Muddy Waters – Folk Singer

Put aside any feelings you may have about WHY this record was made, and just revel in the glory of a very-well-recorded ACOUSTIC Muddy Waters album.

Muddy Waters was so bloody good it’s frightening, and you hear why here—no distortion, no amps, no big band, no shitty sound system, no macho posturing, no ghastly shuffles or idiotic solos. Just Muddy, here and there tastefully backed by Willie Dixon, Clifton James, and Buddy Guy. Muddy, just bein’ powerful. Lethal. His presence is just enormous. His voice is a a cavern you crawl into, where you sleep on shadows, dine on gravel, and dream of rocking chairs and cypress groves.

By the way, yes, THAT Buddy Guy. Here, young, and acoustic. Buddy Guy. (For the record, these are the best recordings Buddy Guy ever made.)

I first heard this on vinyl, when it was just the 9 original tracks. I like it best that way.

Recommended track to start with: Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl

Why this track? Cuz it’s spry as fuck, that’s why. This thing just bounces. So tough. So cool. This is how you make acoustic music badass.