Howlin' Wolf - Howlin' - 1969 (2007)

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Howlin' Wolf - Howlin' - 1969 (2007)

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Product Description: Howlin' Wolf learned to play guitar from the one and only Delta blues great Charlie Patton, but he didn't really make his dent in the music industry until his electrifying recordings for Chess Records in the 50s. Along with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf is still considered the definitive Chicago-style blues artist, and to modern ears, Wolf's unique blend of raw guitar sounds and growling vocals sounds a lot like rock & roll at its wildest. It's easy to hear Howlin' Wolf's influence on several well-known, white blues-inspired rockstars, from Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck to modern day indie artists such as Jon Spencer, Jack White, and Billy Childish. Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.

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Howlin' Wolf - Howlin' - 1969 (2007)

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Reviews #1: The Wolf dubbed this LP 'dog shit', and many blues purists agreed with him. Like his peer Muddy Waters, the Wolf was none too enthused about psych-ing and funking up his sound.
So, is it a steaming pile of dog doo? If you can dig Muddy's 'Electric Mud', then it certainly ain't. There's the same nasty, filthy, super raw vibe here that prevails on Muddy's much maligned psych-funk outing.
"Spoonful" is just lowdown, funkatised blues-rock at its stankiest… The Wolf howls like always, with that big, crackeling voice of his, and guitarist Pete Cosey and drummer Morgan Jennings put in that muddied, electrified, rockin' psych-soul sound…
The fuzz comes on especially strong on a funked up rendition of "Tail Dagger" and it gets even greasier on "Smokestack Lightnin'", which cooks up a groove so down low and in-the-pocket it's insane…
"Moanin' at Midnight" finds a way to incorporate the sitar - a staple of the hippest psychedelic bands around at the time - but it's pretty traditional for the rest… A lurching, droning, one-chorded groove featuring some deep down Mississippah harmonica wailings. But the smelly groove juice of the funk-in-motion is back for a lazy, sleazed, cruisin' take on "Built for Comfort".
"The Red Rooster" is barely recognizable; riding a busy beat and a swampy guitar groove, it drones on relentlessly. The same stutter steppin' rhythm propels "Evil", turning it into a strange, trippy, wah wah-infested rocker. But the most intrictate rhythmic pattern is reserved for "Down in the Bottom", with its busy drums and pumping bass.
It's back to the Funk with another swangin' jam in the guise of "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy", after which Howlin' goes for his, churning out the sole traditional blues piece here. Before sockin' into "Back Door Man", the Wolf laments on how 'the music these days ain't the Blues… it's just a good rhythm they carry'…
Be that as it may, for those into fuzzed rock and psych-funk, this is a pretty sweet smelling serving.

#2: Interesting psychedelic interpetations of Wolfie's best known songs. A real oddity. The band is the same used on "Electric Mud" by Muddy Waters and that crazy ass psychedelic soul group "Rotary Connection." I love it. At least they tried to do something different. Wolf seems puzzeled if not downright confused on some of these tracks. Kind of like - I can't believe they're makin me do this to my songs.
Kind of has to be heard to be believed… Great Googley moogley..

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Howlin' Wolf - Howlin' - 1969 (2007)

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Howlin' Wolf - Howlin' - 1969 (2007)

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