Search - Muddy Waters :: Muddy Mississippi Waters (Dig)

****1/2. Better sound, better mixes

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 11/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The original seven-track Muddy 'Mississippi' Waters Live" album was a nice, but ultimately inessential record.

However, this 2003 deluxe edition (similar in design to the deluxe edition of the Allman Brothers Band's "Live At Fillmore East") restores the truncated mixes of the originally released songs, it adds another disc of previously unreleased material, and both discs have been digitally remastered. The drums and the bass may have been left a little too much in the background at times, but the vocals, the guitars, the harmonica and the piano are superbly crisp and clear, notably better than on the original CD release.



Disc one has been fleshed out a little bit...the original mixes have been scrapped in favour of new and usually better ones, something which is particularly audible on the leadoff track, "Mannish Boy", which is two minutes longer than on the 1979 LP (and the original CD issue) due to the inclusion of a verse sung by Johnny Winter.



Other highlights include the slow groove of "Streamline Woman", and a swaggering nine-minute "Deep Down In Florida", and Muddy's take on Sonny Boy Williamson's "Nine Below Zero" is terrific; less tense and punchy than Sonny Boy's, but solidly swinging on harpist Jerry Portnoy's wonderful riffing and a swaggering backbeat by drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith.

The tight and muscular band includes Johnny Winter on several songs, but even with four guitarists the musicians manage not to step on each others toes too much, or engage in meaningless flailing...with the possible exception of Waters himself, actually. I hate to say it, and I don't deny that Muddy used to be a really good slide guitarist before the 1970 traffic accident that almost killed him, but some of these lenghty "solos" are pretty much just noise. Ugly, screeching sounds. Ugh!



Still, that is a minor complaint, and it is just about the only one I can come up with. Well, maybe we've heard "Baby Please Don't Go" a few too many times, and Muddy himself sounds less than excited about it as well.

Anyway, disc one is quite strong, but disc two will certainly hold the most interest for longtime fans, of course, since this material, which was recorded at the same series of August, 1978 shows as the songs on disc one, has not previously seen the light of day.

Opening with a lenghty soliloqui by Muddy Waters, and a "Stormy Monday Blues" which doesn't quite match T-Bone's original, it features a swinging "Trouble No More", an interesting "Champagne And Reefer", and the irresistable piano-driven "Corrine, Corrina".

This rendition of "Hoochie Coochie Man" has a lot of power as well, and the mix is one of the best on the entire album, finally bringing the bass and the drums to the forefront. And the rarely heard "She Moves Me", an early track from the Aristocrat days, is a nice inclusion, as is the slow, intense "Mad Love (I Want You To Love Me)", and Joe "Pinetop" Perkins' nimble performance of Clarence "Pinetop" Smith's classic "Pinetop Boogie Woogie".



You'd think that a nine-minute "Kansas City" would likely overstay its welcome, but it doesn't, mostly thanks to the wonderful band and a couple of great guitar solos. And the album finally winds down with the great, up-tempo swing of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (sung in part by Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson), and a fast, aggressive "Got My Mojo Working" with a nice, meaty harmonica solo and some superb drumming.



This double-disc reissue includes an essay by Muddy-guitarist Bob Margolin, as well as Muddy Waters encouraging the audience to "smoke a little reefer, people", and it would be a nice addition to any Muddy-fan's collection. It is not necessarily better than some of the other excellent live recordings left behind by Muddy Waters (like "The Lost Tapes", "Mojo", "Chicago 1979" and of course the Newport album), mainly because it doesn't really add anything new to Muddy's vast legacy...almost all of these tracks have been issued before in equally fine live versions (musically, at least).

But 4 1/2 stars anyway, because it's just so good! Even if there are other, less highly touted live recordings of the legendary Muddy Waters band which are just as good, or, in some cases, just a little bit better."

Muddy Loud and Clear

A. McDavid | Portland, Oregon | 03/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As I have become more fully aware of Muddy, and the incredible impact his music had on our generation, it took me awhile to get to this recording. (I think there are at least 19 other Muddy CDs on my shelf) I am so glad I did. The re-issue here is wonderful, and Bob Margolin, who played a big part in this re-issue gives us some great background history in the nicely designed CD booklet. The first CD is top-notch live material, but as other reviewers made aware, the second CD is gold. I happen to like Johnny Winter, and am thankful that he played an integral role in bringing Muddy into a "second-coming" of his career in the late 70's. I believe Johnny truly loved and admired Muddy, and contrary to what others have written, I like Winter's presence on the first CD. However, if you are one who doesn't, he's not on the second disc at all. At any rate, this is a set that I know I will keep coming back to for many years. I highly recommend spending the little bit extra to get this 2 CD version of Muddy Live."

A GREAT ALBUM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael R. Conrad | Ft Lauderdale, FL | 05/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a blues fan you will love this album!!! This is the greatest bluesman at his best. A passion for the music hits you like the blast from a shotgun.



This is the blues in it's most basic setting played with a passion that is just overwhelming.



Plug in your headphones sit back and relax and let the music take you away!!!! My personal favorite is "Champagne & Reefer" along with "Down in Florida". God this music is great!!!!!



The blues is the most underaprreciated music of all the genre's and Muddy Waters might be one of the most underappreciated musicians of all time!!!!



This is a great album !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"