"…She's Been Gone Twenty-Four
Hours...
And That's Twenty-Three Hours Too Long…"
If you were to pick one
release that perfectly blended great Old-School Blues with Classic Rock - then
1969s "Fathers And Sons" featuring the mighty MUDDY WATERS and good
friends would be the album. And now that 16-track sweet-as-a-nut double LP set
is further supplemented on this fabulous CD reissue with 4 great bonuses (part
of Universal’s “Blues Classics - Revisited & Remastered” CD Series). Its
like being handed a virtual master class in Blues-Rock - truly blistering
stuff. Here are Honey Bee details…
USA released October 2001 - "Fathers And Sons" by MUDDY WATERS on MCA/Chess 088 112 648-2 (Barcode
008811264826) is an Expanded Edition Reissue in the Blues Classics - Remastered And Revisited Series that offers the original 2LP
Remastered onto 1CD with Bonus Tracks. It plays out as follows (77:38 minutes):
1. All Aboard
2. Mean Disposition
3. Blow Wind Blow
4. Can’t Lose What You Ain’t
Never Had
5. Walkin’ Thru The Park
6. Forty Days And Forty
Nights
7. Standin’ Round Cryin’
8. I’m Ready
9. Twenty Four Hours
10. Sugar Sweet
11. Country Boy - Previously
Unreleased
12. I Love The Life I Live (I
Live The Life I Love) - Previously Unreleased
13. Oh Yeah - Previously
Unreleased
14. I Feel So Good -
Previously Unreleased
15. Long Distance Call [Live]
16. Baby, Please Don’t Go
[Live]
17. Honey Bee [Live]
18. The Same Thing [Live]
19. Got My Mojo Working, Part
One
20. Got My Mojo Working, Part
Two
Tracks 1 to 10 of the CD
(studio recordings) combined with 15 to 20 (live recordings) make up the
"Fathers And Sons" double-album issued August 1969 on Chess LPS-127
in the USA and October 1969 on Chess CRL 4556 in the UK (both 2LP vinyl sets).
Tracks 11 to 14 are
previously unreleased studio tracks from the sessions; Track 14 (a cover of Big
Bill Broonzy's “I Feel So Good") is previously unreleased in the USA on
album - it was a USA 7" single in 1970 - the B-side to "Going
Home" on Chess 2085.
The studio tracks (1 to 14)
were recorded 21, 22 and 23 April 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, while the live
tracks were recorded on 24 April 1969 (with the same band) at the "Super
Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree" also in Chicago, Illinois.
The band for the sessions
was:
MUDDY WATERS - Vocals and
Guitar
OTIS SPANN - Piano
MIKE BLOOMFIELD - Guitar
PAUL BUTTERFIELD - Harmonica
DONALD "DUCK" DUNN
- Bass
SAM LAY - Drums
Guests were:
PHIL UPCHURCH - Bass on
"All Aboard" only
JEFF CARP - Chromatic
Harmonica on "All Aboard" only
PAUL ASBELL - Rhythm Guitar
on "Walking Thru The Park", "Forty Days & Forty Nights"
and "Sugar Sweet" only)
BUDDY MILES - Drums on
"Got My Mojo Working, Part Two" only
Digitally remastered by ERICK
LABSON of Universal - the sound quality is typically fantastic (he has over
1000 mastering credits to his name for audio restoration and transfer) and
reflect the superb original Production skills of NORMAN DAYRON. The 12-page
booklet has typically brilliant and informative liner notes by Blues and R'n'B
expert BILL DAHL and features a few photos of the sessionmen (Butterfield,
Donald "Duck" Dunn etc) - clearly enthused to be playing with a
legend.
Highlights would include
Muddy's mournful yet fun cover of Eddie Boyd's "Twenty Four Hours"
(lyrics from the song title this review), the live version of Willie Dixon's
sex song "The Same Thing" and the in-your-face rocking of "Blow
Wind Blow". Then there's the accompaniment - Donald "Duck" Dunn
of Booker T & The MG's providing tight-as-a-nun's-knickers bass playing,
Mike Bloomfield blissed out and licking away on Guitar - while Paul Butterfield
and his mean harmonica simply blast their way through the songs like a pair possessed
(Butterfield is particularly brilliant on “Forty Days And Forty Nights”). The
icing on the cake is the four studio cuts that make “Fathers And Sons” even
stronger than before - "Country Boy" being intense Blues Rock with
Butterfield laying down a harmonica storm that would have made Little Walter
proud - wow…
This is a great Muddy Waters
record - not just a good one - and this cool CD reissue (at less than five quid
from some retailers) does that vinyl-double proud - and then some…
Titles in the Universal US-Only
Blues
Classics - Remastered & Revisited CD Series
1 and 2 are SUHA GUR remasters
3 to 11 are
ERICK LABSON remasters (I've reviewed most)
1. Bad News Is Coming - LUTHER ALLISON
(1972 Gordy LP, 2001 CD Remaster + Four Previously
Unreleased Bonus Tracks) - Universal 440 013 407-2 (Barcode 044001340727)
2. Luther’s Blues - LUTHER ALLISON
(1974 USA 9-track LP with 3 Previously
Unreleased bonuses, 70:28 minutes)
Universal 440 013 409-2 (Barcode 044001340925)
3. Two Steps From The Blues - BOBBY BLAND
(1961 USA 12-track LP on Duke with 2 bonuses,
35:12 minutes)
MCA 088 112 516-2 (Barcode 008811251628)
4. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues -
JOHN LEE HOOKER
(October 1966 and September 1991 LPs on Chess,
2LPs on 1CD, 79:44 minutes)
MCA/Chess 088 112 821-2 (Barcode 008811282127)
5. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues -
HOWLIN' WOLF
(January 1966 on Chess and January 1967 on
Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 66:45 minutes)
MCA/Chess 088 112 820-2 (Barcode 008811282028)
6. Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals
Sessions - ETTA JAMES
(January 1968 US 12-Track LP on Cadet - 13-22
being bonuses, 57:11 minutes)
MCA/Chess 088 112 518-2 (Barcode 008811251826)
7. Live At San Quentin - B.B. KING
(1990 13-Track Compilation on MCA, no extras,
64:09 minutes)
MCA America 088 112 517-2 (Barcode
008811251727)
8. At Newport 1960 - MUDDY WATERS
(1960 US 9-Track LP on Chess with 10-13 being 4
Mono Studio Tracks from June 1960 as bonus tracks, 44:41 minutes)
MCA/Chess 088 112 515-2 (Barcode 008811251529)
9. Fathers & Sons - MUDDY WATERS (with Paul
Butterfield, Otis Spann, Mike Bloomfield, Donald 'Duck' Dunn and Buddy Miles)
(Tracks 1-10 and 15-20 is the August 1969 2LP
set on Chess in Full with Tracks 11, 12, 13 being previously unreleased - and
14 previously unreleased in the USA). (77:38 minutes)
MCA/Chess 088 112 648-2 (Barcode 008811264826)
10. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues -
MUDDY WATERS
MCA/Chess 088 112 822-2 (Barcode 008811282226)
11. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues -
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
(January 1966 and January 1967 LPs on Chess,
2LPs on 1CD, 65:28 minutes)
MCA/Chess 088 112 823-2 (Barcode 008811282325)
