Electric Mud / After The Rain

This double-album set -- on a single disc -- from BGO packages together two Muddy Waters Chess titles from 1968 and 1969, respectively. While both titles are being reappraised in the ever revisionist 21st century, Electric Mud remains, despite its more than respectable sales figures, the lowest creative point in Waters' career. The album sessions were a desperate attempt by Marshall Chess to have Waters reach out of the blues niche he had established his legend in, and reach the rock audiences buying Cream, Hendrix, and Steppenwolf records. Waters sang on the session and was joined by Phil Upchurch, Roland Faulkner, and Pete Cosey on guitars, Gene Barge on sax, Charles Stepney on organ, Louis Satterfield on bass, and Morris Jennings on drums. That band, with the exception of Cosey, was an R&B powerhouse to be sure, but Marshall Chess, who is listed as the primary session producer, had them mixed awfully loud and made them employ wah-wah, fuzz, and effects pedals in trying to reach his desired demographic -- not even Stepney's and Barge's sensitive arrangements of the old songs could save the session. The latter album in this set, 1969's After the Rain, despite employing much of the same personnel, is a superior effort for two reasons. First, the arrangements and production didn't get in the way as much. The second reason is that Muddy Waters was playing guitar again; he hadn't done much of it -- if at all -- previously on his records of the '60s. His sound is distinctive -- rough, rowdy, and raw -- and Otis Spann's piano playing helped anchor Waters' electric Chicago blues deeply in the language he understood. On the tracks where he plays lead guitar, he commanded the band -- "Honey Bee" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'" prove this beyond the shadow of a doubt. In terms of this compilation with its thoroughly remastered sound, fine liner notes, and budget price tag, it's more than worth the money for After the Rain alone. ~ Thom Jurek|