt. Tot aan 'I Can't Be Satisfied' kakte het ook even flink in, waarna de tweede helft van het album de blues-energie wel weer aanzwengelt. Het klinkt in ieder geval alsof Muddy zich bovengemiddeld goed voelt bij de ietwat modernere insteek, en de sessie-muzikanten hebben duidelijk de tijd van hun leven. 6,5/10 Highlights: Mannish Boy I Can't Be Satisfied Crosseyed Cat

Pretty good. Sounds so familiar, hard to think there was a time before Muddy Waters. Solid, simple blues, but I wouldn't repeat listen very often. Three stars.

5/10

Good, old fashioned blues.

I don't wanna say he bores me because I've not heard this album before to my knowledge but I've heard enough similar stuff to feel like I'd already heard this album before. 3 stars. Blues is a part of the soul of Chicago, but doesn't mean I have to love it.

Very authentic and full of steam. But it gets a bit annoying from time to time. Probably something to watch live. 6/10

The intro track (Mannish Boy) has some great background yells. It should be sampled more. The rest of the album is solid blues. Pretty enjoyable.

Wasn’t a big fan of about half of the album. The other half was incredible though. Can absolutely hear how influential Muddy is.

Another crop of fun tunes from the horniest man alive.

Some rocky blues def cool

Good bluesy album, again all sounds the same though.

I don't really have much to say about this album. Favourite track: Mannish Boy

It was okay lol. Not my type of music but def fun. The blues had a baby and named it rock and roll was a sick title name

Opening track had me thinking I was in the car with Michael Scott and Darryl after dropping Holly off in Utica. You can really hear the emotion and rigor in his tone with the music not overpowering the vocals. When it’s time to get down to business Muddy Waters is ready to really lay down some verses and let the audience know how’s he’s feeling. When it’s time to take a back seat and let the harmonica do its thing, he’s able to do that as well. Continues to flex his vocal prowess throughout the entire record. 10 songs, very digestible. 3.9/5

Bueno

Good voice, nice sound but beats are heavy and pounding. Almost 4.

Rating: 7/10 It's got some soul but also very same-y.

Blues, jazz club - Great vocals, deep voice - Instrumentals such as harmonica and guitar are nice - Gets boring after a little bit

I've never really listened to much blues. while this isn't really my style & doubt I would seek it out to listen to again, I understand why he's on this list

yeah it was alright. decent unique voice

Det var fett en gangs lytt. Kommer nok ikke til å høre på det igjen.

50th Album!! Muddy Waters is the real deal. I don't always love blues music but Muddy has such a distinct vocal and guitar style that makes his music really enjoyable. Favorite track: Mannish Boy 3.5/5

Good voice, good grooves. Sounds like old school rock and rool mixed with Jazz almost. This dude has got that old school black soul filled voice.

This was decent listening, nice change of pace to all the 80s albums so far.

Sounds great, very listenable, very enjoyable. It doesn't push the envelope (to my knowledge) but was an enjoyable listen.

Very bluesy blues, but all the songs sound the same to me.

Not a huge fan of Jazz but his music was enjoyable.

About as high as I can rate a blues album - enjoy it quite a bit while listening to it but will never willingly stick it on. Can't distinguish it much from other blues artists. Mannish Boy is a classic though.

Really solid blues album

Good stuff

Enjoyed. Good old straightforward blues.

I wish I liked this more. I respect the hell out of it, and I get why people would love it, but it's a music style that doesn't hold my attention.

I am not a blues fan. I can appreciate the skill and music, it just does not float my boat.

⭐⭐⭐ 5/10 Album is allright, but didnt impress me much.

Once you’ve heard the first track, you have it all. 2.5

The blues are fine as an art form and they are so influential on most music moving forward, but I don’t seek them out and this album won’t change that. Muddy hits hard though. There’s a lot of power in his delivery.

Solid, dependable, workmanlike

Fine.

Pretty decent, not one i'd listen to again

Mamma gone took those batteries

Blues like... blues

Very solid, no complaints, even recognized a few.

I'm not a big fan of the blues, and this album perfectly exemplifies why. Having never heard a single track on here before, I knew the exact chord progressions and melodies on most of these songs. It's less like a style of music and more like a prescriptive set of predictable progressions. Some blues can break from the norm, and in those tunes the blues are transcended and beautified with respect to the genre and yet doing something unique with it. Not that Hard Again isn't without its merits. Muddy Waters and team put out a great energy, and can crank it up just as skillfully as strip it down. And vocally, Muddy is anything but muddy. Expressive, invigorated, horny, and present in the moment. And they are somehow able to avoid making these same progressions feel mundane song after song, even with the same instrumentation throughout. They have an unparalleled strut and groove. Favorite here is "I Can't Be Satisfied" since the chord progression is a bit different.

Muddy's singing and playing transport your mind to another place and time. I'm sure he wasn't the first bluesman, but what a hell of a representative of blues music. There seems to be so many musicians influenced by him. Seems like Muddy was at some point the go to guy to hear blues done right. Mannish Boy Is a classic.

The most bluesy Blues album I think I’ve ever listened to. Was pretty solid, just don’t know how often I could listen to it.

I started off listening to this album. Not enjoying it at all. Found it pretty boring and repetitive. I was thinking of giving it a 2, however, by the time I got to "cross-eyed cat" I was really jamming along with it. I started out at 2. I ended at a 4. I guess I'll split the difference with the 3.

I didn't like the repetitive sound but it was chill

This album feels like quintessential blues rock—solid, familiar, and comforting. While it might not push any boundaries or break new ground, I don’t think it needs to. Muddy Waters’ music here feels like “bread and butter”—reliable and satisfying. It’s the kind of album you can put on and instantly settle into, knowing you’re in the hands of a master. The production, overseen by Johnny Winter, gives the album a raw, live-in-the-room energy that adds to its charm. Muddy’s voice is rich and commanding, while the band behind him, including standout performances from Pinetop Perkins on piano and James Cotton on harmonica, keeps the groove steady and engaging throughout. The familiarity of the style might make some tracks blur together for listeners looking for something groundbreaking, but the comfort lies in its timelessness. “Jealous Hearted Man” was a particular highlight for me, with its raw emotion and infectious energy, perfectly capturing the essence of Muddy’s sound. Overall, Hard Again might not surprise you, but it doesn’t need to—it’s the blues at its purest, and that’s enough. Standout Song: Jealous Hearted Man Score: 3/5

Wát een album opener. 1 van de meest bekende gitaarriffjes allertijden. Start dus heel erg lekker, maar ik ga het toch zeggen; Ik vind Blues niet zo'n prettig muziekgenre. Het voelt vrijwel allemaal als precies hetzelfde qua muziek en de zang is niet spannend genoeg. Het is voor mij de matige voorloper van rock en daar ben ik al niet echt wild van. Soul leunt veel zwaarder op muziek en op zang, maar blues is vooral hele lange ingewikkelde gitaarsolos. En dan veel call & response qua zang. Ik ben geen fan. Muddy zelf ziet er echt geweldig uit, man ziet er uit als je gezellige oom op verjaardagen, das natuurlijk een groot pluspunt! Echt een lastig album om te reviewen, ik ga het nooit meer aanzetten, maar heb me zeker niet geirriteerd aan de muziek ofzo. Ik denk dat ik uitkom op 3 sterren, prima maar dat ligt meer aan dat ik niet van Blues houd FAVO: Mannish Boy

Chill ash

General impression: he’s one of the best blues men ever Detailed review: Like the last album, this one strikes me as basically a picture-perfect version of what it’s meant to be. God damn, that harmonica! And the guitar obviously, and Mr. Muddy’s perfectly bluesy voice. Why do white people even attempt the blues? It just doesn’t hit as deep. I dunno. Anyway, again, this isn’t really my preferred style, but damn if it doesn’t rock. Deeper thoughts (context): Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 934 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 39 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 28

Interesting jazzy album. Cool for rainy days.

The best version of "woke up this morning" blues.

Raw blues

OK - Muddy Waters is one of my favourite bluesmen, and Mannish Boy is a stonker of a song. And this is a great blues album. BUT apart from a few songs, it's all very same'ish 12-bar blues with the same harmonica howl running throughout. I know that's what blues is supposed to be like (and I love the sound esp. live) but doing that in the 1970's is hardly innovative and I think I can't give this album more than a 3 for those reasons. Muddy Water's voice is perfect though, and the album has a nice rough edge, it's very well (not over) produced IMO.

Mannish Boy onvervalste klassieker Nummers klinken als bijna allemaal t zelfde maar als ze goed klinken is t prima Im your hoochie coochie man

Nice one.

Every blues song sounds the same.

5/10

This was a very solid comeback album for Muddy Waters

This is truly great blues music with impressively delivered lyrics that in some cases haven't aged very well. If you're going to listen to the blues, then it might as well feel true. Muddy Waters will get you there.

If you like blues, you’ll like this. I’m not a fan. It all sounds the same to me.

3.5 Accidentally listened to ‘Electric Mud’ instead and did prefer that, but really liked this nonetheless. Plenty of songs that've survived the years or transformed into more modern versions. Enjoyable!

blues man

Good vibes

Favorite Track: Mannish Boy

It was alright. Not enough songs about trains though.

Correcto.

Muddy Waters playing the blues again, except with more electric guitars and this time it's the late 70s. Newport was better. Just feels so much better without the whole blues rock sound. But if this journey has taught me anything it's that I dislike blues rock with very few exceptions. I am simply easily bored by it, even by the masters of the craft. Nothing brought that into stark relief more clearly here than I Can't Be Satisfied, which is basically Muddy stealing back from the Stones after they stole from him, and there's nary an electric guitar in sight, and it's bloody fantastic. Crosseyed Cat was winning me over however, insomuch as I was stuck between a low 4 and a high 3.

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🟨🎩☺️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸+🎙️=🌧️🔥 Rating: 🌧️🌧️🌧️(🌧️)/5

This is good for what it is, but honestly, I've never connected with Chicago blues. I'm glad I listened though.

I mean, it's the blues. Surely he's one of the greats, but it's still the blues, and it could have all been one long song for all the differences we heard.

I really thought I would like this album more than I did. I know it's a classic blues sound, but the blues doesn't always have to be playing the same shit over and over again. The mastering/production also got to me. The harmonica was way too loud at times that it was almost annoying. All irks aside, this wasn't a bad album. Muddy's voice is perfect for blues and is undoubtedly a blues legend. However, this album did leave a bit to be desired.

This sounds like so many cigarettes you’ve smoked before.

really a bit long but pretty enjoyable

Snappy album, and quite enjoyable for a genre I don't particularly like.

The album is probably not the format in which to listen to the blues, but there's a lot of really good stuff here

This was pretty enjoyable! It sounds older than 1977 though. I probably wouldn't listen again since I'm not a huge blues fan, but I enjoyed it while it was on.

I think this album was good but I do find with a lot of core blues albums, it is often just very repetitive riffing with very weak lyrics. When the band starts really jamming on some of these, that's much more my speed, but "Mannish Boy", the most popular song from this albums is actually my least favorite because of just how repetitive it is all throughout. My Top 3: 3. Walkin' Thru the Park 2. Little Girl 1. Jealous Hearted Man

Extremely well executed, exquisitely produced, but otherwise unremarkable blues.

I actually kinda like this. Was more interesting than some of the other blues stuff. Dance-y.

I like me some blues from time to time but this album just grew stale on me and took a while for me to get back into it. Didn't hate it, didn't love it.

3/5

A very fine version of the blues.

The king of Blues, you cannot deny But all things must eventually die And after ten repetitive songs That are all a bit too long You start to understand why Look, I would never speak ill of the great Muddy Waters. He’s single handedly responsible for inspiring some of the greats to pick up the guitar in the first place. And he’s immortal for his contributions to blues and rock music. But like, I get it. After three or four twelve-bar Blues jams, I get it.

Once again, despite the simplicity and repetition inherent to the blues, Muddy makes it hard to deny his monumental influence on guitar-based music.

Live-esityksen kakofonia tuo jotain uutta näihin tulkintoihin, tapahtui äänitys sitten studiossa tai ei. Loistavat vokaalit, loistavat soittajat: jos blues ei mielestäsi genrenä ole pilattu tietynlaisella musaäijäydellä - ja jos lämpenet edes vähän sen modernistiselle romantiikalle - tämä LP kannattaa kuunnella.

Mannish Boy adopts a familiar blues mold with a stomping rhythm and production that sounds like it is being recorded in someone's garage (or front porch). This was some good clean blues rock. Like most within the genre I found it enjoyable but rarely fully stimulating. The blues progressions are so well defined and rarely innovated upon that they rarely inspire more than passing appreciation. Main standout for me was the harmonica work. I've never said that before in my life, but damn that James Cotton plays a mean harmonica. This is a high 3 in my book. Would never turn it off if its already on, but would also never think to turn it on.

This was all very well done, but was very samey and I was getting bored by half way through.

This was a cool listen, but the smoky, bluesiness of Muddy Waters can get a little one-note after a while. I was done before the album was, but I totally appreciate the mastery of the blues style on display here. Three stars.

It was nice, good vibes.

I enjoyed this but I'm not sure how often I would double back and listen again. Some great songs though, and great production!

Need to listen again. Love that guitar tone.

It has been a while that I had listened to this album. It contains a great version of Mannish Boy and Crosseyed Cat might be my favourite track. Overall a very solid blues album, which is perhaps a little too traditional for me.

Strong blues album, quite monotonous though.

Overall. Great vocals, hard to relate to lyrics or even hear them at times. Fantastic instrument playing. A bit janky and overpowering at times.(harmonica). Nice shifts in tones and pace throughout. Nice upbeat numbers and slower paced ones. Repetitive and at times a bit boring. More down to my taste and lack of blues knowledge.

I was loving it to begin with but it really wore me out long before the end.

I like muddy but in small doses.

As a guitar player, I love listening to the old blues legends and hearing their chops and techniques. Some of Muddy's stuff is a little slow, and I don't love his voice, but it definitely fits his style and just the genre in general. Can't complain about this one. 3.5/5

This is a classic, has some amazing banger tunes. But a whole album is a bit too much.

Pretty good

Good ol’ OG blues

Something different from what I would usually listen to. I really liked the guitar riffs.

I think it’s good, but not what I care to listen to.

Little better produced than the live one which helped but it still totally isn’t my thing. Got to respect it though he’s a legend

Mannish Boy is the standout - Iconic, and recognisable. As a sound the rest of the album doesn't massively excite me - it's cool, bluesy and I'm sure was ground breaking but since I think it's been done in better and more exciting ways e.g. Hendrix, Albert King... 6/10

He put his whole mussy waters into this Really enjoyed this but will no be listening again idk

Made my apartment feel like a dive bar - I’m not complaining. Standout track: - Mannish Boy 5/5

mannish boy is a VERY GOOD track to open off the album with. enjoying it extensively even though this type of genre isn't usually my go to - blues always has the best instrumentals though and they are really flexing this on bus driver huh i want to be loved short and sweet, was doing some stuff while listening and was vibing very hard spitting facts with 'the blues had a baby and they named it rock and roll' cause that is accurate but you dont need me to tell you that sadly i do think as the album went on it dropped off a bit, was going to be a comfortable 4 stars originally

I like the blues conceptually, but sometimes I find it hard to listen to a full blues album. I know this probably deserves better (and there’s some amazing guitar work here); I have to go with my gut reaction, though.

3- Stars (7/15)

Runs a little long but undeniably pretty iconic and classic!

Really great classic blues. Got tired of the harmonica after a while.

Enjoyed this one.

Fine album, but it’s a bit too repetitive I can’t really remember a distinct song even after three listens but it flows really nicely so maybe that’s why.

That’s the blues, alright! Good blues, sometimes even great blues — Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter can clearly play their asses off — but most of Hard Again is still that cliché, jammy, 12-bar blues. There’s some songs that rock hard as hell, especially “Mannish Boy” and “The Blues Had A Baby…,” but there’s even more songs that just bore me with their endless minutes of constant soloing. I’m never against it, because again, this record is brimming with talent and clean production, but I’m also rarely into it. Even at its best, I think the blues just isn’t for me, and Hard Again might be some of the best blues I’ve heard, and yet, I’m still not sold. But I’d take Hard Again over a lot of other albums, so I also can’t be that dismissive of it.

Iconic stuff there!

OPzich wel nice

This was good but I got tired of it after a few songs. 3.5/5

Ho chiuso gli occhi ed ero nel New Orleans pure io

Not much to say about Muddy Waters that hasn't already been said. He and BB King are the absolute zenith of the blues in the 70s/80s/90s. What I like about this album is that it's not just the guitar that gets a pile of solo time. There's harmonica breaks, piano breaks, drums, etc. It keeps it a bit fresh. A lot of people put Muddy Waters in top 10 guitarist lists, and I can't say I disagree. He's very good at this particular style of playing where the feeling and progression matters more than the chops. like a lot of blues albums, this sounds very sameish all the way through. It just blends in to itself for the better part of 30 minutes. Doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, but when the chord progressions are largely identical it gets a bit stale. Overall it’s a good blues album but I wish there was a bit more variety.

relate to the title too much

I really don't know blues well, but Muddy Waters is definitely one of the main names I'd associate with the genre. This album is a good exposure to blues - classic off the bat and engaging throughout.

The album opens up with one of the most recognizable musical riffs of all time. Then, similar to eating leftovers, the album gets repetitive, and loses it's charm. Favorite song: "Mannish Boy"

Ok

Blues legend, and he sings it well. Great voice and great band but holy hell I feel this went on forever. I like Muddy Waters and the blues but I think this was just too much of the same thing. Was waiting for it to end for almost 20 minutes

Correcto.

This was really good but I think I would enjoy it more in a smaller dose or maybe even in person. That's not to say the record was too long. Maybe just felt that way to me. Generally, each track felt a little same to me.

Very old-timey rock 'n' roll, maybe a little too? But it had the legendary song 'Mannish Boy', so it deserves 3 stars.

Classicone enorme. Deve piacere per carità, ma é indubbio che venga istintivo battere il tempo e scandire le strofe viscerali di un grande del blues.

I'm gonna be honest. I don't really care for this album that much, but it's still WAY better than that Alex Harvey album I got yesterday. This is an album that I can absolutely see the appeal of even if it's not really my thing. The singing is alright. It's good. The instrumental sound is solid too. The harmonica talent in particular is nothing to scoff at. The writing could be a bit better. It's a bit repetitive and hasn't aged the best. The last song makes me uncomfortable. Why did so many singers in the 70s sing about wanting to fuck underage girls?! It's gross, and yet somehow it was more comfortable than like half of the last album! The most popular song on this album is undeniably "Mannish Boy," a song that proved that this album has more cultural impact than the last one because it has a JoJo character named after it, and that's one of the ultimate tests of the cultural impact of a piece of music from the past 60 years. That song is good, as are most of the others. Overall, this album's fine. I don't really care much for it, but there are some pretty good elements to it that could warrant a higher rating for someone else. As for me... I think I'll give it a 3/5. I've been giving a lot of those lately. I don't know why. Hopefully that changes soon.

Classic blues, folky and kind of repetitive. His voice is amazing and powerful, raspy but clear.

Good songs but something about the production feels off, the 70s vibe of it. For some reason I feel like blues is better the older and uglier it sounds, this is a little too Nashville Broadway street for me idk, maybe I’m a clown

Good

There is undeniable energy on that opening track that I have definitely heard before, but maybe not this original recording. An overall 3 for me I think. This reminds me of when I stayed up late listening to "Blues Before Sunrise" on my local radio station with my walkman as a kid, I probably fell asleep to that show every Saturday night for a few years. liked, distorted harmonica sound! i want to be loved blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll cross-eyed cat

The Blues. Very well put together album from an artist from a generation in which singles were the only things that really mattered. You can't have a Muddy album without Mannish Boy

The sound is plain cool- from the voice to the instruments. After a while, I tired a bit but it’s a solid 3.5

Me staring at the last piece of garlic bread:

Al escuchar este disco es difícil determinar si Muddy Waters influyó a los grandes actos de Blues Rock, más que dichas bandas influenciaran el sonido de este disco. Siendo del 77, y no conociendo la discografía previa de Waters, uno asumiría que la importancia de este disco radica en "la vuelta completa" que se da en esta situación (de influencia, a influenciado a influyente de nuevo). A mi, personalmente, me aburrió; pero creo que es un problema que tengo con el "blues puro".

Probably the best straight blues album I've ever heard. Still not really what I'm into.

Not my style but good

Started fun, got boring

Best Song: Mannish Boy/I can't be satisfied Worst Song: Little Girl

Classic blues

This is good ol fashioned Grandpa Blues and there's nothing wrong with it. It's not quite as edgy or rough as some older dudes are but I can listen to this for hours on end. 3 stars

Great blues record, great performances but left something to be desired. 5.7/10

Jó kis viszkizős fless, kozisztensen jók a számok, de eléggé ugyanazokra a klisékre épülnek a dalok és kissé monotonná válik. 3.5/5

Kedvenc: I Can’t Be Satisfied a slide-olós gitár miatt.

While not introduced to Muddy Waters this way, I would have to count myself among the hordes of people whose affection for Muddy began with his performance in 'The Last Waltz.' A static shot with no edits or movement but all the same engaging as Muddy really lets it loose (with his cocaine badge and all. Not sure what I mean? Take note of those yellow pins, folks!) The story around his inclusion is my favourite tidbit about the concert. Apparently, Robbie Robertson was thinking of axing Muddy from the lineup, which prompted Levon Helm (the most perfect man of all time, if you ask me) to threaten to shoot Neil Diamond, whose latest album at that time was produced by none other than Robbie. Thank God Robbie listened. I can't pretend I know anything about The Blues or even about Muddy Waters. Like everybody else in the world, however, I don't tire of hearing Muddy do "Mannish Boy" again. It's certainly fun to hear all versions and try to come up with your favourite rendition. While the '68 version is certainly a vibe, and the '55 version has a haunted quality to it, I love that this cut goes on for longer. Sometimes, you gotta give the people what they want. As for the rest of the album, it's certainly delightful enough but doesn't quite meet the energy of "Mannish Boy." Make sure to pay close enough attention to catch the piano work of Pinetop Perkins. I'll credit Robert Christgau who says that this is one of the very best Chicago blues album, right up there with B.B. King's 'Live at the Regal.' 'Hard Again' is a magnificent album title, especially for a comeback record. It's also true. Muddy Waters was 64 in 1977. And he was still fucking.

Real noisy for a blues record. Sounds like at any moment there’s 3 instruments wailing on top of each other. Unique, but gets repetitive

Whilst I'm not an avid listener to The Blues my musical tastes do include genres that have some commonalities with this style of music. The album itself was very 'listenable' but equally there were no standout or weak tracks, it just sort of blended into one 40 minute track with a few gaps. That being said, I could happily listen to it again - and who knows, maybe the tracks would become more distinct.

Added to list

Would I listen to it again: I don' think so. Is it a no-skip album: no. Do I like it: yes, I had fun listening to the album.

Surprisingly enjoyable

I’m not too into the blues but I’ll take it over jazz anyway. Take that, jazz!

I appreciate the blues representation! This was a quick, easy listen, but you could have given me any blues album and I wouldn’t know the difference.

Much like green onions, how would one adequately rate the album of something so iconic. I'm not huge into blues, the music kept me entertained and interested, but I'm not going to seek out more blues

Freaky ass title.

If he’s saying he’s hard (again!), I’ll take his word for it but he looks like a big softie to me :,)

Not my favorite. I liked a few songs but not enough to get into it. Bluesy. Don’t love his voice. Didnt really feel like I was listening to music, it was more talking. Liked the background rhythm section.

I liked it. It’s the beginnings. And if it wasn’t for my little brothers interest I probably would have ignored it.

Not really my thing, but he’s still pretty damn good

I don’t usually listen to music like this, but it’s a different kind of genre for me. My cat seemed to like it?

This album/Muddy Waters has a vibe! This album feels like NOLA to me (musically prolific, full of emotions, full of an energy).

Some muddy waters chill background music. Didn’t hate didn’t love

Mannish Boy is an iconic song, with that guitar rift.. been duplicated by many. Good album, lots of jamming. I dig it.

How was this in 1977? Spelled P-U-N-K-D-I-S-C-O-S-T-A-R-W-A-R-S

Hard Again is very enjoyable, it’s very raw, I imagine it’s just Waters and his band playing. That being said there are only so many guitar scales and therefore only so many blues licks. Did Waters and his band create the ones on the album?? I have no idea but I assume they are riffs that are as old as time. But I’ll give the benefit of the doubt here. Blues records have a ceiling, Hard Again may be it. 7.7/10

5/10

Yep, this is Blues. My only gripe is that's it's the same Blues he'd been playing for years.

A strong opening track lulled into nine more songs that sound exactly like it. Good for blues fans and for the use of background music, but the songs sound rather stale to those without a passion for this genre. One individual track pulled out from the others would sound slightly impressive, but each song featuring the same exact standard blues chord progression is nothing creative.

Interesting album. Has potential to grow on me but blues is not really my thing. I came in expecting it to be bad and was surprised when i found that i liked it

2.5

A vibe for sure but not really my thing 🤷‍♂️

First time listening. Top three tracks: 1. I Want to Be Loved #2 2. Mannish Boy 3. Walkin' Thru the Park

# 242 : Wow! Better experienced with some whisky. But Hell yeah, some nice blues. Favourite Track : Little Girl

A nice blues album that starts off great but becomes repetitive as you listen on, especially since several songs seem to go on forever. I really do like Muddy's vocals, though. 3.5 stars

Ein ganz wichtiges Fundament der Musik, die ich mag.

Yup this was some music. The guitar was pretty nice

i get it, just not something i would gravitate towards

Straightforward blues music that's hard to hate but starts to drag on quickly.

Surprisingly enjoyed this more than I thought I would, sounds more rock-y to me than most blues stuff than I heard :)

Some nice blues

How long does Mannish Boy go on??

It's good? Blues rock really all sounds alike to me. That being said I did like some of the extra emotion/yelling on Mannish Boy, so I'll give it a 2.8/5. -> 3/5.

A good album. Some seminal songs present. All sounded very similar though if not paying close attention

Better than every album of its kind. Still not my thing 3

Classic blues

mannish boy absoluto clásico del blues, no puede existir un riff más iconic

So the question is, how does one evaluate an idiom that one is not familiar with other than through the aggressively subjective? There are elements of this that I think are pretty cool, but the 12-Bar blues format has always left me cold (emphasis on ‘me’). So I’m not sure how I can insert this in the context of, say, Robert Johnson or Robert Cray. (Or either of them in his context.) So it seems both futile and unfair for me to say anything other that…dunno. Nothing, I guess. (Very cool album cover, though.)

3-. Good vibes, but got repetitive really fast

Not my style of music but it was good. I'd listen to more of his music

Very classic and straightforward American Blues music. Blues based music is not for me, but Muddy Waters is among the best. I can't hang with it long, but this is great to listen to every once in a while.

Blues is sometimes my thing, definitely felt like this was influential in the world of music, and a good listen, have to be in the right mood however

If this were the Muddy Waters bar in Methuen LA, it would get 5 stars for their onion rings and pepperoni pizza. Blues aren’t my thing.

What an album- this is blues at its peak. Shows what happens when loose of a record label. The leads were just as impactful as his voice especially on tracks like Jealous Hearted Man….. Can’t believe his was 71 ….

I want to like this more than I do. But he’s a legend for doing what he did when he did it. Some rando named Frank Brown could cut the same album today and I’d give it a 2.

Better than I expected, but too samey for an entire album. Favorite song: I can't be satisfied

I like the enthousiasm of the band. It gets repetitive at times though.

A solid blues album that showcases the power of Waters’ voice and his inspired guitar playing. Excellent production all around and a fantastic group of players. The thing that I found lacking was the songs themselves, outside of Mannish Boy this is not the most interesting set. I’m at a 3.5, but can’t get to a 4.

All blues sounds the same to me idk

Gutes Blues Album, ohne erkennbare nervende Titel. “Mannish boy” ist allgemein bekannt und gut und optimistisch interpretiert. Andere Titel sind hatten keinen Wiedererkennungswert. Trotzdem transferiert das Album den Hörer nach New Oerleans mit den Wunsch einen würzigen Vanille Rum zu genießen.

Great music

I like blues and I like Muddy Waters, but this album was just ok for me. I could imagine people who don't like blues might hate this. It's very much unvaried in sound and tone. You hear one song and you've heard them all. Mannish Boy is one of the best songs of his career, but the album as a whole does not do much for me. I was disappointed.

# Playlist Track - Mannish Boy # Notes - Tracks are a bit too similar one to the other, so the album feels a little repetitive. There's nothing wrong with the album, but it's not stronger than the sum of all songs. - Great blues, tho!

Muddy Waters consistently evokes the true, raw spirit of the blues, but by the end of the record, the sound begins to get a little monotonous, even though there are some genuinely fantastic songs within this brief collection.

Quality blues.

Solid blues album. Really enjoyed it, even though this style often gets a bit repetitive on a studio album.

Solid Blues album. Really dropped off after that openeing track, but i enjoyed it thoroughly.

Recognize the influence. Know it’s important. Love something different from this website. But still can’t get over how “stereotypical” it sounds even when it’s not.

Great outdoor background music to listen too

I'm not much for jazz or blues or what ever category this is, but I kind of liked it. It was fast and fun!

Probably only 3 as it was directly after the previous album

Hard respect to Mr. Waters but that blues/motown sound is not really for me. At this at this time....

very good but some songs were boring

Most of the time I don’t find electric blues tooooo compelling, but this one has a lot going on. Cool ambient noise, Waters himself being kinda old and kinda fired up. Lots of fun.

It’s like a cool song that’s just really long

yeah good

weww from the jump u can tell how influential he was. overall it is not the sort of thing i would often return to but it goes p hard & i did mostly enjoy it :) faves: mannish boy i want to be loved #2 i can't be satisfied

Mannish Boy is a five star song 100%. But the rest of the album starts to feel all the same. A legend for sure, but it got a little boring for me.

Consistent style of blues with a lot of what might be called trilling on the harmonica. Some songs have some pretty good bluesy guitar solos. Some are laid back (mannish boy, little girl) while others are more upbeat (Blues had a baby...). Favorite track: The Blues had a Baby and They Named it Rock and Roll.

- is this where that guitar riff comes from????? - this is like the most classic blues music i've ever listened to

Enjoyed this,

Think the 19 year old mistress may of had a big part to play in that one Muddy...

sus album name

Honestly, while i appreciate its importance, i find the repetitive rhythms of this album didnt do a lot for me personally

I know this is really good music. I just don't have an emotional connection to it.

Hard not to love this blues guitarist. The recording is so raw and packed full of the feels. Loved it!

I enjoyed this one - I haven’t listened to a lot of blues, this had nice vibes

Takes me right back to Beale Street in Memphis. Mannish Boy is great.

A few good tracks here and there, such as Mannish Boy, I Want To Be Loved #2, Jealous Hearted Man, and Crosseyed Cat.

Nice way to start Monday off

1977! Mom's graduation year bum bum ba da bum! Nothing more classic than that sound progression

The harmonics annoys me after a while, love his voice tho!

This is a late-career Muddy Waters blues album, recorded when he was in his early 60s. At this point he was already a legend, but it seems like he was in a bit of a lull in his career before this. Then he recorded this (plus three other albums in the next few years) that all were highly acclaimed and got him a bit of a resurgence. It seems like a lot of critics consider this to be a big comeback album for him. It's a bit of a tough place to start for someone that's this famous in a genre that I don't know super well. It's generally really enjoyable, and he sounds really good for his age when this was recorded. "Mannish Boy" is definitely famous enough that I knew it already, but he also first recorded it in the '50s and rerecorded it a bunch of times during his career, including as the opener on this. The album is perfectly good, probably a 3.5 really, and I know with this genre I'm missing a whole textbook's worth of historical context, but I don't think much is going to stick with me. I'm curious to hear a bit more of his earlier work, I'm sure I'll get the chance to here at some point. Favorite song: Mannish Boy Other: I Want to Be Loved #2, I Can't Be Satisfied, The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll, Crosseyed Cat 2/25/24

The blues live on. Could do without the misogyny.

Nice enough blues stuff.

3/5

nice album, sehr bluesig aber nicht mein neues lieblingsalbum. am weg in der früh mim hund gehört und nochmal beim abendgassi. heurigen heute, fleischlaberl