Hard Again

I mean, it's Muddy Waters. This is a fantastic blues record, but that's to be expected, and he sounds great here. This record is polished, but still has that grit you expect from blues. A worthy inclusion to this list.

I did not expect to like this so much

Estupendo. Terminas el disco queriendo limpiar una escopeta en tu porche mientras estás borracho.

god I LOVE THE BLUES. haven't listened to much blues but this album was such a vibe all the way through

Never heard this before but Chicago Blues is right up my street, and feels like I’ve been listening to it for years.

Old master evolving

Best Song: Mannish Boy I'm not the biggest straight blues fan but this is a quintessential blues album. Mannish Boy is a damn masterpiece.

In an uncertain world, it’s always good to start the day with a song that begins “Everything gon’ be alright this morning”. There then follows 50 minutes of gloriously raw, foot stomping blues from one of the all time greats, recorded in just three days with a very live feel to it. It’s one of those albums where it feels like you are in the room with the band, listening to them play.

Really entertaining and up-tempo blues album. It is almost rock in many occasions.

Loved this. Muddy and the whole band sound all loose, reckless, in to it. Mannish Boy is a jam, but tons of the other songs were kicking it. The drummer is an assassin and everybody sounds awesome. Fun one.

Ripper

Really good album. Did not expect that

Ну это Мадди, больше люблю его ранние альбомы, но тоже ничего

Yes! I love the blues! ... but not all the time. This record is phenomenal and a classic. Love it.

4 Muddy Waters left us authentic Delta Blues, practically invented the more Electric brand that was synonymous with Chicago, and revived the Blues on its own in the Seventies. Backed by some members of his last band, Johnny Winter and others, Waters sounds primal here. Not his last gasp, but one long deep cleansing breath of what the Blues was meant to sound like.

Classic album. A bit redundant but Muddy Waters is great

Excellent deep-south blues

A Muddy Waters album from the 70s, produced by Johnny Winter. Good stuff, sounds surprisingly clean and polished.

Hard Again is exactly what I want from a blues record—raw, full of swagger, and played by people who clearly live and breathe this music. I think what makes it hit so well is the energy; it doesn’t feel like an old legend going through the motions, it feels alive and kicking. That’s probably thanks to Johnny Winter’s sharp production and the band behind it, who are all firing on every cylinder. Right from the growl that kicks off “Mannish Boy,” you know you're in for something fun. I do like how the album balances grit with groove. Tracks like “I Want to Be Loved” and “The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll” feel playful, confident, and full of charm. It’s not reinventing anything, but it’s bringing the blues back with teeth, and I think that’s what makes it so enjoyable. For me, it’s one of the better late-career records out there—just a joy to play loud.

cool af

Now when I was a young boy at the age of 5 my mother said I was gon be the greatest man alive but now I’m a man way past 21 I want you to believe me baby I had lots of fun.

Bleueeeeee

Du bon blues, des bonnes guitares! (Désolé de la critique courte)

Geralmente não gosto muito de blues elétrico, acho que é algo que ficou muito no início da minha adolescência, mas incrível ver como tem alma nesse disco. Fiquei especialmente maravilhado com o som de gaita.

I didn't really know Muddy's music before this, but dang was this a lot of fun, and to read this was a comeback album?! I'm excited to hear the rest, sure it was absolutely classic formulaic blues, but it was damn fine.

i respect the blues and this is good, i just dont love full blues albums usually

LOVED! felt like it was delroy lindo’s character from sinners

365/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

A damn good blues album, oozing with grit and soul. But nearing the end I was starting to think, "okay... this is too much blues in one sitting"

idk how he manages to make one riff over and over and over and over again sound so compelling….but i guess that’s rock & roll at the end of the day!!! i love slide guitars. i love johnny winter’s “miscellaneous screams”. i even love that crazy harmonica that sounds more like a guitar than anything else…how’d he do that?! also muddy waters is a friend of the band the band so he’s like my blorbo-in-laws’ blorbo. fav tracks: mannish boy; i want to be loved #2; i can’t be satisfied; the blues had a baby…; deep down in florida

I listened to this Friday before work and thought it was decent - maybe 3.5. I didnt pick it up again until Monday night when I started checking reviews. The 5s I saw were insanely positive, so I convinced myself I missed something lol - kind of a rare thing for me to read reviews before writing my own, but this was a good wake up call I still didnt like Manish Boy. Bus Driver is awesome - loved the long harmonica solos. Slide guitar is perfect on I cant be satisfied. Walkin Through The Park sounds like the Doors doing blues on LA Woman. Really fun. Unsolicited opinion on the blues: There isnt much variation. The positive part of that tradeoff is you start to ignore the progression and really fall into the energy dynamics being the main focus One last thing: all this blues made me think of possibly my favorite place to listen to live music in SF - The Saloon in North Beach. If you haven’t been, get yourself there on a Saturday night. A couple of drinks later and youll be dancing to the house blues band du jour in total force

Listened on 5/23/25 4/5 Favorite song: Mannish Song It may be because I just saw the Sinners movie but I really fucked with this folk album and Muddy Waters and his band are incredibly talented

Blues is a genre I want to dive into more. The production is great, performance is tight, lots to like here. Think I'll revisit this one. 4 1=Crap that shouldn't be here 2=I didn't like it but get why it's here 3=I thought it was ok or even like it, get why it's here, but won't revisit 4=I like it, will revisit 5=This is some of the best music I've ever heard and will continue listening to it

Never listened to more than a song before. Great, straight ahead blues.

Really cool blues album!

This is pretty great. Muddy Waters is a legend of course. There is a certain drive that pushes this record on and on. I suppose this would be perfect for a roadtrip.

Grei blues, litt kjedelig

Holds up well as a classic blues album. A bit one-note, with many of the songs blending together, similar progressions. But it's all listenable, excellent, emotive. I stuck a couple tracks on the playlist for later listening.

You can hear a lotta echoes from the future when you listen to this one

This is great! I am not the biggest fan of the blues, but I am fan of this.

Very bluesy and soulful. I dig it. 3.5/5

Never a dull moment. Vibed with the whole thing. Some of the guitar solos sounded pretty similar in each of the songs but still a vibe. Great voice and some great soul. 7/10

Music history right here. I'm personally not too interested in blues generally speaking but I will absolutely not deny this artist's significance and influence to the genre and countless artists beyond. This is the crème de la crème if you're looking for authentic blues.

“Little girl, little girl You know your kisses taste like The sugar you use in tea” The 1970s was a very different time. Despite the above, I really enjoyed this! Love me some electric blues!

Good stuff for me.

4/5

A classic

Had me toe tappin' through Friday morning.

This was great. I feel like there's a band that samples rifts from the song "Mannish Boy" like "Bad to the Bone" or something? Didn't like this as much as other Jazz albums but still fantastic.

Not a fan of the blues (at least what I’ve listened to at bars) but this was rad. Tight, and not overdone or overplayed. A real enjoyable piece of music

Again?? Don’t look at me like that, Muddy. I will not assist you with this. Oh that Muddy. What a scamp! Oh, hello! I didn’t see you there, you’ve caught me at an inopportune time as a long deceased blues man appeared to have been propositioning me for some sort of romantic rendezvous. Before I ensnare Mr. Waters in some sort of Me Too-esque snafu, let’s figure out what he has to say on this album. Hopefully we can distract him somehow. Mannish Boy - Oh HELL yeah. I need the screaming background man in my general life. Every time I shut down some dumb email, I need some blues hype man screaming YEAH. As stated in my previous email “WOOOO.” This thing was thrilling right off the bat, but I dint know if I needed this exact riff for 5 minutes, but still a classic. Bus Driver - The most honourable job of them all. I look forward to 7 minutes of hearing about this. WHAT? He stole his woman. Oh god. Betrayal of the highest order by the man who is supposed to whisk you to within a 45 minute walk of your destination, late and with a disenfranchised grimace behind his protective plexiglass. Who would’ve thunk it?? This is a long song. Not bad, but probably not 7 minutes worth of stuff here. Although finding out a guy named “Pine Top” Perkins is tickling the ivories makes this whole thing worth it. I Want to Be Loved - Woman mentioned!!! YEEEAAHHHH. I celebrate because people usually just used to say “little baby tiny infantile girl” in this era. Got to rejoice when age appropriate love is mentioned. Fun song. Jealous Hearted Man - The passion continues to fly off the uhh page? Into my ears. Whatever dude. My nonexistent writing career died with this endeavour. Might as well keep digging the linguistic grave. Here lies my verbal ability. But yeah, the energy in these tracks is insane: how is this a late career album? I Can’t Be Satisfied - I Can’t Never Be Satihi. He really shortened that puppy up. This is a quieter song, in the style of Holes the movie from like 2003 The Blues Had a Baby and They Named it Rock and Roll - Blues and Rockabilly were in the closet making babies, and the baby looked at me and it said it was a Mannish boy, and then it spelled “Man” with an “ooh child.” Stupid babies need the most attention. Anyway. Decent track. I appreciate the lack of contraction on “Rock AND Roll.” Deep Down in Florida - Let me tell you something JACK, down in Clearwater beach in Tampa Florida, the Hulkster was down on the beach clanging the weights around and I looked to Brother Bruti and I said, HEY DUDE, IS THAT LARS ULRICH OF METALLICA? Lars asked me to join Metallica and also play Cliff Burton in the upcoming biopic, but I said, no way DUDE, I need to defend America from the Libs at SummerSlam. Whatcha gonna do when the largest arms in the world are attached to the biggest moron in Florida. Uh this song is good! Crosseyed Cat - Another good song. Blues doesn’t do all that much in the way of variety, does it. At least the energy stays UP. Ugh I don’t want that to be some sort of erection pun. I already did that bit. Whatever. Little Girl - And here it is. Small infant child ooooh you’re so young and juvenile. Why are we like this? Gross lyrically, and fittingly, probably the most boring song going. Although that guitar solo does go very hard. This is one of the toughest ratings to conjure up in a long time. On one hand, if I was in the room while this was being played live, it’d probably be 10 stars and I’d be passed out in a pool of tears and sweat. Might even be some blood in that pool. You know, to complete the idiom. On the other hand, these songs are not really “songs.” I can’t remember choruses for the most part and this don’t stick out to me as an album experience. That really doesn’t matter though. The music is enjoyable and the instruments sound so incredibly raw. This thing is powered by a thousand viagras, Pine Top Perkins, and the gravity of love. Let that muddy river roll right into the vaunted annals of positively reviewed albums. The walls in this temple are sparse, so plenty of room for that sick guitar tone to resonate. 3.5-4 HIGHLIGHTS: Mannish Boy, I Want to Be Loved, Can’t be Satisfied, Deep Down in Florida

I’m slowly growing more familiar with blues so this is a very inexperienced critique, but this just felt like a quintessential blues album. If I look up blues in the dictionary I think this starts playing. May not be an every day listen for me but I did enjoy it.

Yes!!!!!!

Boyish man

pleasantly surprised by this album. i like the blues but it’s never my top choice of genre so i thought this wouldn’t be spectacular. i listened to it in one earbud while playing softball so i wasn’t paying attention but the songs kept catching my ear i lowkey regret not waiting and listening to this later.

hehe hard again lol, the first song has the most streams very typical blues not bad tho. This first song is doing a lot of building its not terrible, I wish the riffs would switch up, from the blues i have listened to that's not super common but it does get slightly boring over the course of five minutes. I think that song did a fine job avoiding it getting to bad however. Second Track: nice I like the solos for each different instrument, this is probably a classic blues album but cause of that its just kinda an average blues album.

flink blues

Fun! I liked the second song most, but great to cook to.

Produced by Johnny Winter--now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. My dad used to have one of his albums on vinyl, and several Muddy Waters album. Anyway, this is solid blues. 4/5.

A legend.

Can’t really go wrong with this one

Vinyl: Want Fav: Blues Had a Baby

Oh yeah, let's go! From the jump this one lands. Iconic blues, the master at work. I'm just a dumb Midwest white boy, but I'm not sure there's a better conduit from the blues to the masses than this record.

The soul in this is just next level. Mannish boy is a killer opener, this is original blues that can never be replicated. 8/10.

I'm not usually a blues guy, but this album brings such incredible energy. It's undeniable. The production is also great. 4⭐️

Great blues album, beautifully written and executed.

Brilliant rhythm and chaos. I can't say on weather this is hard AGAIN* seen as I haven't heard his previous work but I know I felt the power here. Fun all the way through. My absolute favourites are Mannish Boy, Bus Driver and The Blues Had a Baby... Never heard of this before yesterday but glad I listened.

Niceeeee

Very good. Was impressed by the recording and producing quality. I think I never listened to a 70s blues album.

Good intro for me into more classic blues. MW is from Chicago

'Bad to the Bone' was definitely "inspired" by 'Mannish Boy' from this album... Also, I rly dig 'I Want to Be Loved #2', especially how the instruments complement to round off that groove.

This is a fantastic blues album. I could have done without “The Blues had a baby..” but the rest of this album is dope! 1001 album worthy: yes - 67/124

Really liked what I heard

Solid blues

This one took me a while to come around to, as I don't normally find Blues very interesting. The first couple of times it just sounded like the same song over and over again. Had another listen today though with the "good" headphones, and it sounds great. The production is impeccable, especially the guitar and drums. His singing is great too. Main standouts for me were Mannish Boy, I Can't Be Satisfied, The Blues Had A Baby..., and Deep Down in Florida.

great blues album! Gave me those bluesclub vibes!

purr 4/5

Fantastic blues from Da Man!

Just an excellent blues album.....sounded a lot older than the 70's, in the best way.

Really good stuff. A couple tracks I thought were just alright, but they were still nice to listen to. I Can't Be Satisfied and Crosseyed Cat are incredible

[pointing at my old-timey record player doing poggers face] they did the blues thing!

Better than the HM Surf

9/10 WOW, such an infectious and insanely fun Blues record, not only being one of the most obvious classics of the genre but being one of the most exhilarating classics I’ve heard so far. In love with the guitar and harmonica by James Cotton in particular, fucking peak. Accurate album title for me in particular

When you think of Blues, you think of Muddy Waters (or you shoud anyway) His voice and musical skill is unrivalled, this album is phenomenal and I can hear the fun they had recording this which makes it all the better. I particularly enjoyed "I can't be satisfied". Unfortunately the album is all very samey, and for the lack of variety I have to drop a star.

Back in the day I was fortunate enough to see Muddy Waters in concert, as opening act for Eric Clapton. This album is classic blues music from one of the legends of blues.

Such a strong opening track and it keeps on rocking out old school style.

I liked this a lot! He just defines the blues. A few songs felt like they went on a little long (like the Blues Brothers were making their escape or something). Bus Driver made me laugh “my baby left me for a bus driver. He used to give her rides during the day and now she gives him rides at night” haha classic

Was never exposed to much Blues but I liked this. Not sure if I’d listen every day but can appreciate the history and influence on other music.

pretty good. just classic blues. timeless!

Jolliest album cover I’ve ever seen

Would like to be the guy yelling in the background, I think I’d be good at that

Grew up hearing stuff like this, so it will always be pleasing to the ears. Muddy's got the nicest, deepest blues going!

This is what I’m here for.

Damn this album is fine as hell. Maybe a tad too much harmonica in some moments, but the musicianship on the whole is amazing, along with the fantastic vocals and all around just the passion.

Not a blues fan, but this close to a 5. Instrumentals are great. Sounds like a live album.

This is cool, but it doesn’t totally click for me. I can’t articulate what it’s missing though.

Classic sound, very soulful.

I don’t listen to a lot of straight blues. But I really like it when I hear it. And Muddy’s one of the best. Loved everything about this album.

Solid electric blues album from one of the greats 4.5*

Every modern day music artist owes a massive debt to these guys for without them there would be nothing. Rock n roll started here and the rest as they say is history. This album is what a hungover cockerel would make after finding that his wife had took the dog and fucked off after he returns from a three day drunken blender 😭

Fucking confident blues right here. (19 known/32 new)

THIS IS SO GOOD!! Listened to it a bunch today. i'm sure there are a number of albums that would have been the one to get me into blues, but this is the first one I got from the generator. I've always meant to listen to more blues, just never got to it. I hope there are more albums like this on the list - more blues yes, but also just more for me to discover

An exhibition of musicianship the music was textbook blues, with what would have been considered risqué lyrics at the time the album was recorded. Love me some Muddy Waters.

I was blown away by the production and mixing I could hear every layer of instrumentation even in the more chaotic moments.

Not a bad listen. Put it on while I was cleaning and really enjoyed it.

This was a very well done album.

Like a lot of blues, by the end of the album there was a sameness that started to set in; but still bumping this up to a 4 star because it's actual blues as opposed to the usual 60s British blues-rock this list loves to wallow in.

He's a legend, and has good songs, but needed more variety for a higher score.

I am sure I am missing a lot of nuance, but blues all starts to sound the same to me after the first song or two. Fortunately that sound is pretty good.

iconic blues

Good, fun blues

This was brilliant. Proper old school blues, all the thump and growl youd wants and oozes authenticity from every pore

Well, by the time I noticed I was on the 3rd song I thought I had listen to twice the amount. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know. This is peak dance blues. That’s what I’ll call it. Where Robert Johnson and RL Burnside and the likes made blues to wallow in, Muddy made it to move. I’m a sucker for that harmonica. Choice cut: I Want to be Loved #2

Give me a martini, a cigarette, and drop me at a round table in the back of a smokey back alley downtown bar. Surrounded by a bunch of fellow music heads, we all scrunch our faces, and shake our heads at the hard blues and big feelings. This is the place to be, and the music to be listening to.

I’m not necessarily a bluesy girl, but this really hit. If I could sense some more variation, I’d be ready to give it a perfect score.

Great example of classic Chicago blues. Who doesn’t love Muddy Waters?

Listed to the first few songs. Always liked the blues. Wonder if he cut his brother in half

I feel like it’s pretty apparent that muddy waters is talented, and this was probably the first time I heard the blues and didn’t feel like it was some ancient guy singing them. It had more structure than what I would expect the blues to have, and I imagine this comes from the influence both on and from rock and roll. The guitar riffs — whether or not they are original — are pretty catchy, but man this album could be pretty repetitive at times if you ask me.

A tasty jam!

Really enjoyed this one. Couple of great tracks.

I have not listened to many full blues albums. However, I do enjoy the genre. Muddy is one of the best in this music group. Liked the album a lot.

I’m not much of a blues guy but he was very good and entertaining

This guy was having so much fun! An album to listen to if you need an instant shot of pick-me-up!

yeah!

Not my type, but def great and soulful

The Blues Genre is not really something that I know a lot about but I know that I throughly enjoyed this album.

Hard Again is a blues classic and an effortlessly enjoyable listen. Muddy Waters sounds revitalized, and the energy throughout the album is contagious. It’s timeless, straightforward, and a must-hear for any blues fan.

I don’t know enough about the blues to say a lot about this, but it was loud heavy stuff, where you could hear how rock and eventually heavy metal might evolve from the blues.

Y'know, this is good stuff.

Hard Again pretty solidly exceeded my expectations. Definitely anticipated a good blues record and it’s that for damn sure, but most of these songs are simply mighty. Tons of good energy to these songs, some of which is captured through in-studio howls or post-tracking banter. The band and production help to make these songs thick as Delta mud. And of course, what a voice.

Ik kende Mannish boy al wel, maar het album niet. Echt klassieke blues, heerlijk weg te luisteren.

God, this just goes so hard. That harmonica is like a buzzsaw. And Muddy Waters is such a charismatic presence, how could you not love this?

Favorite Track: Bus Driver

nice but all songs seem a little bit repetitive. some good old fashion blues though.

Definitely have heard of this artist, really never heard any of his tracks. This will be cool to listen to. Definitely know this first track. True blues. Going to have the king of blues right after this, BB King. This is some good shit

Love it

BLUES AT ITS FINEST

Very enjoyable blues album, probably one of the favorites of the project so far.

A real good sound. I enjoyed this one.

“Muddy Waters invented electricity” — Willie Brown in the movie Crossroads with Ralph Macchio.

Sick blues album. Great guitar.

Mannish Boy // Bus Driver // Jealous Hearted Man // Deep Down In Florida // Little Girl 3.5/5

If you like the blues (and I do) this is excellent. 4/5.

I don't remember having Blues yet, or maybe it wasn't memorable but this one was. Something special about this album is how the instruments aren't just playing the melody, they are another member of the band. For instance, Deep Down in Florida, the bass and the harmonica invoke so much emotion and soul. Yes it gets repetitive at times but it's also beautiful. Cross-eyed Cat is my favorite. As I was listening I did think how much similar sounds you find in Blues and that they don't mind. It's like this amazing brotherhood of sound, emotion and passion. This album brings me to a smoky bar, drinks following, people talking and enjoying just the music.

It’s Muddy Waters. Come on.

Muddy Waters - full grown man!

Solid.

There’s not a lot of over-complication to unpack here. It’s the blues. Wash. Rinse. Drink. Repeat.

I don’t need to get into anything about what point in his career this falls. If this doesn’t put some stank on your face and make you want to pound a hundred brews, lord help you.

Much like Muddy Waters I am also a hoochie koochie man. This is great.

I don’t know much about the blues other than I got them. Mr. Waters taught me a thing or two. Great stuff. 4/5

This is a solid 4, due to the musicianship, led by Johnny Winter, who orchestrated this late in Muddy’s career. Muddy’s earlier work never had this kind of backing band. I owned this when it came out.

A really fun, raucous time!

Very good even if the songs blended into each other. This had soul man gah damn

gostei demais

I get mad at all the 12 bar blues wanker bands, but it's hard to deny the energy of one of the OGs.

Decent

Really nice blues. Nothing special, just something to bounce your head to.

Great vibes and classic jazz tunes

This is one of those albums that I wish I could better place in time. I saw the 77 release year and thought that is awfully late for blues. Come to find out this is almost 40 years into Muddy's career. Could have fooled me by just listening to it. Sounds great for a 60+ year old man. I kinda dig these return to form albums for aging artists and this one is good enough on its own, but I'd love to have come into it with a better knowledge of his career to this point. Solid record. Favorite track "Crosseyed Cat" 4/5

Great background listen! I didn't know the riff from "Bad To The Bone" came from "Mannish Boy" on this album.

Discazo. Solo en el blues una canción que dura casi 8 minutos puede tener una letra de 6 frases: "My baby run off with a bus driver And you know that don't seem right 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" Y esa armónica es una puta locura. Chicago blues en su máxima expresión. 4.5 bajo.

REally enjoyed this - don't know much blues music, was great

Classic electric blues sound

Never hard decision to play this album again. Love it. Timeless!

Groovy and bluesy and fun.

Yo this album rocks super hard. When I was taking guitar lessons as a young lad and in a band, I was constantly told about Muddy Waters and his emphasis on rock and roll. I knew this, but had never taken the time to sit down and listen to him. This album may not be the craziest thing ever composed. But it slaps. It’s good ole home town blues and with good licks and some really technical solos. I super enjoyed this. I was even close to ranking this a five, but I think where this suffers is lyrically. Not that the blues is known for its hard hitting lyrics, but man if this album had songs that didn’t repeat the same thing like 24x in a song, I think this would be a five. This shit rocks, easy four.

Good ol’ blues 3.6

Quality

Know the name and probably heard some of his music, but this was a great soulful blues album. Musicianship was top notch. 4.25/5

4/5

Very blues. Pretty good, but they do start to sound the same...

Leuke blues muziek

Great album, great blues, it just works!

Muddy Waters' posture on the cover of an album named Hard Again was giving me cause for concern. Thankfully, that doesn't translate to the music, for it (the majority of which existed for the better part of twenty plus years) had been infused with a newfound energy that is guaranteed to further electrify the speakers. This is the kind of music that can never stay flaccid. Favorites: Mannish Boy, Bus Driver, Jealous Hearted Man, The Blues Had a Baby & They Named It Rock 'N Roll (Pt. 2), Deep Down in Florida, Crosseyed Cat.

Not a huge fan of blues but this is great.

Can’t deny the man has talent; but I think the blues aren’t for me

solo por mannish boy este disco ya se justifica

Excellent blues, fantastic voice. My second Muddy Waters album on this, I prefer live at Newport 1960 as it was more varied and lively.

Of course, the iconic song opening the proceedings -- here in a later, pristine version whose timeless production values slap... hard (again and again) -- is worth the detour, absolutely. The thing is, everything after sounds a little too predictable, repetitive and middle-of-the-road for me. I readily recognize that the recordings and the energy of the performances are top-notch. And I admit I don't have much of an ear for original blues, generally speaking, so maybe my own tastes and sensibilities prevent me from estimating this record for what it's objectively worth. Also, I already have this later version of "Mannish Boy" in my CD collection, as it's part of the first soundtrack of The Sopranos TV series, that I must have listened to dozens and dozens of times. So I don't really see why I should add the album it's from to my collection now. I'm leaving the door open for *Hard Again* for my own list, though. Maybe one day, I'll truly "get" the blues, lol. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4, a good chunk of that grade owing to the cultural importance of the opener. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 438 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 260 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 319

loved it. surprisingly upbeat and fun for "the blues"

Very strong guitar, harmonica, percussion and vocals. The lyrics are good enough too and fit the songs. Master of simple yet very effective guitar. 8.5/10.

He says something, says it again, says some thing else, then rhymes something new with the first thing. A standard that seems at least as old as recorded music. All in service of getting the real point, some ripping blues guitar. It’s got attitude, it’s not talent, it’s a real vibe. Does anyone represent he blues better than Muddy Waters?

Good blues album. Standouts: Mannish Boy, Can’t Be Satisfied, Little Girl, Walkin’ Thru the Park.

proper old school blues.

Bardzo dobra płyta. Co najmniej 4/5. Dwie czy trzy piosenki warte zapisania. Jedna z nich to taki klasyczny blusowy rytm (wg mojego ucha które słyszało z 2 piosenki blusowe).

first listen chi town classic

Love the raw sound of this album. “Mannish Boy” is fantastic. I haven’t really listened to it as closely before. I particularly loved the “yeahs” screamed off mic by someone in the band. Overall love the sound and the feel of this album, although it feels a bit samey after awhile.

An absolute corker of an album and one I’ll go back to again and again

Good old time blues

Fun blues album

There can’t be any list without including muddy waters. I couldn’t listen to this regularly, but if Icould have seen this live, it would have been awesome.

If I had a nickel.

Raw blues energy! Could have kept it a bit shorter, but I am not really complaining.

Now that’s a strong opening…

Damn, that was hard as phuck

Love the lead harmonica and slide guitar!

Blues de antaño. Un 4.

Just what I needed to hear 👍🏻

Blues blues blues

Such a good album, amazing guitar and blues, 4.5

I'm a little less into the higher energy, more chicago-y blues sound (e.g I Want to Be Loved #2) which is more the flavor of this album. I like the vibe of I Can't Be Satisfied and Mannish Boy more. I'm really between a 4 and a 5 star for this one, but I think I'm at like 4.45 and am going to round down. Album cover: (A) What a pleasure it is to look at that photo.

Blues records can be hard for me to rate. I really enjoy all of the guitar on this record, and the musicians sound amazing. But after an entire blues record the chord progressions and general direction get a little stale to me. Still an awesome album though.

Love a bluesy album

Despite the fact that I have heard every guitar riff on this done a million times, it somehow stayed fresh and kept me entertained throughout the entire album. A true master

Album: Hard Again Artist: Muddy Waters Genre: Negros cantando profundo Camarero, un Juan Daniel en las rocas, por favor

This is a very good album. He has a nice voice and the guitar sounds great. I also really like what I think is a harmonica (I can't tell if it's a guitar with weird fuzz effects). The only thing holding me back from enjoying this more is that every song has the exact same structure and it can get tiring after a while. Low 4.

formative could i write poetry to this? n

All of the classic Blues forms and cliches are here, but they sound fresh in the hands of Muddy Waters. Expertly presented and recorded, this was a fine surprise.

Surprised how much I enjoyed this first venture into blues. got repetitive though.

Da Bluez!! One of the few albums I allow myself to listen to on speakers instead of headphones. I feel like Muddy deserves to be played to a room and shared with people. Absolutely brings the energy. This gets near the 5 star territory, but it just is a bit too repetitive. Would be a great album to listen to while drinking a dozen Miller Lites in the Northwest Mutual field parking lot on a perfectly fall afternoon with David Burt.

I PREFER THE MUDDY WATER Never knew the name of Mannish Boy but that harmonica is absolutely iconic. That was some pretty remarkable blues that's for sure. Especially once the guitar shredding came in I was all about it. Not my favorite but still pretty great. Probably a low 4

In the Office, Daryll and Michael sing the riff to Mannish Boy in the episode where they drop Holly off in Vermont. It's also in a million other blues songs I'm pretty sure. You are now subscribed to Officefax. Pretty solid blues all around to work to. Had me bumpin the entire way. Low 4.

A good blues album... probably a great blues album. But they problem with blues albums is they get tiring after a little while and that happened with this album and is what keeps it from 5 stars.

WHAT again!? This is pretty good though

This is good, but too samey to get a 5 from me.

Swell blues by the master! Well worth the listen,

Pretty pretty amazing. Yes it's one note, but what a note. Great production. A Rick Rubin album twenty years before such a thing was a thing.

Classic album. How can anyone not like it? I don't usually listen to blues but this was fantastic.

Great album, solid tunes the whole way through. First track was definitely still the best. "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll" seemed like the weakest one to me; just a little bit too simplistic, but then again you had to appreciate Muddy Waters himself singing it.

The Good: Muddy Waters The Bad: third time Mannish Boy was recorded by him The Ugly: there wasn’t a fifth time! I believe that I was put in a trance while listening to this album… so I decided to play it a second time, and again I believe I was put in a trance, so I decided to play it a third time, and… Reading what the actual meaning of the song Mannish Boy really is, made me appreciate the song even more, and to think it is in 1 key… brilliant. 4* because that’s how I roll

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would beyond just the classic "Mannish Boy". Solid stuff.

he's WHAT again???

Having just listened to the Rolling Stones and The Doors versions of 'The Blues' it's great to hear something far more authentic. Perfect guitar tone, that things sings and howls and cries.

Liked the blues vibe.

Blues init. 3.5

There are some things in life that feel simplistic, but can become something more with creativity, like a slice of pizza or a hamburger. To me, Hard Again doesn’t break new ground. Some of the songs here rely on some well-known blues riffs. I mean, that “duh-da-duh-da-duh” riff on Mannish Boy is in virtually every blues work. But it’s the way Muddy Waters and his band perform the songs that give this album its kick. The mix between the electric guitar and the harmonica kicks so much ass and along with Muddy’s finely aged vocals, take what could have been a simplistic collection of blues tracks and spices them up. I’m not even a big blues fan and I found myself getting lost in the groove of it. Muddy doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to take you for a ride. Favorite Track: Crosseyed Cat Other Hits: Mannish Boy, Little Girl, Deep Down in Florida, I Can’t Be Satisfied

Liked some early songs on the album.

When I think of The Blues, this is exactly the music I think about.

🎧Damn good blues record from a bonafide legend

3.5☆/5 10.02.2024

Grew on me throughout. Glad I listened

Blues just isn't for me. Listening to a whole album of what sounds like the same song is just... a bummer. That said, this was good. His voice is just blues, and there's not really any other way to describe it. So, even though it's not my thing, I enjoyed this just because he's so dang good at it. 4/5

kind of all blended into one song but it was a damn good song

8/10

Different music style than what I'm used to. Crossed-eyed cat was my favorite song.

some good driving tunes

This shreds. I sleep on the blues until I come across great albums like this

i like it.

when the erectile dysfunction goes away

This is good music to sit outside and sweat to

Pretty good, can feel a bit monotonous at times though.

Smooth suave to set you up for the day.

Really gritty and electric album, great energy. Waters’ voice grounds the music, which already has a great balance between edge and old-school blues fundamentals. Quite enjoyed it. Best song: I Can’t Be Satisfied

Good old blues sound g Great musician

not my fav style but really great!! i enjoyed it a lot

An excellent example of what the blues is from a titan of the genre with a legendary band.

Regular blues music (not to be confused with blues rock a-la Zep or early Fleetwood Mac) is something I don't have much experience with. But I'm aware of Muddy Waters' strong legacy in the genre, and I have heard his classic from the early 60s 'Folk Singer'. This album is not only a great showcase of electric blues, but an insanely good comeback album. Even as an elder (approaching 65), Muddy seemingly reaches new heights with this one. Excellent stuff.

not bad,

Hard core blues

It was nice as background music. For some reason it reminded me of Earthbound sometimes

great blues album

No connoisseur of blues, me, but I’ve always liked Muddy Waters when I’ve heard him. Is this his quintessential album?

The guitar & keys are unbelievable! I know of soulful bluesy music but this was special for sure. Definitely worth the relisten

Quintessential blues. Love it! ❤️🎶

4/5 chill blues easy to listen to

Fun album from a legendary blues icon. Great harmonica and good vocals. A bit repetitive in rhythm but the album is short so it doesn't get too in the way of things. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

Love this.

4, va muy duro pero el blues no deja de ser un poco repetitivo

Bello bello, piacevole

che vibes atomiche

Molto figo.

Favourite tracks: I can't be satisfied; mannish boy

Fabulous

This is the first blues album I've listened to & it's a good one.

At around 200 albums in, this is the first blues album, which feels wrong. It was really refreshing to listen to it today, which sounds ironic given how old and repetitive blues can be. The first song is a great opener and it made my morning that the first thing I head that day was "Everythin' gon' be alright this mornin'". The music makes it seem like a happy blues album even though the lyrics are the complete opposite of that. Although blues is schematic and repetitive, the album did not drag and I was happy to find something new at each of the three listens I gave it. I'll be definitely coming back to it.

You know, a lot of this old shit sounds great. Mannish Boy starts this album off with a bang. It all sounds really great.

Muddy Waters! Blues icon. Certain people you think of when you mention “The Blues”, Muddy is one of the top artists.

I enjoyed this for the most part. 4/5

The thing about blues albums for me is that a lot of the songs start to sound the same. It's the same with Muddy Waters because the harmonica comes in on just about every single song, and it makes the sound of all of them tend to get a similar sound. Saying that, it's Muddy Waters. That he was producing this good of an album at SIXTY YEARS is pretty cool. And it's not like he changed his sound any, every album has the same style and feel (again, not a bad thing). Top tracks "Mannish Boy," "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll" (for the title alone), "Crosseyed Cat," "Deep Down In Florida"

Now that's energy. Mannish Boy is just so cool with all the yelps and whoops. It feels like it's live when really it's just a bunch of guys in a studio getting into what they're doing. Absolutely electric. Give me an album full of that. I'd say Muddy Waters and his band get close but don't quite keep it that energized the rest of the way. A couple songs went on a bit too long without really grabbing me during the additional riffing - Bus Driver, Little Girl. Still, plenty of other great rockers like I Want to Be Loved, The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll, and Walkin Thru the Park. And holy crap can James Cotton play the harmonica - listen to Jealous Hearted Man, it's almost like it's the primary instrument. So much sound. This album is somewhere between a 4 and 5 for me. I'd love to see an earlier album of Muddy Waters on this list.

Oooh yeah Wat een heerlijk begin. Wat een heerlijk album. Genoten van het begin tot het einde. 4.4*

💀

Ik gaf ome Muddy al eens een 4 en dit album is niet beter of slechter. Bovengemiddeld lekkere blues, weinig mis mee al moet ik zeggen dat Mannish Boy na een tijdje wat irritant werd. Maargoed, dat is track 1 en die ben ik al weer bijna vergeten. Ook dit album kan ik een 4 geven. Dikke voldoende.

Brilliant. Only possible complaint is that at times too much is going on. All the band are brilliant, but they don't all have to show off their brilliance the same time.

Just a wonderful, straightforward soulful blues albums from one of the masters. A delight and joy to listen to, ironically. The singing, guitars, harmonica, piano, rhythm section are all in prime form. It’s got a loose, live jamming feel to it. Muddy’s vocal delivery is right on point - finally, rhythmically, melodically. . It all works together so well - it doesn’t need to be complex, innovative…it’s just good music by a good bandleader and band.

How this album feels sleazy both musically and in character is beyond me, but it is a sleaze that makes you want to join in.

Good listen a clearly a master.

Essential blues

sounded a bit homogeneous but it’s good!! idk too much about blues music to comment more tho

There’s only so much you can do with the standard blues formula, but Muddy Waters pushes that formula to the limit

Great bluesy stuff and some classics on here, does get a bit repetitive near the end but performance is still great

An incredible Blues artist with a great collection of his work

This is dirty, low down,stinking, nasty blues. Hell yeah.

It's always interesting going back and listening to the originators of various styles. You hear all the cliches from that style and you might think it's pretty hackneyed. But then you remember that they're cliches because everyone since has been learning them from the originator. This isn't necessarily prime Muddy Waters, but even mid-tier Muddy Waters is 4-star worthy.

Very important blues album....

Beautifully produced and excellently performed. Sounds like a master of the blues at the top of his form. Something may be missing from the raw early muddy waters records but not enough to distract from all the potency going on these tunes. Nothing more to say than some really well put together hard-edged blues tracks from a legend.

very blues n stuff, i like the guitar

Slide guitar hell yeah

Amazing voice and ability.

The sound that gave birth to rock n roll, amped up and electric. Waters still has it.

Good album but I think for the full Jillions experience I need a plate of toast and a mug of tea. Best Track: Mannish Boy Worst Track: I Can't Be Satisfied

blues.. been a while

Gritty, gutsy, emotional, and biting. Muddy Waters is undoubtedly one of the key pioneers of the Chicago blues style. Mannish Boy has that classic, unforgettable 5-note riff that's become a staple of the blues genre. (Darryl even referenced it in The Office when he and Michael belted out the riff together during a car trip.) You can see the direct influence of the riff not only on blues contemporaries, but also on later rock bands – such as George Thorogood and the Destroyer's Bad to The Bone. Bus Driver is another excellent track showcasing the slow 12-bar blues in all its emotional glory. Nothing particularly novel is introduced after these two tracks, but the quality of music remains impressively high throughout the album. Most of the remaining songs are relatively unmemorable but still great tunes. The guitar and bass work is also a highlight. The production is quite bad for 1977 – notably, the year of Bowie's Low, Steely Dan's Aja, Pink Floyd's Animals, and the Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever. There's no excuse for the fuzziness and lack of sound clarity in some of these tracks, especially given that this is studio-recorded (and not live like many of Muddy's other releases). 4/5 Key tracks: Bus Driver, Mannish Boy, The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll

Good electric blues

typischer blues, nicht alles gefällt mir. der groove aber stimmt, und damit auch die stimmung.

Catchy straight forward blues-rock. The song “The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll” is pretty spot on.

its chill ahh hell

Cool riffs. A powerful voice. It's exactly what you think of, when you think of the blues.

This is just some good old classic blues from an absolute legend. The energy on this album is fantastic, such a fun and enjoyable listen!