Reviews (page 2 of 13)
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.
INJECT THIS DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS! "Now when I was a young boy At the age of five My mother said I wa'gon' be The greatest man alive But now I'm a man Way past twenty-one I wan't you to believe me, baby I had lot's of fun" How was this man doing ⚡this⚡ in his freaking sixties?
love the guitar in mannish boy. Sound like a movie song for a character who doesn't want to be pushed around anymore tbh. His voice is so smooth in bus driver and the guitar and piano are so energetic if that makes sense. My fav song is i want to be loved
Never felt like singing the blues when Everton win and Liverpool lose.
Very solid 4.5 - thank you Mr Muddy Waters!
Muddy Waters is as essential to the transformation of blues music to the post WW2 world as much as Miles Davis is to Jazz. Hard Again captures that hard as nails energy Muddy brings to the table with several talented musicians with him like Johnny Winters. Top notch stuff from the master.
Muddy waters is always a great listen
Ya entro con la prime canción y me atrapó por completo! Me encanta (:
Really incredible blues work, every song is a head mover. Vibe of the album feels similar to Dylan’s Time out of Mind, not in terms of sound.
The roots, the blues, everything authentic about our black culture and important influence to every american and british rock group that followed.
Sooo goood. Number tracks 9 Fave track: 2, bus driver
pretty good
Masterful expression of a genre that doesn't really move me much.
It's Muddy Waters.
Excellent
Good one. 8.5/11
Hell yes, this album opens with one of my favorite Muddy Waters songs. When life gets in your face, throw Mannish Boy on and remember who the fuck you are.
love the riddles. made me discoverd that blues find a solitary place in myself
Amazing!
i feel bad for saying this especially given what the track is about and all but listening in 2026 the instrumental of "mannish boy" sounds like a musical shitpost. i've heard the "bad to the bone riff" played so many times over so many pictures of skulls and things shaped like skulls that discovering the original source of the riff is a song where it's playing literally every single bar for five straight minutes feels like an intensely elaborate joke that's been over 50 years in the making. has muddy waters trolled me? maybe. did i deserve it? almost certainly. does the song still fuck? no fuckin doubt. anyway this album is great. every track is an incredible performance, it feels like muddy waters never holds back even a little. "i want to be loved", "i can't be satisfied", "deep down in florida" and "crosseyed cat" all stand out as potential favourites, as does the aforementioned "mannish boy" despite the psychic damage i took when i first heard the riff, but its all so good it's impossible to pick just one. i never really listened to much blues before but if it's all like this then i gotta change that asap. wow.
I see Muddy and it's a 5.
Ptn j'adore le blues
Awesome!!
Raw, authentic, superb
Wonderful throughout
Muddy? This one is clear as spring water ... And produced by Johnny Winter with Dave Still engineering it? Come on, jump in the Waters, it may look Muddy but it is some fine swimmin'! Five stars.
I can’t believe I’ve never heard this before. Used to listen to a lot of blues but was more into the guitar players. This is a classic for sure. I think I still like the famous blues guitarists a little more.
I was quite surprised seeing how late this album was in the career of Muddy Waters. The fact he only had a couple more releases before passing away is kinda shocking too. As far as the genre of Blues, I don't think there's anything more accessible than the Chicago iteration. Just in terms of how it pulled from an established style (Delta Blues) to being a catalyst for an upcoming genre (Rock n Roll). But Hard Again ironically comes nearly 25 years give or take after the likes of Chuck Berry evolved that sound, yet it doesn't sound like Muddy is trying to keep up with trends. Instead here you have 9 tracks that sound so raw and makes me wonder if a lot of them were done in one take. Lyrically, its the blues, there's not much to say but instrumentally from a solid rhythm section to this harmonica that flows throughout and of course some nice guitar leads too.
Loved it
Love. Legend. The “comeback” that proves he never left. Four & half, and that rounds up to a fiver
I found muddy waters from this dude I have a crush on and immediately loved him, I listen to him all the time and I have a cd of his, I already knew this album was gonna be a 5
Sing so good make your feet stink
Everything Muddy does is 5/5
Legend. Master. Still relevant and still kicks ass
late era muddy is so cool. solid album with more variety than you might think in a batch of blues. johnny winter's guitar work here really stands out.
By the 70s, all of these musicians who grew up on Chicago Blues jumped at the opportunity to do an album with the legends that inspired them. Which means you’ve got not only talented but inspired musicians. Muddy Waters is the peak of these blues musicians so you can see why everyone here plays with such reverence. Muddy himself is in fine form and this is a great collection of blues songs. Not all of them are my favourite iterations of these songs, and sometimes being good at your instruments removes some of the chaos that should be inherent in the blues but this is still a damn fine album.
Очень красивые женские вставки
So. Damn. Good. Solid from start to finish.
Top notch blues
Finally got a blues album. Lot of soul here
As a general rule, I'm not a fan of blues - but damn, this album absolutely slaps. Terrific musicianship, plenty of energy and so much soul. Everything in its right place, the production is superb and it just sounds great. Blew me away.
“Muddy Waters said it, you know the blues got a soul James Brown said it, you know the blues got a soul Well the blues had a baby and they named the baby rock & roll” For many Muddy Waters is *the* Blues vocalist. He was extremely high up a physical list of Blues artists my guitar teacher wrote for me to listen to when I was eleven years old and I haven’t looked back since hearing his bellow on “Mannish Boy”. Muddy Waters is one of the most popular and influential singers in a too often overlooked genre without which we would not have had Rock ‘n’ Roll never mind contemporary Rock and guitar music. “Hard Again” is one of his many masterpieces and if you’re after an introduction to the Blues then you can’t go wrong with this. It spans the huge breadth of the genre and you are guided through every bar by one of the largest personalities in the game. The guitar work is provided by Johnny Winter who is a legend in his own right and compliments Muddy perfectly. Winter takes the limelight when the songs demand it without ever outstaying his welcome or overshadowing Muddy as the star of the show. If you wanted to introduce someone to Blues music this is one of a handful of albums I would recommend. It’s a wonderful demonstration of everything the genre is about.
one of the most important blues albums with one of the best blues tracks ever
Unc wdym your hard AGAIN? 😂😂😭
legendary
hell yeah
Helemaal een vibe
169 albums in and I believe this is the first Black blues I've gotten. Plenty of white boy blues though. Priorities... Everyone is so in the pocket here. James Cotton's harp-playing, Pinetop Perkins on piano. Mannish Boy is an opening salvo like no other. Highlights: Mannish Boy, Bus Driver, I Can't Be Satisfied, Crosseyed Cat
I loved this one. I feel like I've been craving this genre for years and finally got the right recommendation. I've happily followed the artist and plan to listen to more in the future.
Muddy comes out blazing on this album, and the raw grittiness is so incredible -- the lack of production polish on this album is necessary, not a detraction. "Bus Driver" is a bit chaotic, but I still love it. Absolutely 5 stars.
So this is probably a three or four star album. But I was into it. Like, I'm really digging this album. My biased opinion: five stars
As I finish this album at 12 in the morning, I realize this is the album I'm gonna listen to when it's 12 in the afternoon, outside in 110° dry sunny weather in Texas, and I'm going to love it.
Love the guitar work, the powerful and soulful singing, and the grooves. Really draws me in. I am, of course, very partial to the blues.
Absolutely amazingggg
Yeah baby thats what i call passion and RnR
Didn't think I'd love the blues this much. Really was a dope listen SONG FAVS: Mannish Boy I want to be loved #2 I can't be satisfied The Blues had a baby Crosseyed Cat Walkin' through the Park
Very nice
Muddy Waters is another artist I’ve heard many times, of course. But had I ever actually sat through an entire album? Not until today. I’m beginning to realize on how many artists I’ve robbed myself of completely understanding their body of work. Hard Again was an incredible album, some classic Blues. I particularly loved the way he leaned into the Blues influence behind Rock n’ Roll music with songs like “Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock n’ Roll.” Tremendous album, I’m buying this one.
O, child...it wasn’t at all Hard to listen to this Again.
Fantastic album from start to finish. My 11 year old also enjoyed. He plays trombone.
Blues at its absolute finest. Perfect from start to finish. Best-Jealous hearted man Worst-I want to be loved #2
I mean, if you played this for me and asked if we should send this record into space so aliens could know what the blues sounds like, I would say, hell yeah, send it. 5/5 aliens should hear this before they die.
Obsessed!!
So good
Absolutely amazing blues. So good.
It’s very impressive that Muddy Waters was still making kickass albums into his sixties. A true blues legend.
Love the jazzy, blues style rock
No other genre is more forgiving to aging performers/voices than the blues and here Muddy Waters is in top form any way you slice it. In fact, his voice sounds richer than ever. Hard Again is a terrific album and while not his absolute best it's bloody close. I'm assuming there are other Muddy Waters albums on the 1001 generator list (At Newport 1960 would be my pick) but if Hard Again is Water's only appearance on the list- it's a solid one. This is Chicago Blues straight out of Clarksdale, Mississippi and no one played it like Muddy Waters (Big Bill Broonzy gets awfully close at times) and it's doubtful anyone ever will.
Nice
Fun album and a fun listen
Early Chicago blues when the Delta still reigned supreme. Good stuff.
Brilliant !
Very bluesy. Definitely sounds like an electric blues album. I definitely like Muddy Waters. I think this is definitely a quintessential blues album.
Muddy is one of the best. Love some blues.
Not sure you even need another song besides Mannish Boy to make this a 5 but Muddy threw in 9 more for good measure.
A-MAY-ZING!
There should be more blues albums on this list.
Loved it. Historically not really that into blues, but this was really enjoyable.
Loose, confident, and completely in control, like he’s just having fun and reminding everyone where the blues really come from. The band rips, the guitars are dirty in the best way, and everything feels alive and current, not stuck in the past. It’s the kind of album you throw on and instantly get why he’s a legend. Easy five stars.
i’ve been meaning to listen to some muddy waters for a long time and i’m glad i finally did, i rly liked this album
I'm generally not into albums that are tonally similar, which is why I think I'm not huge into the blues. But man this rawkus and raunchy album was freaking great. I enjoyed it much more than I thought it would, and I'll keep an eye out to buy a copy should I ever came across it.
Spaziale
mannish boy is close to a top 10 song for me, of all time. he really is the goat
I love a man with working fingers
Tried to find a reason to give this any less than five stars and couldn’t find one
I've never listened to Muddy Waters before in my life. I can't even begin to describe the utter JOY that this music gave me on my very first ever listening.
9/10 13.01.2026
I hear a 5.
The best I listened to yet. It was a great surprise and feel like the classic it is.
I don’t have the vocabulary to properly appreciate the Blues, but I loved this! I recognized so many songs! Fave tracks: Mannish Boy, I Want to Be Loved #2, I Can’t Be Satisfied
We owe everything to records like this.
I learned that "bad to the bone" was plagiarized from the first song in this album "Mannish Boy". I really do like the Blues Rhythm from this album.
Amazing voice and guitar work, you can really sink into the rhythm and just close your eyes and stomp your foot in time to the beat. Mannish Boy is an all time classic. Even though I didn't know the rest of the album before hand, I enjoyed it.
Beautiful sound, very soulful. Exactly what blues should be.
Classic blues from the master.
I don't know how you can not love this album. The energy is fabulous, the band is tight and the results are just gold.
My friend heard I was about to listen to Muddy Waters’ Hard Again and immediately asked, “What year is it from?” I said 1977. He told me he actually had one of Muddy’s earlier albums and suggested I listen to that first—kind of as a way to trace Muddy’s path and background—before jumping into Hard Again. So we started with Folk Singer, and I loved it. Acoustic guitar is already my comfort zone, and on top of that, I really enjoy Muddy’s voice—there’s something rough but warm about it that settles me down right away. We listened on December 31 while waiting for the New Year. By the time we got to Hard Again, I was already getting sleepy. After one song, I basically lost consciousness—my cat was lying on my stomach and we fell asleep together, completely unaware of the outside world. I have to say, this album has a kind of magical ability to relax me. The next day (January 1, 2026), I listened again while reading. Honestly, I still couldn’t tell you exactly what he was singing about, but my body knew what was happening—I kept swaying and moving to the beat without even trying. I couldn’t stop. I enjoyed it—very much.
Hard Again is a reminder that the blues doesn’t have to be polite, tasteful, or preserved under glass. It’s visceral and muscular, the opposite of the vanilla, overly reverent blues records that drain the life out of the form. This sounds alive. Loud, physical, and unapologetic. Muddy Waters owns every second of this album. The songs may be built from familiar blues shapes, but he bends them completely to his will. His voice carries authority without strain, and the band knows exactly when to push and when to clear space. Nothing feels ornamental. Everything serves momentum and presence. What really sets this apart is how direct it feels. There’s no sense of late-career nostalgia or cleanup. It’s raw in a way that adds power rather than sloppiness, and it proves that personality and conviction matter far more than novelty. Muddy doesn’t reinvent the blues here. He reclaims it. This is an easy five for me. A late-career album that sounds urgent, confident, and fully inhabited. Blues as a living force, not a genre exercise.
Outstanding hard rocking Chicago blues. "I Want To Be Loved" is in my top songs playlist.
SLAPS! And the last song (Walkin' Thru the Park) is the cherry on top
good vibes
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Sehr geile Scheibe!
Despues de la primera cancion del album, es un cantante para escuchar en una tarde de un fin de semana con una bebida en las rocas y un buen ambiente de luces. Es un muy buen cantante, se quedara para esas tardes para contemplar la nada.
Wow, I have no words. Mind blown... Incredible album
Nearly only gave it a 4, but yeah, it's too good so it's a 5.
This is what I'm talking about! Muddy on guitar, Joe Cotton on harp, Johnny Winter runnin' the knobs. This is top tier, nitty gritty, gettin' down and dirty blues and I loved every minute of this record. I will be back to this one.
Discazo de blues 5/5
“Mannish Boy” is the source of cliché blues music and it is great
3rd album with group. Good Songs - Mannish Boy, Bus Driver, I Want to be Loved, Jealous Hearted Man, I Can't be Satisfied, The Blues Had a Baby and they Named it Rock and Roll, Deep Down in Florida, Crosseyed Cat, Little Girl, and Walkin' thru the Park. Bad Songs - Nothing. Unlike some other people I can appreciate a rock classic. Muddy Waters probably isn't as good as Little Richard but songs like Mannish Boy were very influential and are classics.
Honestly, I have not really listened to all that many albums all the way through, and this was one of my first. On top of that, it was a classic blues album, which I have never really sat down to listen. This may be one of my new favorite cooking music genres, especially starting with this album, it was absolutely amazing. From the grungy vocals to the phenomenal harmonica, I found myself wanting more even after the 49 minute time of the album. If someone was looking for an album to start with in the blues genre, this is what I would recommend. Just blown away.
Love this album! Song great fundamental blues songs.
At first I was just happy to hear blues from an actual bluesman rather than classic rockers. Album starts out fine but really won me over in the second half. A good time with good music.
I don’t know if I love this because yesterday was Scum by Napalm Death or because it’s an amazing album (it’s option 2)
Classic blues. Lively and true.
The songs sound similar (awesome) and I can see so much of his influence in the music to follow.
Iconic.
This is my first time listening to this Muddy Waters album. I feel like this is a really good recording of Muddy's style of blues. If you enjoy that, you'll really like this album. I'd listen to this album again.
Brilliant and wide ranging blues. The blues has a baby and named it rock & roll!
I didn’t think he was still around that late. What a masterpiece. Nice to see a blues album
Muddy is a gift to the world. Johnny is a gift to the world. When they are together... Whooh! Easy five. Music to live to.
Classic blues - love it.
Great blues album!
Masterpiece. Full of “from the soul” blues. From beginning to end, Muddy Waters gave his all on this album. 5/5 recommend to anyone, regardless of whatever your favorite genre is.
Super
Is there such a think as a perfect album? This comes close. One of the greatest musicians of the 20th century playing the apotheosis of the blues/rock he co-invented--it doesn't get better than this. The version of Mannish Boy on here is fire, as are like 4 or 5 other songs. The whole thing sounds like it was recorded live, and like your listening to it in a little concert hall, absolute gold.
The blues is all about how much swagger you have, and these guys have a TON. Such a fun listen.
Best Chicago Blues record of all time
Love the Blues!
Brilliant stuff. The opening track is superb. It has a raw power that is unsurpassable. Micellenaeous screams included!
Certified classic. Guys a legend.
Känner samma som för Aretha Franklins album, bara rent otroligt svängig musik som är omöjlig att inte stampa takten till!
>>>>> the Beatles
First 5 star album of this project. Muddy doesn’t play blues, he IS the blues and you feel it in this record. The fact that they recorded this album in 3 days and captured what they do live in a studio is baffling. Jonny Winters producing helps and you can see his love of blues and admiration of Muddy come though this recording.
Don't think I could have asked for a better Monday pull. Always knew the name Muddy Waters but never listened to him until now. This album was fantastic! So much groove, so much soul, its infectious!
Pff i had never heard this one, makes me want to give a 4 to the previous one by comparison. Bus Driver was 🔥🔥🔥
обожаю блюз
Blues need to be heard live, I've found often blues albums just don't catch the energy but wow, does this one catch it!
Good listen. I liked the first song a lot which was clearly sampled by George Thorougood!
Wicked album! I had heard a small amount off his music before. But I’ll definitely be playing this one again. Muddy Waters inspired a lot of the Rolling Stones music and sound. Kenny Rogers specifically wrote in his book about how Muddy Waters inspired his music. He also wrote a lot about how he would obsess over details of the sound by recording in cellars, etc. I’m not too sure about Muddy Waters specifically. But heroin use grew quite heavily in the US around the blues music origins. It’s was speculated that the Mafia used blues musicians to make the drug popular. Which then addicted much of the black community. The drugs and music have always had a lot of crossover.
What a fantastic album. The musicians were masters on their own but also came together perfectly as a band. The harmonica was insane and the piano player was killing it (two of my favorite instruments). Most of all, it sounded like they were having a great time, like they were playing a live performance at the best dive bar in town. One of the best albums we’ve heard so far.
This is an amazing album. You can hear every instrument perfectly and you feel like you are in the room for every moment of every song. Yes, it gets repetitive, but it’s the blues and that’s the style. Sit back and let it fill your soul. Muddy Waters is a master and this album is a must listen.
Funny how the Blues can provide so much joy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. Muddy's soaring vocals and soulful guitar of course lead the way, but the band behind him absolutely shreds and rounds out the sound. I listened to this album 3 times today, a new favorite.
Don't let the motherfuckin vampires in
If i think of blues this is exactly what I hear in my head. I dont know alot about the blues but I know this. Though ive never heard the opening track before if I close my ears and hear the blues play its this song. Kind of amazing right? The record here is so damn sick. The vocals the riffs, just the little banter from the musicians at the end of some tracks. Its honestly incredible. I thought oh thos is a solid solid 4, but now I dont think it is. I have to go higher. It deserves it. I'll be coming back again for this over and over again
Yeah I mean…. Come on
Every performer on this album is an absolute master. Often with collections of talent like this, there is a "too many cooks in the kitchen" sort of feeling. Muddy's band work together perfectly to showcase their talents and perform a tight, cohesive sound. Expertly recorded as well. This is a near-perfect album for me. A perfect opening song, great guitars, vocals, insane harmonica, rocking piano, and the perfect amount of drums. I can't ask for much more
High quality blues
Great to drop some blues in the middle of Appetite for Destruction and Costello brit pop. I wanted to jump in the car and drive to Memphis.
Great old school blues
this is like blues perfection to me. is that controversial? i just love everything about this album. i love how sporadic and improvisational the songs are, i love how dirty the guitars sound, I love the mix, his voice is crazy. it just so excellent, title wasn't lying this is HARD.
Holy cow this album hits hard from the get go. If the rest is as good as the opener this is going to be amazing. Track two, bus driver. This is already great. On the third track now. What I love is the raw live feel. This sounds like you’re in a club with good sound seeing these guys live. The energy comes through the speakers. 4th song. The harmonica. Wow. The sound of this album is just amazing. Like a ball of energy through my speakers. And that’s through a streaming service. This sounds so good I want to find it on vinyl. This album is five stars. Just an amazing record.
Haven't listened to a Muddy Waters album in full, but very much enjoyed this. I am a blues fan so this album was great for me. First song was probably the favourite. I also really liked Walking Through the Park however noticed that I played the reissued version and it had an extra song.
rhythm and blues, absolute aura, music you can feel 5
Wow! I had never heard this album before. Johnny Winter seems to have brought out the best in Muddy & the rest of the band. Blues at its finest. And it has (a newer version of) Mannish Boy on it. That alone makes it a great record!
Really fun album. Nothing groundbreaking, but sometimes you just got to have fun and that's all that matters. Isn't something I'd usually listen to, so I'm glad I did.
“Heavy ass blues” - David Can’t be said any better
Hard and classic Chicago blues, hard to argue with.
Amazing blues!
Absolutely loved this. Really really enjoyed every song
I had mannish boy as a ringtone for my old flip phone
Heavy ass blues
Loved it
This guy. Royalty. His voice is the richest, most amazing thing, he sounds like the actual heart and soul of music. Doesn't matter what he sings, Muddy was the Man!
“College girls can smell ignorance, like dog shit." A line from a formative movie of my (generation's) youth. When Joel goes full pimp mode on Risky Business - driven by the necessity of having wrecked his dad's Porsche - he goes about town selling and pitching to his fellow classmates. But instead of fear there is swagger. And that Chicago suburban teen swagger is provided by the singular beat of Mannish Boy. Both a simplistic yet wholly representative expression of the blues. A remake of a cover - Mannish Boy was not my formal introduction to the blues - that would be another generational film - the Blues Brothers. Where BB cracked the door open - Mannish Boy knocks it off the hinges. This Johnny Winter produced version explodes form the speakers - Johnny's exasperation in the background and MWs commanding voice - your don't doubt a word. It's not just what is sung but how it is sung. Just like Joel - you believe it because he believes it - because he has to. This is who MW is. You feel it in every note. And that spirit runs through the whole album - these songs have never sounded better.
Seriously GOAT. Muddy Waters is the man!
Enjoyed this very much. Old fashioned rock n roll and blues
Muddy Fucking Waters!
The sound of musicians really enjoying themselves. Muddy Waters has never been at the top of my blues list but his influence is undeniable, as are the good times given off by this album. 5/ 5
Vital, driven, pure, rollicking, and irresistible. Hits the dopamine receptors like a John Henry sledgehammer.
5/9
Weird title, some odd song names, but man this album be jamming. 'Deep Down in Florida' was my fave, with a hint of bias.
Can't argue with that! (Great album title) 5
Absolutely prime example of Chicago Blues, by the father of it all.
Legendary
++: Mannish Boy, Bus Driver, I Want to Be Loved, Jealous Hearted Man, The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll, Pt. 2, Deep Down in Florida, Crosseyed Cat, Little Girl +: I Can't Be Satisfied 9,7/10
Muddy Waters, the big black voice of the blues
As good as the blues gets. Proving after many white bands had stolen his sound, he was the original.
Flawless Blues album - 5/5
Excellent blues from a master
My one and only regret in life was that I had tickets to see Muddy Waters on my birthday at Alexandra Palace but there was a fire, the concert was cancelled, and he died not longer after, so I never got to see him live. This album opens with possibly one of the best Chicago Blues tracks ever written: "Mannish Boy". I love Chicago Blues and I love this album.
I loved this album. It does not get better blues than this
Mr Muddy speaks to my soul
Great great blues singing and playing
This album is killer but Mannish Boy, goddamn
Very energetic, emotional and lovely album. Could be his best? 9/10
Pure raw unfiltered Chicago blues and a great comeback album. You can hear Muddy’s influence in so many other bands and albums I’ve loved over the years. Standouts: Mannish Boy, Jealous Hearted Man, The Blues had a baby and they named it Rock and Roll
Hands down the coolest music ever made. The opening track is a knockout punch.
My oh my, after many days in a row of hard rock, this was literally music to soothe my soul. Magical. Tasty tasty blues.
I like this blues man. The "Mannish Boy" song is the one with the often heard repeated riff.
I knew I liked Muddy Waters, wow this was great.
I don't consume enough blues music, live or recorded.
Classic.
9/10
Oohhhhh Yeeeeeaaaah!!!
Better than Coldplay
A really solid blues album - enjoyed from beginning to end. Muddy Waters is the blues GOAT.
What a tremendously enjoyable album. I think if you're going to listen to good old Chicago Blues you probably should start right here with Muddy Waters, and "Mannish Boy" with that killer repeating riff kicks things off. These songs set a mood and it's easy to just get wrapped up in them and go along for the ride. It's sort of funny that for a bunch of guys playing blues music, they sure sounded like they were having fun, and it sure brings me joy to listen.
Really enjoyed this. It’s good time music; raucous and raw.
Thank you! I love the blues and the sound quality and material make you feel like you are sitting in the club. Fantastic album
Me too bud, me too
This was fun, what can I say?
Amazing album
Really liked this.
That opening song alone warrants 5 outta 5 stars. The other songs are also great. Would buy on vinyl
Incredible. Nothing deserves all 5 more
Je ne connaissais pas ça vraiment, mais en même temps je connaissais plusieurs tounes sans le savoir. Ça groove. Félix écoutait ça la bouche ouverte, les lèvres retroussées et les yeux fermés. C'était une très bonne écoute.
Dans l'optique de la sous-représentation dans la liste du blues (et du jazz, de la musique du monde et du classique qui a son propre livre des 1001 oeuvres à écouter), je comprends mal le choix de cet album en particulier. C'est un très bon album, sans conteste, mais choisir un album ''comeback'' post période léthargique dû à une opération ''rescue" d'un guitariste blanc (mais albinos quand même) - Johnny Winter - me rend sceptique.
Instant 5 stars Ça drag ça a aucun criss de bon sens, même dans le double time de I can't be satisfied. La section rythmique m'a carrément impressionnée. Des frissons tout le long de l'album. En plus, le blues c'est une expérience qui se vit live, et l'album era y fait plus ou moins justice d'après moi... c'est dire. Incroyablement sexuel et langoureux. "My baby run off with a bus driver And you know that don't seem right He used to give her rides in the daytime Now she gives him rides at night". Et que dire du titre de l'album, Hard Again! Les Rolling Stones sont nés de cet homme y'a pas de doute avec cet album qui le cristallise comme une légende. Maintenant j'ai envie d'écouter Night Train...
Lord yes, more of this. 🎸
I’ve heard these songs played hundreds of times by hundreds of bands but there is no substitute for the real thing. This is later era Muddy but Johnny Winter captures an electric performance. I love James Cotton on this record. This is a true blues record.
Uh! At the beginning, I was like "ok, another blues album which I don't really understand". But heeeey this is actually amazing! The sound is amazing, the voice is amazing, the feeling... Everything. Also, is perfect to play it if you have your father-in-law visiting, as is my case. Top notch!
Had me from the beginning and all the way through
Classic blues
My favourite part of the blues sound is the back-and-forth vocals and guitar, with all emphasis on the back half of the bar, it always makes me feel like the musicians are falling forward into the song like they were at the edge of a black hole. Blues music is so inevitable, you can't help but fall into it too. So far every track has been added to a playlist of mine but Bus Driver stands out as one of my absolute favourites. Blues has to be one of the best genres at nodding to the ridiculous heartbreak that is life. Waters' demeanour is like a subtle wink that only the listener gets to see. Reading more about his life and career, it's clear that Waters influenced the entire world despite themselves, but struggled for most of his life to put his magic out into the world. When his magic did manage to slip through the cracks of poverty and racism, it touched everyone around him. And ironically catapaulted many handfuls of white artist imitators around him to stardom. I'm sure if he were around today he'd write a devastatingly sad, funny, and catchy song about it.
Nothing like Blues to drive the blues away. You can't listen to this music and have a bad time
Sometimes I think the blues is a rudimentary, almost primitive art form, among the least nuanced modes of expression we have. Then I hear something like this and all of a sudden realize how fucking awesome something that fits that description can be.
Blues is very hit or miss for me. It’s one of the first things everyone learns on guitar, it follows such simple patterns, and it’s kind of easy for anyone to make it sound halfway decent. It’s easy for me to underestimate the greats. I’ll admit I find BB a little boring. This is totally different. I’ve never gotten into the Mud. So much to love here: - Songs are upbeat and kind of raw and chaotic like NOLA jazz - Mix of harmonica and piano - Muddy’s voice is just perfect for this. I love that lower register. - I love jazz and blues on Teles (plug for Julian Lage there), gives it kind of a country feel and just cuts through so nicely - his phrasing is just great too. - Production impressive especially for this year. Had no idea a song Muddy was the origin of the Stones name. Makes sense! Have been playing this a lot this weekend and will definitely be back.
One of the greatest blues men of all time. This is the second Muddy Waters album I got this week, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Proper blues done properly.
Top
incredible
For a guy in his 60s he's absolutely ripping it up on this one.
No tricks, no gimmicks. Just incredibly well executed blues
Great classic
Vahva levy. Uskomaton tunnelma.
I really like the blues harmonica combo. Would need to listen to the live album again to decide which I like more
All of the music you like is because albums like Hard Again by Blues artists like Muddy Waters and early Country music commingled and each generation's evolution became a twist. Muddy Waters is your favorite artist's grand-pappy. 5/5
Must listen Muddy Waters
Not a blues fan . . . but this is as good as it gets.
I love me some blues. I am immediately digging this album. Mannish Boy was an amazing intro to what’s to come. Everything feels so familiar as if I’ve probably heard it in film or in passing but never actually realized who the artist was. Probably one of my favourite albums on this journey so far. As I read more on Muddy Waters I learn that this is post-war American blues. I absolutely dig it.
Historically have not listened to this genre or era, but I absolutely loved this album! I especially loved I Want To Be Loved #2. I think it’s especially good as a beginning-to-end, no-skip album, rather than spinning a single over and over again. 10/10 will listen again!
From the opener Mannish Boy through the album the playing is just sublime. I just love the blues
Muddy knows how to put on a clinic. Like, this is the Blues stuff you study, then immediately realize you're never gonna play it this cool. It grinds and grooves like a goddamn train, shoveling heat from the first note. It's pure vibe. The kind of record you throw on when the room needs soul and sweat. I spun it all day. Spins: ??? Playlist Additions: The Whole Album
There was zero chance I was ever giving this less than 5 stars
LOVED this! Great vibes
The gravelly voice. The honkytonky keys. The SHREDDING guitar. Even the harmonica has a wail of a good time here. LAWD HAVE MERCY. My new favourite colours are blue and black.
Johnny Winters, Muddy, and his road band, stripped down to the essentials. Phenomenal.
Blues perfection. They just sounded like they were having a great time recording it.
Man, I’m not even a blues guy, but I guess when it’s literally Muddy Waters, that doesn’t matter. This just hit me good yesterday. It’s perfect! A true master of his craft. Sounded like a party I wanted to be at!
Elemental.
Terrific, my favourite so far.
Probably one of the best albums ever written
If you want a great Blues album, this is a good place to start. 5 stars or A+.
Cool album, bluesy without leaning too much into the uncle jesse type blues. Always dig the stutters he adds into some of the lyrics. His guitar tone is great, his voice sounds solid throughout. Some of the background screams make it sound like they're having a blast recording this. I'd say Muddy or whoever his lead guitar player is, really shreds.
It’s as Chicago blues as you can get. Nobody does it as good as Muddy Waters and the ones who try can’t pull it off.
What is there to say about Muddy Waters that hasn't been said already? The version of 'Mannish Boy' rocks and the rest of the album follows suit. Great listen.
Classic. They way the harmonica sits with the guitar and bass, and then Muddy Water’s vocals that are smooth and growling at the same time. A masterpiece
Absolute fire of an album, energy from start to finish. Love it. Mid 5.
The Blues. From the ORIGINAL Himself. He was a great influence.
An essential listen for all who are curious about the Blues. This album really captures the blues, and perhaps more importantly Muddy Water and Johnny Winter's essence.
Really loved this, the production, the guitars, the piano, it was all brilliant blues.
Really good album
Classic Blues. Amazing Album.
Loved it
Yeeees buddyyyyyy 9/10
Not the greatest blues master - that'd be Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, or a live B. B. King for me - but most likely the greatest exponent of the genre: 'I'm a man / I'm a rollin' stone.' We know where the Londoners got it. 1977: amazingly, this is not a throwback or nostalgia trip, but a profound barrage of raw deals and comedy, i.e., the real deal - the blues: 'I be troubled / I be all worried in mind.' A music about the psychologically downtrodden did more to describe our societal malaise than mucho sociology and theories of economic nadirs. Muddy Waters effectively gets that vision across on this album, a perfect entry point into the music that had a baby we named Rock and Roll. Essential for its history, so it is also for its pleasure/urgency.
An album best described as a house on fire. Absolutely insane from start to finish and utterly bonkers Muddy waters catapulted himself back into the picture of the late 70s blues scene after most people had believed he was past his sell by date. Muddy's energy is just ecstatic and latches itself onto anyone listening including the bad who are just killing it and never once letting there foot off the pedal. They provide the perfect backdrop to allow Muddy to ramble on and just keep on punching it. Bob Margolin just goes and never once stops, from lightning slide guitar to thumping hard classic blues riffs. This is probably the only album in the world where the harmonica feels worthy of being with the rest of the band. keeping with the violence of the rest of the band and accentuating it tenfold, James Colton is a true wizard. This album of course wouldn't be as good without Johnny Winter (and his screaming) but I don't know enough about the history to divulge. Overall this album doesn't reinvent the wheel but it makes it HARD AGAIN, an essential blues album and easily one of the best of all time.
Some people find the harmonica annoying. I am not some people people
Nice
Is there a star rating higher than five?
very good
Unreal blues album
This was the first Muddy Waters album I've listened to and I loved it. The sound is just phenomenal. The way he can manipulate the guitar with the slides, the picking, the amps and give it that gritty, screamy sound is just fantastic. I absolutely loved this album. Seriously this is some of my favorite sounding blues guitar (or just guitar in general) I've ever heard. You can really feel his influence on later artists with his style. The slides though, the slides. That was my favorite part of this album.
Loved this one
Mood.
Nice
THE BLUEEEEEES BABYY
Classic
Mannish boy is just that song 👌🏼
New Album for me but I knew all the songs. Classic!!
He completely defined an entire genre of music.
I wasn't sure, so I had to listen again! ;-)
Driving to work in the snow today wishing I was down in Florida. I'm not a big Blues fan but when it's done right, gotdamn it's good! The energy and instrumentation of this album is great. Love the rhythms. Some of these songs just stomp so hard! I'm not surprised that loretta-marie gave this a 5. SO MUCH HARMONICA! Usually harmonicas only get bit parts in songs but this is full out harmonica. Also the musicians have a great synergy that just fucking works!
So much great energy! I had no idea whose song Mannish Boy was, now I do. And did they base the Babysitting Blues from Adventures in Babysitting on that riff? I don't know if blues is typically my thing, I've never dug into the genre much, but I really loved this album. It overflows with heart and soul, has great lyrics and vocals, and the band totally rocks! What's not to love about this? Hearing him live would've been so fun. Also, special shoutout to the Crosseyed Cat lyrics, and to this lyric from Bus Driver: "He used to give her rides in the daytime, now she gives him rides at night."
This is perhaps blues in its most peak and natural form, made by the blues for the blues. It’s rockin’, it’s rippin’, it’s rollin’. what more is there to say?
I love the blues. Not my first time listening to Muddy Waters, but I always enjoy it.
Interesting blend of almost spoken word with tempo and flair of primo bass lines. Utmost flair with an unusually upbeat tempo for blues.
Absolute genius start to end
Dope.
Unreal. The blues had a baby and his name was Muddy. No doubt there's lots about this era I wouldn't want to experience, but how exciting it must have been to hear this music. Even the more uptempo songs have a melancholy edge to them. No one's asking, but if I had to pick I'd take this expression of rock and roll over what feels like the more dance hall entertainer kinda Otis Blackwell stuff. This just seems so personal and honest. But hey, I'm an emo kid :P
Five star Chicago blues album. A must listen.
Well now, I recognize this first song. Muddy Waters is a clear legend in the game. While I have great respect for what he means to music, I just don't get into blues. I know that rock wouldn't be here without blues, so for that I'm thankful. As I listen, I can't help but realize just how much Mr. Waters mastered his craft. All the musicians on the album play perfectly together. As much as I don't like the style of music, I must give this a 5, because it is best in class.
For me, this perfectly exemplifies what the blues is. I know that the blues can differ from this in a lot of different ways and still be blues, but this album is something I would show someone who had no idea what the blues was, to introduce the genre. I've enjoyed many a night out listening to live blues, but I almost never think of listening to blues when I want to put music on. I feel like in a lot of ways, the blues is best experienced live, in a dingy little hole in the wall late at night, preferably while drunk, sweaty, and dancing with some poor soul who is as unattractive, miserable, and desperate--but horny--as you are. The blues, as seen here, can take such basic riffs and lyrics, and such a simple template, and riff and expand it and make something so full and enveloping. It can be really impressive with its soulful virtuosity, but it never gets too highfalutin for its own good. The blues is quintessentially bawdy and swaggering, earthy and lowbrow, in a good way. His voice and phrasing here reminded me of Jimi Hendrix, and I was again reminded of how despite being thought of as a rock god, Jimi was really just a kid who came up among these old blues men. I had heard the classic "Mannish Boy" before but never knew it was called that. The title makes me smile as I think of my own almost 5-year-old mannish boy. Many of the lyrics made me smile for its intentional or unintentional humor, like this one: All you little girls, sittin' out at that line I can make love to you, woman In five minutes time Who's gonna tell him? Sir, that ain't no flex! haha
i could see suits using this album, genuinely a happy vibe
I could listen to this all day.
I realize this is weird, but a bucket list trip of mine is going to Clarksdale, MS, staying in a dumpy motel (motel with an M), eating deep fried everything, and spending a few hours each day in a blues joint. I’m such a sucker for this stuff, and Muddy Waters does it better than most. This is active listening foreground music or mood setting stuff in the background. It picks you up or lets you wallow in your particular sadness. It’s raw and it’s gritty and I wish I could give it 8 stars.