Customer Rating:  
Summary: Wolf in London
Comment: This is great outing for one of the Blues senior citizens; a tribute by the devoted following of British Blues youngbloods who perform with due reverence for the master. Sure, its not full throttle Wolf, but the impro take of Little Red Rooster alone is worth the fare, as the compiler's recognised. This voice has left an indelible mark on the direction of Blues ever since. If you are into Beefheart or Tom Waits, trace them back to this immovable feast. Enjoy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!
Comment: I absolutely loved this CD. Unlike other reviewers who didn't appreciate Hubert Sumlin playing rhythm guitar and Clapton playing lead, Howlin' Wolf and Mr. Sumlin, both tried and true together, give way to some new blues followers, and thank God. Look what has become of Eric as a blues front man! Not to mention the mark the Stones and Steve Winwood have left on the blues scene. I love the humbleness shown here. Also, if you watch Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD from Dallas 2004, you will note Hubert Sumlin featured as a blues great playing along side Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, Robert Cray and Jimmy Vaughn. This CD is fantastic, I recommend it to any blues lover.
Customer Rating:
Summary: timeless
Comment: This cd exceeded my expectations. The 60's rockers backing up their idol Howlin Wolf in the twilight of his career sounded as if they had been a unit for years. The musicians manage to give the songs a fresh sound while still staying true to its roots. The Howlin Wolf although at the recording was becoming more and more ill infuses his ailing into his singing to make the listener feel the blues. Excellent CD.
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you don't like this album, you have no soul
Comment: I've often heard that "blues purists" have great disdain for this album, which leads me to think the definition of "blues purist" is "someone who tries way too hard to not like good music."
Sure, Wolf was old. Sure, you can tell he wasn't in great health. But he was still perfectly able to get a song over and still had ample power upon which to draw when he needed to. The performances by the backing musicians (particularly Ian Stewart) are generally impeccable, the arrangements are tasteful if at times a bit cluttered, and Eric Clapton manages to walk the fine line between showcasing his own chops and not stepping on the toes of Wolf or his material. I think he pulls it off splendidly.
My only two complaints about this album are A) The Steve Winwood organ solo on "Who's Been Talking" (more '60s psychedelia than Chicago blues, sounds out of place), and the criminal relegation of the great Hubert Sumlin to (barely audible) rhythm guitar duties. This is like asking Michelangelo to paint tract houses, and the album would have benefited if Clapton and Sumlin both played lead guitar.
Aside from those fairly minor gripes, there's not really anything to dislike about this album if you enjoy listening to great musicians play great music. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Blues With a Feelin', That's What I Have Today
Comment: Released in 1971, the CD continued a trend to have legendary blues artists record with popular British rockers who were well versed in the history of the music.
Howlin' Wolf and guitarist Hubert Sumlin were joined by Eric Clapton (g), Bill Wyman (b), Charlie Watts (d), Jeffrey Carp (h) and other musicians, including Steve Winwood, Ian Stewart, Ringo Starr and Klaus Voorman in what was a tribute to the blues legend. Howlin' Wolf who was not in good health at the time of the recording, but he still packed a punch on these blues standards and - at least one time - showed who was the boss in the studio.
There is a false take for The Red Rooster where Howlin' Wolf stops the recording and chastises Clapton on the way he was playing his electric guitar. Clapton and the rest of the band then convince Howlin' Wolf to play his acoustic guitar along with singing, which follows in the second take.
The choice cuts include I Ain't Superstitious - Starr and Voorman are the rhythm section - Highway 49 and Wang Dang Doodle, where Clapton unleashes some wicked guitar work.
There are other collections that have recordings of Howlin' Wolf in his prime. But for fans who want to hear the influence of blues on British rock musicians or those who may not be familiar Howlin' Wolf, The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions is a great starting point on the trek filled unfortunately with great artists who are nearly forgotten with the passage of time.
|
