Let the good times roll (Muddy Waters) (LP 694 - 697)

Muddy Waters The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album (CD, Chess Records, 1975) ****
Muddy Waters Live '76 (CD, Echoes, ?) *** 

Muddy Waters Hard Again (CD, CBS Records, 1977) ****

Muddy Waters I'm Ready (CD, CBS Records, 1978) ****

Genre: Blues

Places I remember: HMV (East Croydon); The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Going Down To Mainstreet (TMWWA)

Gear costume: The Blues Had A Baby And They Called It Rock And Roll (Hard Again), 33 Years (I'm Ready)

Active compensatory factors: The Woodstock Album is Muddy's final album for Chess and he ends things on a high thanks to Levon Helm and cronies, including Garth Hudson and Paul Butterfield on some blistering harmonica.

In between that and the late career albums with Johnny Winter, comes Live in '76 - a raw set of songs broadcast on the radio from Pall's Mall in Boston.

Of the trio of Johnny Winter curated albums I have the first two essential albums (must get King Bee sometime). The band is HOT and Muddy has full command of his extraordinary powers.

Where do they all belong? And that's it for Muddy on CD. Your best bet if new to Muddy remains a Chess compilation.

Endless Highway (The Band) (LP 88)

The Band Live At Watkins Glen (CD - Capitol, 1995) **

Genre: Canadian rock

Places I remember: Kings Recording - Abu Dhabi.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Up On Cripple Creek - Levon Helm in fine form!




Gear costume: Don't Ya Tell Henry

Active compensatory factors: I've deducted a point for the fraudulent nature of this collection. A few tracks are from the actual concert but the vast majority are studio outtakes with an audience noise super imposed over them.

Crazy! The music is okay and my two featured tracks are the pick of the bunch but really...how cynical are Capitol records?

Crappy cover too! looks like someone has shot up the sign, which would be appropriate.

Where do they all belong? In a completist Band fanatic's collection (which I am not).