by Howlin'' Wolf List Price:$18.00 Our Price:$14.00 Availability: Usually ships in 5 to 7 days
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, April 08, 1997
Label: Chess
Average Customer Review: 5 Based on 34 reviews.
Sales Rank: 1655
Tracks
1.
Wang Dang Doodle
2.
Back Door Man
3.
Spoonful
4.
Shake for Me
5.
Red Rooster
6.
I Ain't Superstitious
7.
Goin' Down Slow
8.
Three Hundred Pounds of Joy
9.
Hidden Charms
10.
Built for Comfort
11.
Killing Floor
12.
Howlin' for My Darlin'
13.
Sitting on Top of the World
14.
Who's Been Talking?
15.
I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)
16.
Smokestack Lightning
17.
Forty-Four
18.
Evil
19.
How Many More Years
20.
Moanin' at Midnight
21.
Goin' Down Slow
22.
Howlin' for My Darlin'
23.
I Ain't Superstitious
24.
Moanin' at Midnight
25.
Who's Been Talking?
Editorial Review
Chester Burnett's ferocious growl was a staple of Chicago's electric-blues heyday. This 20-song compilation ranges from his 1951 debut "Moanin' at Midnight" with Willie Johnson on guitar to 1964's "Killing Floor" with Buddy Guy on guitar. His scratchy, sawed-off vocal approach and his energetic harmonica grace original classics such as "How Many More Years" and "Smokestack Lightnin'." By 1960, he became, along with Muddy Waters, the foremost interpreter of Willie Dixon's songs, lending his coarse voice to legendary Dixon cuts such as "Wang Dang Doodle," "Back Door Man," "Spoonful," "The Red Rooster," and "I Ain't Superstitious." Wolf's style was based on primal raw power, and he ranks among the genre's most distinctive performers. --Marc Greilsamer
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
5 essential
Howlin' Wolf was already in his forties when he arrived in Chicago in the winter of 1953 and started recording for the Chess label. He quickly became Muddy Waters main and only rival on the city's club scene. With his six foot three, weighing well over 300 pounds, he had the stage presence of a mountain. Or perhaps a volcano is a better word, as he would regularly erupt, fall to his knees and howl at the moon. All his Chess recordings are essential listening for any serious blues lover, but if I had to pick one song to represent the Wolf in an anthology of the best American music from the 20th century, my choice would probably be Smokestack Lightnin'.It's a simple song, just a few chords in a row actually, but it might be one of the greatest recordings ever recorded by a recording artist. I kid you not. Just as the Carmina Buruna belongs in the background of a classic, Freudian nightmare. Smokestack Lightnin' is the perfect soundtrack to a wild and sweaty one. It has a swampy feel bundled with images of trains and "little bittie boys". And the voice that sings it is just huge. I mean, the Wolf must have made the people around him feel like insects. It reminds me of the sound of a Harley, if you have the right pair of ears, you will only need to hear it once to remember it for the rest of your live.
Rating:
5 Hot Like Red Pepper. Sweet like Cherry Wine.
This is a great collection of Chester Arthur Burnett's songs from Chess Records spanning the period from 1951 with "Moanin' at Midnight" to "Killing Floor" in 1964. Howlin' Wolf has got to be one of the greatest blues performers of all time. He was able to completely put his heart and soul into each song by creating a rich, powerful and earthy singing style. He also was a very accomplished harmonica player, which he learned from Sonny Boy Williamson.At 6 foot three inches and 270 pounds, he was literal giant of a man with a wild raw voice and presence that made him stand out in the Chicago Blues scene like the Bodhi Dharma of Zen lore.This collection features classic blues songs which should be considered the definitive versions for example:Moanin' at Midnight (1951), Evil (1954), Forty-Four (1954), Smokestack Lightning (1956), Howlin' for my Darlin' (1959), Spoonful (1960), The Red Rooster (1961), Built for Comfort (1963).Howlin' Wolf is backed up on many of these cuts by bass player and blues lyricist extraordinaire, Willie Dixon. Also, the great Hubert Sumlin's electric guitar stands out on such classic cuts as Evil and Smokestack Lightning. In fact, every time I listen to this album, I hear some Hubert Sumlin electric guitar rifts that were the staples of later white bands such as the Rolling Stones, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Doors, Yardbirds, etc. BTW, Captain Beefheart is the only singer that I know who came close to capturing some of the essence of Howlin' Wolf's great powerful voice.My favorite song on the CD is "Howlin' for my Darling". This song is full of joy and exuberance and where Howlin' Wolf lives up to his name in every respect.
Rating:
3 His Best Chess
This CD was not what I was looking for. He played one item on the CD that was with the FULL sound, the others I didn't care for. I heard a song by him pertaining to a dope addict. I was told this was it - it was not. It was full and mesmerizing. Please recommend the CD I am looking for.
Rating:
5 The best single-disc overview of an amazing career
If you're only ever going to buy one Howlin' Wolf-album (why? why would you want to to that?), this is the one to get.Howlin' Wolf recorded some two hundred songs during his long career, and with room for 20 only, some hard choices must have been made by the compilers.Chester Arthur Burnett, the Howlin' Wolf, stood about 6'4" and weighed close to three hundred pounds in his prime, and his huge, gravelly roar of a voice sounds positively frightening on early cuts like "Moanin' At Midnight" and the clanging, piano-driven boogie of "How Many More Years".The songwriting credits are shared about equally by the omnipresent Willie Dixon, who plays bass on most of the cuts as well, and the Wolf himself, and "Hidden Charms" features perhaps the greatest guitar solo ever comitted to tape, courtesy of the hugely underestimated Hubert Sumlin, Wolf's right-hand man for more than twenty years.Other highlights include "Forty-Four", "Smokestack Lightnin'", "The Red Rooster" and the phenomenal "Killing Floor", written by Howlin' Wolf, shamelessly stolen by Led Zeppelin and covered by several others, but never surpassed, and featured here in the ultimate version, sporting an incredibly catchy guitar riff by Hubert Sumlin, and Buddy Guy on acoustic rhythm guitar.This CD is a corner stone in any serious blues collection, hard-rocking, bone-crunching electric blues, burning with the sheer ferocity of Chester Burnett's incredible voice. There was never anyone like the Wolf, and it doesn't seem likely that there will be.Oh, and while you're at it, get "His Best vol. II" as well.
Rating:
5 The best single-disc overview of a phenomenal career
If you're only ever going to buy one Howlin' Wolf-album (why? why would you want to to that?), this is the one to get.Howlin' Wolf recorded some two hundred songs during his long career, and with room for 20 only, some hard choices must have been made by the compilers.Chester Arthur Burnett, the Howlin' Wolf, stood about 6'4" and weighed close to three hundred pounds in his prime, and his huge, gravelly roar of a voice sounds positively frightening on early cuts like "Moanin' At Midnight" and "How Many More Years", the latter track (probably) featuring Ike Turner on piano.The songwriting credits are shared about equally by the omnipresent Willie Dixon, who plays bass on most of the cuts as well, and the Wolf himself, and "Hidden Charms" features perhaps the greatest guitar solo ever comitted to tape, courtesy of the hugely underestimated Hubert Sumlin, Wolf's right-hand man for more than twenty years.Other highlights include "Forty-Four", "Smokestack Lightnin'", "The Red Rooster" and the phenomenal "Killing Floor", written by Howlin' Wolf, shamelessly stolen by Led Zeppelin and covered by several others, but never surpassed, and featured here in the ultimate version, sporting an incredibly catchy guitar riff by Hubert Sumlin, and Buddy Guy on rhythm guitar.This is a corner stone in any serious blues collection. Hard-rocking, bone-crunching electric blues, burning with the sheer ferocity of Chester Burnett's incredible voice. There was never anyone like the Wolf, and it doesn't seem likely that there will be.Oh, and while you're at it, get "His Best vol. II" as well.
Rating:
5 20 classics from the Wolf!
Opening with "Moanin' at Midnight", Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett) uses a low hum filled with overtones that distorts the microphone for eight seconds until the guitar and drums enter. The Wolf then does a distorting howl and then goes on the harmonica and the tempo gradually increases to become the instant Delta blues classic that it is. It is one of the strangest yet one of the neatest sounds that was ever part of a song. When you hear it, don't worry because your speakers aren't broken. The song sounds pretty good from something from 1951. That song and its B-side "How Many More Years" were recorded for Sam Phillips in Memphis. The masters were sold to Chess when the Wolf was signed to Chess, too. The 18 other songs are pure, raw blues. The Chess musicians were a fine group of musicians and really knew how to crank out the blues especially with people like Howlin' Wolf. "Smokestack Lightning", "I Asked for Water", "Hidden Charms", and "Killing Floor" have hot guitar licks. Listen for "Spoonful"; yeah! That's another hot one. The entire song is flawless and there's a neat rhythm and a drive to it. My favorite! I've suddenly taken an interest in blues music and this is indeed a sheer example of what the blues was all about. I was more into the rock'n'roll of those days and not necessarily straight and pure blues. Man, they had some real good stuff then. If you're just discovering Howlin' Wolf, this is the one to really lend an ear to. You'll be glad you did. WOO-OO!
Rating:
5 epitomized the blues for me
and why not? more than any other blues singer, Howlin Wolf has had a major influence on a lot of very important bands. I recognized songs covered by Cream, The Doors, and the Steve Miller Band, among others on this disc. These are blues standards for one reason; Wolf speaks directly and has few pretensions. The hooks are also really good, just listen to the bone crunching bass line on "backdoor man" to see why it is so much better than the Doors version. Classic song after classic song is included here, for all to enjoy. You need this in your collection to have a complete blues collection. It might even be the best introduction to the blues that there is!
Rating:
5 SOME GREAT CLASSIC BLUES
Howlin' Wolf has the got one of the most incredible voices ever. This is a great single disc comptilation of his work. He was obviously highly inspiring too many of the english guitarists and musicians. He (like muddy waters) has an all star band with some of the greatest bluesman ever. Track Listing-1. Moanin' At Midnight- 10/102. How Many More Years- 10/103. Evil- 10/104. Forty-Four 10/105. Smokestack Lightnin'- 10/106. I Asked For Water- 8.5/107. Who's Been Talkin'- 10/108. Sitting On Top of the World- 10/109. Howlin' For My Darling- 9/1010. Wang Dang Doodle- 10/1011. Back Door Man- 9.5/1012. Spoonful- 10/1013. Shake For Me- 10/1014. The Red Rooster- 10/1015. I Ain't Superstitious- 10/1016. Goin' Down Slow- 10/1017. Three Hunder Pounds of Joy- 10/1018. Hidden Charms- 10/1019. Built for Comfort- 10/1020. Killing Floor- 10/10This album is phenomenal. Some of the greatest blues you will ever hear, buy it!
