His Best 1947 To 1955

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the best recordings in Chess Records' 50th Anniverary series is the first of two bookend Muddy Waters collections, iHis Best 1947-55/i. Documenting Waters's most creatively and commercially successful years at Aristocrat/Chess, this collection begins with his formative years and ends with Waters at his peak. So you're in for a lot of terrific bottleneck slide guitar work as well as electric Chicago blues; what's to criticize? Superb remasterings of "I Can't Be Satisfied", "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "I'm Ready", and "Mannish Boy" are simply beyond reproach. With simple bass accompaniment from Ernest "Big" Crawford, Waters's bottleneck tracks are spare, haunting and, quite frankly, perfect country blues. And listening to Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, and Jimmy Rogers piece together (and perfect very quickly) the classic Chicago sound is pure blues epiphany. At the very least, this collection shows you why Waters's rollicking stop-time classics like "Mannish Boy" and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" have sparked endless imitations over the years--and why nobody has played them better since. i--Ken Hohman/i

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2009-04-04 rating:
Excellent compilation. Prime 50s blues
"Excellent compilation", eh? So why only four stars? br /Well, let's make it 4 1/2, 'cause the track selection is really great. It brings together almost all the best of Muddy Waters' rough, muscular blues...or rather, the best of 1947-55, which is why this is "only" a four star-compilation: It's not a career spanning retrospective, and it doesn't quite cut it on its own. br / br /But if you get this CD along with its companion volume, "His Best: 1956-1964", which also features 20 tracks, you'll have a really fine career overview, second only to the three-disc "Chess Box" set (and perhaps the 50-track "The Anthology: 1947-1972"). br / br /This CD only has one significant flaw: A production error means than a sloppy alternate take of "Hoochie Coochie Man" is included instead of the master. Muddy's vocals are fantastic, but the music is less so, and Little Walter's harmonica playing is, well, awful. br /But apart from that minor glitch this is just about as fine a compilation as you could wish for. It includes Muddy's first single, the slashing acoustic slide guitar blues "I Can't Be Satisfied", and tough, electric Chicago classics like "I'm Ready", "Trouble No More", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", and the one-chord powerhouse "Mannish Boy". br / br /Just remember that this isn't the definitive word on Muddy Waters - he made superb songs after 1955 as well, and if you're going to get two Muddy-discs anyway you might as well go for the double-disc "Anthology 1947-1972" right away


review by: Mojo Pin date: 2004-09-30 rating:
Utter briliance.
This collection of songs is a real must for anyone who's interested in learning more about the origins of popular music. When listening to these tacks you can't help but feel that this is where it all started. The Beatles, the Stones, Clapton - they'd all be nowhere if it wasn't for the likes of Muddy. pEvery track is a gem. There really isn't a weakness on this record. You're taken on a journey from the softer, more primitive recordings from Muddy's career through to the much heavier, meatier tunes like 'Hoochie Coochie Man'. Songs like this just ooze this aura of coolness that you just can't find in today's music. Muddy is a much neglected artist. Get this record now.

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