"The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues" by MUDDY WATERS – January 1966 and January 1967 US LPs on Chess Records featuring Little Walter, Junior Wells, Jimmy Rogers, James Cotton, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Walter Horton, Ernest "Big" Crawford, James "Pee Wee" Madison, S.P. Leary and more (June 2002 US MCA/Chess CD Compilation - Blues Classics: Remastered & Revisited Series featuring 2LPs onto 1CD – Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

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****

"...You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had... "

 

I loved every release in this classy CD Reissue Series - most of which appeared across the years 2001 and 2002 on MCA/Chess in the States – their archival Blues Classics: Remastered & Revisited Series (see list below).

 

Hardly surprising then that the mighty McKinley Morganfield aka MUDDY WATERS was going to be in that list more than a few times. So, what you have here are two albums that appeared on Chess Records in the USA in January 1966 and January 1967 – both capitalizing on his fabulous "Folk Singer" LP of January 1964 that brought him a whole new audience of Sixties hipsters cottoning on to the Blues. Loads to discuss – to the details...

 

US released 12 March 2002 - "The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues" by MUDDY WATERS on MCA/Chess 088 112 822-2 (Barcode 008811282226) offers 2LPs from 1966 and 1967 Remastered onto 1CD and it plays out as follows (69:31 minutes):

 

1. Mannish Boy [Side 1] – May 1955 Recording

2. Screamin' And Cryin' – July 1949 Recording

3. Just To Be With You – June 1956 Recording

4. Walking Thru The Park – Late 1958 Recording

5. Walkin' Blues – February 1960 Recording

6. Canary Bird – July 1949 Recording

7. The Same Thing [Side 2] – April 1964 Recording

8. Gypsy Woman – 1947 Recording

9. Rollin' & Tumblin' Part One – February 1950 Recording

10. Forty Days And Forty Nights – February 1956 Recording

11. Little Geneva – July 1949 Recording

12. You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "The Real Folk Blues" – released January 1966 in the USA on Chess LP 1501. Guest Musicians include Little Walter on Harmonica (Track 1), Jimmy Rogers on Guitar (Tracks 1, 3 and 10), Walter Horton on Harmonica (Tracks 3 and 10), James Cotton on Harmonica (Track 4), Otis Spann on Piano (Tracks 3, 4, 7, 10 and 12), "Pee Wee" Madison on Guitar (Tracks 7 and 12), Willie Dixon on Bass (Tracks 1, 3, 7, 10 and 12), Ernest "Big" Crawford on Bass (Tracks 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11) and more

 

13. Sad Letter Blues [Side 1] – June 1950 Recording

14. You're Gonna Need My Help I Said – June 1950 Recording

15. Sittin' Here And Drinkin' (Whiskey Blues) – Fall 1948 Recording

16. Down South Blues – Fall 1948 Recording

17. Train Fare Home Blues – Fall 1948 Recording

18. Kind Hearted Woman – Fall 1948 Recording

19. Appealing Blues (Hello Little Girl) – June 1950 Recording

20. Early Morning Blues – June 1950 Recording

21. Too Young To Know – January 1951 Recording

22. She's Alright – December 1952 Recording

23. Landlady – December 1952 Recording

24. Honey Bee – January 1951 Recording

Tracks 13 to 24 are the album "More Real Folk Blues" – released January 1967 in the USA on Chess LP-1511. Guest Musicians include Little Walter on Harmonica and Ernest "Big" Crawford on Bass (Tracks 13, 14, 21 and 24), Little Walter on Harmonica and Jimmy Rogers on Guitar (Tracks 22 and 23), Ernest "Big" Crawford on Bass Only (Tracks 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20) and more.

 

The 12-page booklet reproduces the front and rear artwork of both LPs with their respective period liner notes; that is supplemented with new notes from PAUL WILLIAMS of Crawdaddy Magazine with Remastered Audio from one of Universal's Top Audio Engineers - ERICK LABSON (see List Below). While it's not genuinely substantial, it's a pretty booklet nonetheless and there's a colour photo of Morgan in full-flow on stage beneath the see-through CD tray at the rear with the 'Blues Classics: Remastered & Revisited' Logo on the inlay spine. To the music...

 

A quick scan of the tracks lists provided above and you will see that these January 1966 and 1967 American LPs had little to do with Sixties Blues – for the most part they were a mixed brew of late Forties and mid Fifties Chess oldies and sounded like it too. Across the first LP only two songs - "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had" hailed from the Sixties (both 1964) whilst the second album had none at all. As a result, the audio on the 1948 and 1950 tracks is crude to say the least and no amount of ERICK LABSON Remasters is going to bring them up to fidelity. Even the liner notes of the day alluded to this – claiming they were not flawless – but that the spirit was there.

 

Having acknowledged that, Labson does a great job anyway (he has remastered thousands of Chess tracks and has a long line of Remastering accolades). To counter all the originals, those two 1964 nuggets have astonishing audio – the kind of Blues thrill that is rare – fab full sound elicited by players like Otis Spann (Piano), James "Pee Wee" Madison (Guitar), Willie Dixon (Bass) and S.P. Leary (Drums) – sessioned Blues dudes who would play with Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac at the Chess Studios in 1969. On the second LP Little Walter gets to shine while Muddy Waters gets to attack that guitar – Ernest "Big" Crawford pumping up the bottom end with a Double Bass.

 

I actually prefer the second album – Muddy and Guitar and Voice with Harmonica accompaniment – moody and real indeed. A good entry in the series, but just don't go expecting audio miracles, but more authenticity...

 

The "Blues Classics: Remastered & Revisited" CD Series

A LIST in ARTIST ALPHABETICAL ORDER

1 and 2 Remastered SUHA GUR, 3 to 11 Remastered by ERICK LABSON

 

1. Bad News Is Coming - LUTHER ALLISON

Debut US Album from December 1972 on Gordy Records G 964L (no UK) - Featuring Ray Goodman and Paul White

April 2001 US CD Reissue on Universal/Motown 440 013 407-2 (Barcode 044001340727) with 4 Previously Unreleased Bonuses - SUHA GUR Remasters (56:10 minutes)

 

2. Luther's Blues - LUTHER ALLISON

Second US Album from July 1974 on Gordy G 967V1 (no UK) – featuring Bob Goodman and Gene Block

April 2001 US CD Reissue on Universal/Motown 440 013 409-2 (Barcode 044001340925) with 3 Previously Unreleased Bonuses – SUHA GUR Remaster (70:32 minutes)

 

3. Two Steps From The Blues - BOBBY BLAND

January 1961 USA 12-track LP on Duke DLP 74

February 2001 US CD Reissue on MCA/Duke-Peacock 088 112 516-2 (Barcode 008811251628) with 2 Bonus Tracks – ERICK LABSON Remaster

(35:12 minutes)

 

4. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - JOHN LEE HOOKER

October 1966 and September 1991 US LPs on Chess LP 1508 and MCA/Chess-9329

March 2001 US CD Reissue on MCA/Chess 088 112-821-2 (Barcode 008811282127) – ERICK LABSON Remasters (79:47 minutes)

 

5. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - HOWLIN' WOLF

January 1966 and January 1967 US LPs on Chess LP 1502 and Chess 1512

March 2002 US CD Reissue on Universal/MCA/Chess 088 122 820-2 (Barcode 008811282028) – ERICK LABSON Remaster (66:45 minutes)

 

6. Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions - ETTA JAMES

January 1968 US 12-Track LP on Cadet LPS 802 (Stereo and Mono)

May 2001 US CD Reissue on Universal/MCA/Chess 088 112 518-2 (Barcode 008811251826) – ERICK LABSON Remaster with 10 Bonus Tracks (57:11 minutes)

 

7. Live At San Quentin - B.B. KING

September 1990 US 13-Track LP on MCA Records MCA 6103

March 2001 US CD Reissue 13-Track CD Compilation on MCA America 088 412 517-2 (Barcode 008811251727) – ERICK LABSON Remasters (64:11 minutes)

 

8. At Newport 1960 - MUDDY WATERS

November 1960 US 9-Track LP on Chess LP 1449 with Tracks 10-13 being 4 Mono Studio Tracks from June 1960 as Bonuses

March 2001 US CD Reissue on MCA/Chess 088 112 515-2 (Barcode 008811251529) – ERICK LABSON Remaster (44:43 minutes)

 

9. Fathers & Sons - MUDDY WATERS & Friends

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, 12, 13 are previously unreleased - and 14 is previously unreleased in the USA and are Bonuses on this CD

October 2001 US CD Reissue on MCA/Chess 088 112 648-2 (Barcode 008811264826) – ERICK LANSON Remaster (77:38 minutes)

 

10. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - MUDDY WATERS

January 1966 and January 1967 US LPs on Chess LP-1501 and Chess LP-1511

March 2002 US CD Reissue (2LPs onto 1CD) on MCA/Chess 088 112 822-2 (Barcode 008811282226) – ERICK LABSON Remasters (69:31 minutes)

 

11. The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues - SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON

January 1966 and January 1967 LPs on Chess LP 1503 and Chess LP 1509

May 2002 US CD Reissue (2LPs onto 1CD) on MCA/Chess 088 112 823-2 (Barcode 008811282325) – ERICK LABSON Remasters (65:26 minutes)