Reviews (page 9 of 14)
5/10
Raw blues energy! Could have kept it a bit shorter, but I am not really complaining.
I’m sorry, but this just all sounds the same to me.
Blues blues blues blues. It's simple. It's not trying to be anything it's not. Just a dude with a guitar speaking from the soul. Yeah, it's repetitive, but aren't we all
This was a very solid comeback album for Muddy Waters
Harmless blues, but sooo repetitive
Old timers doing their thing well. Lively and competent blues playing. Blues sure was the foundation of rock. Simultaneously it was the foundation of decades of boring blues rock. I respect the craft but I just want to move on.
This is truly great blues music with impressively delivered lyrics that in some cases haven't aged very well. If you're going to listen to the blues, then it might as well feel true. Muddy Waters will get you there.
Blues isn’t my thing. Sounds like a typical blues album to me.
Absolutely amazing
If you like blues, you’ll like this. I’m not a fan. It all sounds the same to me.
Now that’s a strong opening…
Solid.
3.5 Accidentally listened to ‘Electric Mud’ instead and did prefer that, but really liked this nonetheless. Plenty of songs that've survived the years or transformed into more modern versions. Enjoyable!
Not a fan.
blues man
Good vibes
Damn, that was hard as phuck
Favorite Track: Mannish Boy
Love the lead harmonica and slide guitar!
It was alright. Not enough songs about trains though.
Look it went on a bit.
Blues de antaño. Un 4.
Correcto.
Muddy Waters playing the blues again, except with more electric guitars and this time it's the late 70s. Newport was better. Just feels so much better without the whole blues rock sound. But if this journey has taught me anything it's that I dislike blues rock with very few exceptions. I am simply easily bored by it, even by the masters of the craft. Nothing brought that into stark relief more clearly here than I Can't Be Satisfied, which is basically Muddy stealing back from the Stones after they stole from him, and there's nary an electric guitar in sight, and it's bloody fantastic. Crosseyed Cat was winning me over however, insomuch as I was stuck between a low 4 and a high 3.
This lives up to the title by going extremely hard. Listened to it twice back to back.
Just what I needed to hear 👍🏻
Hard to say anything about such an iconic artist and album. Waters is the at the pinnacle of one of the most important American music forms.
Such a vibe.
I realised I don’t like blues
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🟨🎩☺️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸+🎙️=🌧️🔥 Rating: 🌧️🌧️🌧️(🌧️)/5
This is good for what it is, but honestly, I've never connected with Chicago blues. I'm glad I listened though.
I mean, it's the blues. Surely he's one of the greats, but it's still the blues, and it could have all been one long song for all the differences we heard.
I really thought I would like this album more than I did. I know it's a classic blues sound, but the blues doesn't always have to be playing the same shit over and over again. The mastering/production also got to me. The harmonica was way too loud at times that it was almost annoying. All irks aside, this wasn't a bad album. Muddy's voice is perfect for blues and is undoubtedly a blues legend. However, this album did leave a bit to be desired.
Most songs are the exact same formula with slight variation. This album could be three songs long and would probably get a better rating without the feeling of redundancy.
Blues blues blues
This sounds like so many cigarettes you’ve smoked before.
really a bit long but pretty enjoyable
Such a good album, amazing guitar and blues, 4.5
First song was a bit boring but it picked up after that, really enjoyed the expressive guitar and basslines. Favorite songs were: 2. Bus Driver 4. Jealous Hearted Man 6. The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll 9/10
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.
This was our second album by Muddy Waters. I can't say I understand his desire to go to Florida but other than that, amazing album. Also Muddy Waters is a sick name.
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.
This album goes so hard (again). It is largely forty minutes of shredding on the guitar and keys. Did someone (or many people) more contemporary rip off "Mannish Boy"? Why does this sound exactly like another (or many other) songs? It slaps, and was clearly a very influential song. "Jealous Hearted Man" is awesome. "Can't Be Satisfied" is a little more dialed back from the other songs. The guitar is still very much at the front, but in a more subdued way. I liked this song a lot. "Crosseyed Cat" had some more ferocious shredding. "Little Girl is a fun long jam. 9/10
Love a bluesy album
28/10/24 A good, entertaining 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
Snappy album, and quite enjoyable for a genre I don't particularly like.
The album is probably not the format in which to listen to the blues, but there's a lot of really good stuff here
This was pretty enjoyable! It sounds older than 1977 though. I probably wouldn't listen again since I'm not a huge blues fan, but I enjoyed it while it was on.
I think this album was good but I do find with a lot of core blues albums, it is often just very repetitive riffing with very weak lyrics. When the band starts really jamming on some of these, that's much more my speed, but "Mannish Boy", the most popular song from this albums is actually my least favorite because of just how repetitive it is all throughout. My Top 3: 3. Walkin' Thru the Park 2. Little Girl 1. Jealous Hearted Man
Album: Hard Again Artist: Muddy Waters Genre: Negros cantando profundo Camarero, un Juan Daniel en las rocas, por favor
Extremely well executed, exquisitely produced, but otherwise unremarkable blues.
I think we all need to be honest that blues music is actually boring. An album's worth of the same melodies over and over again is objectively exhausting to listen to.
I actually kinda like this. Was more interesting than some of the other blues stuff. Dance-y.
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.
I like me some blues from time to time but this album just grew stale on me and took a while for me to get back into it. Didn't hate it, didn't love it.
3/5
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.
A very fine version of the blues.
The king of Blues, you cannot deny But all things must eventually die And after ten repetitive songs That are all a bit too long You start to understand why Look, I would never speak ill of the great Muddy Waters. He’s single handedly responsible for inspiring some of the greats to pick up the guitar in the first place. And he’s immortal for his contributions to blues and rock music. But like, I get it. After three or four twelve-bar Blues jams, I get it.
Once again, despite the simplicity and repetition inherent to the blues, Muddy makes it hard to deny his monumental influence on guitar-based music.
Minusta nämä kaikki biisit kuulostavat liian samalta. Hyvä soundi, hieno ääni, puhdas salonkikelpoinen blues. Mut ehk just salonkikelpoisuus tökkii, en oikein saa otetta. Sen takia ei ihan kolme.
Live-esityksen kakofonia tuo jotain uutta näihin tulkintoihin, tapahtui äänitys sitten studiossa tai ei. Loistavat vokaalit, loistavat soittajat: jos blues ei mielestäsi genrenä ole pilattu tietynlaisella musaäijäydellä - ja jos lämpenet edes vähän sen modernistiselle romantiikalle - tämä LP kannattaa kuunnella.
beginnen met de riff der riffen , dan weet je dat dit een plaat van jewelste is... zonder Muddy (en een hoopje anderen, die ik voor de gemakkelijkheid even over het hoofd zie), zou er niet veel soeps in deze lijst van 1001 staan
Surprised how much I enjoyed this first venture into blues. got repetitive though.
Wonderful.
Mannish Boy adopts a familiar blues mold with a stomping rhythm and production that sounds like it is being recorded in someone's garage (or front porch). This was some good clean blues rock. Like most within the genre I found it enjoyable but rarely fully stimulating. The blues progressions are so well defined and rarely innovated upon that they rarely inspire more than passing appreciation. Main standout for me was the harmonica work. I've never said that before in my life, but damn that James Cotton plays a mean harmonica. This is a high 3 in my book. Would never turn it off if its already on, but would also never think to turn it on.
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.
This was all very well done, but was very samey and I was getting bored by half way through.
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
No me gustó
This was a cool listen, but the smoky, bluesiness of Muddy Waters can get a little one-note after a while. I was done before the album was, but I totally appreciate the mastery of the blues style on display here. Three stars.
This is good, but too samey to get a 5 from me.
Nothing inherently wrong about this album, just every song is derivative of its predecessor
It was nice, good vibes.
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.
Everything from production to performance is perfect. Chicago bluesxat its finest
2.5
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.
I enjoyed this but I'm not sure how often I would double back and listen again. Some great songs though, and great production!
Need to listen again. Love that guitar tone.
The blues had a baby and named it Rock and Roll. I can see how this was so influential. I can hear it in almost everything I listen to. Great to see it works on its own too.
It has been a while that I had listened to this album. It contains a great version of Mannish Boy and Crosseyed Cat might be my favourite track. Overall a very solid blues album, which is perhaps a little too traditional for me.
Strong blues album, quite monotonous though.
Overall. Great vocals, hard to relate to lyrics or even hear them at times. Fantastic instrument playing. A bit janky and overpowering at times.(harmonica). Nice shifts in tones and pace throughout. Nice upbeat numbers and slower paced ones. Repetitive and at times a bit boring. More down to my taste and lack of blues knowledge.
I was loving it to begin with but it really wore me out long before the end.
I like muddy but in small doses.
This is so much fun!!!!! Feels like a fantastic night live on Frenchman Street. Great stuff!!!!
As a guitar player, I love listening to the old blues legends and hearing their chops and techniques. Some of Muddy's stuff is a little slow, and I don't love his voice, but it definitely fits his style and just the genre in general. Can't complain about this one. 3.5/5
This is a classic, has some amazing banger tunes. But a whole album is a bit too much.
Liked the blues vibe.
Blues init. 3.5
Nothing muddy here
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
not for me
Liked some early songs on the album.
When I think of The Blues, this is exactly the music I think about.
Good guitar, most songs sound the same though. Saved a few
Not the most interesting blues sound i've heard. Lacks a bit of grit that I was hoping for.
🎧Damn good blues record from a bonafide legend
Great late period Muddy Waters, with a killer backing band. Proof that he had it right up to the end.
3.5☆/5 10.02.2024
Awesome 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Pretty good
Grew on me throughout. Glad I listened
Good ol’ OG blues
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
This is the Blues.
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.
Something different from what I would usually listen to. I really liked the guitar riffs.
when the erectile dysfunction goes away
I think it’s good, but not what I care to listen to.
This is good music to sit outside and sweat to
Little better produced than the live one which helped but it still totally isn’t my thing. Got to respect it though he’s a legend
Somehow less interesting to me than the first, perhaps cuz not live and longer songs. Oops sorry mr. Waters
Didn't realise that Muddy Waters was putting out some of his best music as late as the 70s. From the iconic opening of Mannish Boy this is a perfect blues album. 5/5
Increíble. No puedo con tanto blues.
The blues rock blueprint Wailing guitar made legend Plus harmonica!
Pretty good, can feel a bit monotonous at times though.
Mannish Boy is the standout - Iconic, and recognisable. As a sound the rest of the album doesn't massively excite me - it's cool, bluesy and I'm sure was ground breaking but since I think it's been done in better and more exciting ways e.g. Hendrix, Albert King... 6/10
easy listening but it felt like every song dragged on forever (even though I looked and some were only 2/3 mins) bonus points for the banjo though
He put his whole mussy waters into this Really enjoyed this but will no be listening again idk
Made my apartment feel like a dive bar - I’m not complaining. Standout track: - Mannish Boy 5/5
Smooth suave to set you up for the day.
boring
mannish boy is a VERY GOOD track to open off the album with. enjoying it extensively even though this type of genre isn't usually my go to - blues always has the best instrumentals though and they are really flexing this on bus driver huh i want to be loved short and sweet, was doing some stuff while listening and was vibing very hard spitting facts with 'the blues had a baby and they named it rock and roll' cause that is accurate but you dont need me to tell you that sadly i do think as the album went on it dropped off a bit, was going to be a comfortable 4 stars originally
Wonderful album. I enjoyed it immensely :-)
I like the blues conceptually, but sometimes I find it hard to listen to a full blues album. I know this probably deserves better (and there’s some amazing guitar work here); I have to go with my gut reaction, though.
What an album from a legend. I was really in the mood for the Blues today, which is good because I have an Allman Brothers album next. But Muddy is first, as it should be. The production is so well done on this album. I'm not one who is able to get deep into the specifics, but it was a pleasure to listen to recordings of such quality.
3- Stars (7/15)
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
Blues is just not my jam. But I can see the talent.
Good old blues sound g Great musician
Runs a little long but undeniably pretty iconic and classic!
Some damn good playing on this one! Kinda feel like most of it sounds pretty similar though
not my fav style but really great!! i enjoyed it a lot
One of the greatest players and singers to ever do it. It’s apparently a comeback album but its barely different from his early material. Not that that’s a bad thing, his voice still sounds phenomenal at this age. Every song is a jam and a great blues classic. No surprises but you can’t go wrong with Muddy Waters.
Really great classic blues. Got tired of the harmonica after a while.
Enjoyed this one.
Good album really like it 10/10 I would listen to it again
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.
Fine album, but it’s a bit too repetitive I can’t really remember a distinct song even after three listens but it flows really nicely so maybe that’s why.
That’s the blues, alright! Good blues, sometimes even great blues — Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter can clearly play their asses off — but most of Hard Again is still that cliché, jammy, 12-bar blues. There’s some songs that rock hard as hell, especially “Mannish Boy” and “The Blues Had A Baby…,” but there’s even more songs that just bore me with their endless minutes of constant soloing. I’m never against it, because again, this record is brimming with talent and clean production, but I’m also rarely into it. Even at its best, I think the blues just isn’t for me, and Hard Again might be some of the best blues I’ve heard, and yet, I’m still not sold. But I’d take Hard Again over a lot of other albums, so I also can’t be that dismissive of it.
not bad,
Not really my cuppa.
Hard core blues
It was nice as background music. For some reason it reminded me of Earthbound sometimes
great blues album
Deserves a 5 for 'Mannish Boy' alone. Muddy is Blues personified.
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
Iconic stuff there!
I don't know how you can listen to this and not love it. Every second of this album is gold.
Quintessential blues. Love it! ❤️🎶
Good song and instrumentals . But, they get repetitive and irritate me. Good but not my taste
OPzich wel nice
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)
This was good but I got tired of it after a few songs. 3.5/5
Love this.
Aburrido, cuesta mucho que me guste una canción de blues y más un disco completo, super monótono
4, va muy duro pero el blues no deja de ser un poco repetitivo
Bello bello, piacevole
che vibes atomiche
Ho chiuso gli occhi ed ero nel New Orleans pure io
Molto figo.
Holy shit. Now **that's** some fuckin' **blues**. The kind so hard it'll blow your speakers out if you play it too loud. Like, goodness, it's such a contrast from the last blues album my group got, only just a few days ago. 'Cuz, I mean, yeah, B.B. King's professionalism is something to be admired, and his playing is amazing even under his restraint, but you put it next to a band playing so raw and so electrically it's like they're gonna cause a blackout just on their own... Jus', oh, goodness. In short: it's the kind of blues I like the best (i.e.: "it sounds the most like Weird Al's 'Generic Blues', which is a **huge** compliment in my book, believe me). It's so much a 5 in my book, I won't even take the easy erection joke set-up the title gives. Good-ass job y'did there, Muddy.
Just some stellar ol' blues from one of the greatest to play guitar. Very easy 5 for me.
I’m at a 4.5, and I’ll give it the bump up to a 5. It’s just really fucking good blues; a few tracks didn’t quite mix with my sensibilities (some of them are a little long, a little repetitive, etc), but I enjoyed this enough that I can recognize that some of the tracks that didn’t work as well for me could very very easily hit for someone else, and that’s why I’ll bump it up to a 5. When this backing band behind Muddy Waters enters the flow state (which happens plenty of times on this album), they sucked me in just as easily as the listener; when they’re in that mode, and everything is rolling, with the guitars on fire, the deep percussion nailing every beat, and the instruments riffing like there’s no tomorrow, while Muddy’s voice hits its deepest Ray Charles-inspired tones, there’s really nothing like it. It is a mood that is sort of impossible to describe, but very easy to be aware of, and it’s incredibly fun. This album enters the flow state several times, and it just makes for 45 of the smoothest and fastest minutes I can remember. There’s not a bad track here, just a few that didn’t click with my tastes, but it’s so damn good that I’d be a fool not to give it the 5. It’s a very, very good album, and a highly recommended listen. This was great.
Very traditional Blues album, down to its roots. As much as I can appreciate how influential Muddy Waters was and, I'm sure, this album was too, there's a lot of similarity throughout this album. Some people like that and would call it a "theme", but I do like a bit of diversity. So again, while I can appreciate the album, I don't think it's for me, and that's okay.
Very hard hitting blues/ soul. The real predecessor of so much rock and roll (the father you might say) and the Gainesville shout out in Deep Down in Florida! Great track
Favourite tracks: I can't be satisfied; mannish boy
Fabulous
Mannish Boy is the quintessential track that sets the tone for the rest of the album: standard blues that, whilst no doubt composed and played by skilled musicians, becomes rather repetitive and does not draw me back for repeat listens. More of my issue with the genre being too formulaic (a walking bass line, noodling guitar solo and far too much harmonica on what feels like every song) than a reflection of the album itself!
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.
Not much to say about Muddy Waters that hasn't already been said. He and BB King are the absolute zenith of the blues in the 70s/80s/90s. What I like about this album is that it's not just the guitar that gets a pile of solo time. There's harmonica breaks, piano breaks, drums, etc. It keeps it a bit fresh. A lot of people put Muddy Waters in top 10 guitarist lists, and I can't say I disagree. He's very good at this particular style of playing where the feeling and progression matters more than the chops. like a lot of blues albums, this sounds very sameish all the way through. It just blends in to itself for the better part of 30 minutes. Doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, but when the chord progressions are largely identical it gets a bit stale. Overall it’s a good blues album but I wish there was a bit more variety.
I really wanted to like this album. But it's hard for me to get into an album when every song has the same pattern and musical development aside from tempo changes. Blues songs are great when by themselves, but start to turn into a slog when everything starts to sound the same. Underwhelming overall. Top tracks: Manish Boy, Crosseyed Cat
relate to the title too much
idk man it all just sounds the same
I really don't know blues well, but Muddy Waters is definitely one of the main names I'd associate with the genre. This album is a good exposure to blues - classic off the bat and engaging throughout.
Start to finish this is gold! This might not be "classic" Muddy, but god damn you'd be hard pressed to know that while listening. Even the rerecorded material sounds fantastic. Pure blues. So much talent and emotion in this man and his backup band. There will never be another like him.
Wow! This was way better than I was expecting. Solid blues album that gives a live feel. Muddy is one of the best to ever do it and it shows here.
Muddy Waters! Blues icon. Certain people you think of when you mention “The Blues”, Muddy is one of the top artists.
Wow, a great blues album by one of the best.
The album opens up with one of the most recognizable musical riffs of all time. Then, similar to eating leftovers, the album gets repetitive, and loses it's charm. Favorite Track: "Mannish Boy"
No
The songs at the beginning were shite. The songs at the middle were also shite. The songs at the end, I didn't listen.
I don't like harmonica
If I’d be a guy living in the 70ies, I’d have my own kind of groovy. Would wear cowboy boots with a bit of heel, V shirts showing a tiny nip of chest hair and a fitted gilet, have my hair in a male bouffant, walk like I own the place, ooooooze manliness and would take great notes from Muddy Waters 🥲
Ok
I enjoyed this for the most part. 4/5
This was a lot like listening to Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet. Legends, and rightfully so. The album was huge and it’s easy to see why. And you can tell immediately you’re listening to world class performers. But for me, it was one track after another of the same thing over and over without any surprises. I hate saying this about music that people love, but this just didn’t do it for me at all, and I was actively waiting for it to be over. Versus Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Blue On Black". It auto played afterwards. It’s blues rock and it’s pretty much a 4 chord song, but everything about it surprises and delights me, and I’ve heard this song 4,000,000 times.
Blues legend, and he sings it well. Great voice and great band but holy hell I feel this went on forever. I like Muddy Waters and the blues but I think this was just too much of the same thing. Was waiting for it to end for almost 20 minutes
Correcto.
This was really good but I think I would enjoy it more in a smaller dose or maybe even in person. That's not to say the record was too long. Maybe just felt that way to me. Generally, each track felt a little same to me.
One of the best albums on this list so far. I have always been meaning to listen to older blues, but never got around to it. This album is everything I expected and more. I will be going back to this one.
Really really good blues
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.
I thought I was going to be bored with a basic blues album, but this album kicks ass! It's like the best night at a bar you've ever had. The whole band is on fire (and James Cotton blows the top off the room every time he does a harmonica solo) and the whole thing has a surprisingly hard edge. That said, there's also a surprising amount of joy in the music. Couldn't help but bop along and smile the whole time. Great stuff. Favorite tracks - Mannish Boy, I Want to Be Loved, I Can't Be Satisfied, The Blues Had a Baby.
Never listened to before, Mannish Boy is the song I know from the radio. Nice blues record, although all the songs sound very alike.
'The blues had a baby, and they called it rock and roll', so true! My favorite genre of music is the blues and blues-based rock and roll. This album is awesome from start to finish. Muddy Waters is the king of Chicago blues. I added this to my favorites.
Very old-timey rock 'n' roll, maybe a little too? But it had the legendary song 'Mannish Boy', so it deserves 3 stars.
Oooh yeah Wat een heerlijk begin. Wat een heerlijk album. Genoten van het begin tot het einde. 4.4*
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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.
Classicone enorme. Deve piacere per carità, ma é indubbio che venga istintivo battere il tempo e scandire le strofe viscerali di un grande del blues.
I'm gonna be honest. I don't really care for this album that much, but it's still WAY better than that Alex Harvey album I got yesterday. This is an album that I can absolutely see the appeal of even if it's not really my thing. The singing is alright. It's good. The instrumental sound is solid too. The harmonica talent in particular is nothing to scoff at. The writing could be a bit better. It's a bit repetitive and hasn't aged the best. The last song makes me uncomfortable. Why did so many singers in the 70s sing about wanting to fuck underage girls?! It's gross, and yet somehow it was more comfortable than like half of the last album! The most popular song on this album is undeniably "Mannish Boy," a song that proved that this album has more cultural impact than the last one because it has a JoJo character named after it, and that's one of the ultimate tests of the cultural impact of a piece of music from the past 60 years. That song is good, as are most of the others. Overall, this album's fine. I don't really care much for it, but there are some pretty good elements to it that could warrant a higher rating for someone else. As for me... I think I'll give it a 3/5. I've been giving a lot of those lately. I don't know why. Hopefully that changes soon.
Classic blues, folky and kind of repetitive. His voice is amazing and powerful, raspy but clear.
Good songs but something about the production feels off, the 70s vibe of it. For some reason I feel like blues is better the older and uglier it sounds, this is a little too Nashville Broadway street for me idk, maybe I’m a clown
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
Classic sounds. Reminds me of my childhood especially hanging out in Willow.
Good
An incredible Blues artist with a great collection of his work
" Mannish boy" ist ein unglaublicher Start. Scheinbar monoton fetzt es ungemein und arbeitet spannend mit Stimmen und einzelnen Gitarrentönen. Es geht super ab und hält das Niveau in Blues und Bluesrock. Für mich ist das mehr als eine 5. Wow
This is dirty, low down,stinking, nasty blues. Hell yeah.
There is undeniable energy on that opening track that I have definitely heard before, but maybe not this original recording. An overall 3 for me I think. This reminds me of when I stayed up late listening to "Blues Before Sunrise" on my local radio station with my walkman as a kid, I probably fell asleep to that show every Saturday night for a few years. liked, distorted harmonica sound! i want to be loved blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll cross-eyed cat
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.
The Blues. Very well put together album from an artist from a generation in which singles were the only things that really mattered. You can't have a Muddy album without Mannish Boy
The sound is plain cool- from the voice to the instruments. After a while, I tired a bit but it’s a solid 3.5
Have to be in a mood for it which I think would be rare. Good background but gets annoying after awhile.
Me staring at the last piece of garlic bread:
Very important blues album....
Loved the Blues and Jazz mix instruments piano, harmonica stand outs!
Al escuchar este disco es difícil determinar si Muddy Waters influyó a los grandes actos de Blues Rock, más que dichas bandas influenciaran el sonido de este disco. Siendo del 77, y no conociendo la discografía previa de Waters, uno asumiría que la importancia de este disco radica en "la vuelta completa" que se da en esta situación (de influencia, a influenciado a influyente de nuevo). A mi, personalmente, me aburrió; pero creo que es un problema que tengo con el "blues puro".
Probably the best straight blues album I've ever heard. Still not really what I'm into.
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.
Not my style but good
very blues n stuff, i like the guitar
I enjoyed Muddy Waters live performances that I heard, and I knew this one was one of his bigger studio releases, so I imagined I'd like this too, but while the energy was certainly there, I think I just have to accept the fact that I do not enjoy the blues. I understand the appeal of it while listening, and this is certainly better due to never feeling empty like many older blues records, but nothing here grabbed me, and with its run time I got sick of the same song and dance relatively quickly. Nothing here is bad, and I get the praise, but it just isn't for me.
Started fun, got boring
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
Best Song: Mannish Boy/I can't be satisfied Worst Song: Little Girl
Classic blues
It felt ordinary and the songs were like all the same.
blues.. been a while
This is good ol fashioned Grandpa Blues and there's nothing wrong with it. It's not quite as edgy or rough as some older dudes are but I can listen to this for hours on end. 3 stars
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
5 stars. Loved it.
Good electric blues
typischer blues, nicht alles gefällt mir. der groove aber stimmt, und damit auch die stimmung.
Hammer Blues! Wenn man etwas auf den Text achtet, hört man wie schon damals gespritzt wurde wie heute im Rap gang und gäbe
Great blues record, great performances but left something to be desired. 5.7/10
Very difficult to get through, it was all the same
Guy's synonymous with the genre for a reason. Blues is not my favorite genre but this feels like an exemplary record within it. Modern production, still goes hard af. Has electric and acoustic blends throughout.
Catchy straight forward blues-rock. The song “The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll” is pretty spot on.
Jó kis viszkizős fless, kozisztensen jók a számok, de eléggé ugyanazokra a klisékre épülnek a dalok és kissé monotonná válik. 3.5/5
Kedvenc: I Can’t Be Satisfied a slide-olós gitár miatt.
While not introduced to Muddy Waters this way, I would have to count myself among the hordes of people whose affection for Muddy began with his performance in 'The Last Waltz.' A static shot with no edits or movement but all the same engaging as Muddy really lets it loose (with his cocaine badge and all. Not sure what I mean? Take note of those yellow pins, folks!) The story around his inclusion is my favourite tidbit about the concert. Apparently, Robbie Robertson was thinking of axing Muddy from the lineup, which prompted Levon Helm (the most perfect man of all time, if you ask me) to threaten to shoot Neil Diamond, whose latest album at that time was produced by none other than Robbie. Thank God Robbie listened. I can't pretend I know anything about The Blues or even about Muddy Waters. Like everybody else in the world, however, I don't tire of hearing Muddy do "Mannish Boy" again. It's certainly fun to hear all versions and try to come up with your favourite rendition. While the '68 version is certainly a vibe, and the '55 version has a haunted quality to it, I love that this cut goes on for longer. Sometimes, you gotta give the people what they want. As for the rest of the album, it's certainly delightful enough but doesn't quite meet the energy of "Mannish Boy." Make sure to pay close enough attention to catch the piano work of Pinetop Perkins. I'll credit Robert Christgau who says that this is one of the very best Chicago blues album, right up there with B.B. King's 'Live at the Regal.' 'Hard Again' is a magnificent album title, especially for a comeback record. It's also true. Muddy Waters was 64 in 1977. And he was still fucking.
Ain’t nobody get outta here without singing the blues.
its chill ahh hell
#287. I've never listened to Muddy Waters before, and apparently that was a mistake. Every bit of this is nothing less than fantastic. 5/5: perfection *this is the twenty eighth album I've purchased from this list Song added to playlist: Little Girl I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Real noisy for a blues record. Sounds like at any moment there’s 3 instruments wailing on top of each other. Unique, but gets repetitive
Cool riffs. A powerful voice. It's exactly what you think of, when you think of the blues.
Whilst I'm not an avid listener to The Blues my musical tastes do include genres that have some commonalities with this style of music. The album itself was very 'listenable' but equally there were no standout or weak tracks, it just sort of blended into one 40 minute track with a few gaps. That being said, I could happily listen to it again - and who knows, maybe the tracks would become more distinct.
Not really for me, and songs were very long and repetitive
Added to list
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!
Would I listen to it again: I don' think so. Is it a no-skip album: no. Do I like it: yes, I had fun listening to the album.
Why does every song sound nearly identical? Sometime it’s a little faster, sometimes slower, but it sounds like the same song over and over again with little variation. Maybe it’s a blues thing… maybe it ain’t an album friendly genre.
Surprisingly enjoyable
The Blues Had a Baby and They Named it Rock and Roll.
This is one great sounding album Production is phenomenal Everything pops
8/10. Nice blues.
Ah man what a freaking album. I love this so much. The energy on this record goes so hard and I absolutely love how hard Paul Allan Oscher goes on the harp. This is one of the records that absolutely deserves a place on this list. It feels like a quintessential cornerstone album. I don't know the history of the blues very much but it seems like this was very influential. My favorite band of all time is KGLW and Ambrose clearly has Muddy Waters as one of his inspirations which makes me super happy. Ambrose even teases Got My Mojo Working in one of their boogie-inspired songs.
Classic. Muddy Waters is the Godfather of rock n' roll. I love listening to this record and pulling out licks, and riffs, and rhythms that have been used by artists for decades. He's so freakin good at the guitar and harmonica. I love how he bends and moans it. Its pain, love, heartbreak, joy and death in every song.
Beauty within chaos! I'm a man, I'm a real man, I'm a rolling stone!
It's good to hear the blues again. This album is not at the level of his live album, but still worth a listen.
This was fantastic. If you basically imagine what a blues album should sound like and this is the blueprint (pun intended) I throughly enjoyed this and even when it finished and kept playing other similar artists I left it on an easy 5 a nice reminder of why I am doing this project
Love it
I was expecting a half decent album by a legend past his prime, some blues standards well delivered. But this is next level awesome. Johnny Winter has done a brilliant job. Muddy, the band, the production - all on point. This is not resting on nostalgia, it's vibrant and current.