Description
Label Review.
1969 album. After being out of print for years, Get On Down is proud to present this rare classic from Muddy Waters pulled from the original masters.
Our Overview.
American singer and guitarist Muddy Waters may have been born in Mississippi, but he defined Chicago blues with songs like "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man." He received his first guitar at age 17, and taught himself to play by listening to recordings of Mississippi blues legends such as Charley Patton. In 1944 his uncle gave him an electric guitar. It was with this guitar that he was able to develop the legendary style that transformed the rustic blues of the Mississippi with the urban vibe of the big city.
Working at a paper mill by day, Waters was sweeping the blues scene by night. By 1946, he had grown so popular that he had begun making recordings for big record companies such as RCA, Colombia and Aristocrat. It wasn't until 1950, when Aristocrat became Chess Records, that Waters's career really began to take off. With hits like "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Got My Mojo Working," his sensual lyrics peaked interest in the young crowds of the city. "Rollin' Stone," one of his singles, became so popular that it went on to influence the name of the major music magazine as well as one of the most famous rock bands to date.
By 1951, Muddy Waters had established a full band with Otis Spann on piano, Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on second guitar and Elgin Evans on drums. The band's recordings were increasingly popular in New Orleans, Chicago and the Delta region in the United States, but it wasn't until 1958, when the group brought their electric blues sound to England, that Muddy Waters became an international star.
Waters continued to record with rock musicians throughout the 1960s and '70s, and won his first Grammy Award in 1971 for the album They Call me Muddy Waters. By the end of his lifetime, Muddy Waters had garnered six Grammys as well as countless other honours. Since his death, Waters's contribution to the music world has continued to gain recognition. And some of the most recognisable names in music have named Muddy Waters as their single-greatest influence, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Johnny Winter.
Muddy Waters' After the Rain has achieved cult-like status amongst blues fans in the years since his death in 1983. After taking a backlash from critics with first attempt at adopting psychedelic influences on Electric Mud, Muddy made adjustments for the follow-up, despite keeping a majority of the same session players. This time, he toned down the psychedelic elements and put them in balance with his classic Chicago blues sound, and the results yield some vintage tracks that glow with fuzzy guitars and bass: "I Am the Blues", "Ramblin' Mind", "Bottom of the Sea", and "Blues Trouble."
After being out of print for years this is your chance to get your hands on this rare classic.