I have to go right out and say that I'm not a big blues fan. I went through a phase in my post-college years where I listened to a lot of blues-folk stuff like Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson, among others. It was a short six month phase for me, afterwards turning towards a 60's psych-folk phase. Recently, I've been intrigued with the atypical blues albums by traditional bluesmen like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Each recorded an album on Cadet Concept in the late 60's that was more electric, psychedelic, and generally noisier than anything they've recorded before (done so in hopes to appeal to the young hippie crowd at that time).
Each also disliked their new style at the time. The Muddy Waters album Electric Mud, has some crazy psychedelic guitar solos and drumming by the members of Rotary Connection. It's overall a solid listen, as is Howlin' Wolf This is Howlin' Wolf album, recorded with the same backing musicians from the Rotary Connection as Muddy Waters used. Even though both bluesmen did not like the recordings (in Howlin' Wolf's case, plainly stated on the cover of his album), their subsequent albums are an interesting footnote and brief detour on their musical careers, and in blues music in general. Check out the funkiness on Howlin' Wolf's track "Evil".
And in Muddy Waters case, funky as well on a remake of his classic "I Just Want To Make Love To You"
dude, I dig the Muddy Waters tune. weird to hear it that way.
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