The Millennium Collection: Best Of Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters

If paying your dues is the way to musical mastery than McKinley Morganfield, or as he is better known, Muddy Waters, paid it up by the bucketful. With a history that would make even the most experienced modern musician embarrassed, Muddy Waters was a true blues master. OK if you're going to be picky, Chicago blues.   

As soon as I first heard the blues of Muddy Waters sometime in 1985 I was hooked and immediately set about seeking out other blues masters. But in reality I needn't have bothered as there is only one. 

Although this collection is only a fraction of the recorded output of Muddy Waters, the eleven tracks cover probably the most influential blues songs this side of the Mississippi. Certainly the Thames as you can hear the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and Steve Winwood echoing from the tracks.

It truly is refreshing to hear the original versions of songs that he recorded many times during his recording career. 'Mannish Boy' in particular is a revelation with a stripped back sound that is much more powerful than later recordings. With '(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man' and 'I'm Ready' also amongst the tracks there is no better reason to track this album down. Sure other artists have recorded these but the original is still the best. In the words of Lennon McCartney, "He roller coaster - he got Muddy Waters". Indeed