It's been a while since we've seen any unreleased material from
Muddy Waters. You've heard all of this before, but the clarity of the sound, and the fact that
Waters seems in pretty good spirits, playing with a crack band, makes
The Lost Tapes an essential addition to any
blues lover's collection, and a must buy for
Waters devotees. The band is really a great one, with pianist
Pinetop Perkins, guitarists
Pee Wee Madison and
Sammy Lawhorn,
George Harmonica Smith, bassist
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones and drummer
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. They push
Waters into a mostly mellow framework. The first seven cuts were recorded at the University of Washington, and comprise favorites like
"Honey Bee," "Hoochie Coochie Man," "Walkin' Through the Park," "Trouble No More," "Just to Be with You," and a lengthy spoken intro by
Waters prior to the ten-minute
"She's Nineteen Years Old." Tracks are banded for radio airplay, and everything is so very well recorded. The final four cuts were recorded at the University of Oregon:
"Long Distance Call," "Mannish Boy," "Crawlin' Kingsnake" and the cookin'
"Got My Mojo Workin'." Waters' signature mellow but insistent persona shines, the band is ultra-tight,
Perkins and
Smith lay it out time after ever lovin' time, and
Waters' slide work gets some overdue play. Don't hesitate on this one thinking it's outtakes or damaged, substandard goods. It's not by a long shot; in fact, it might be the best live
Muddy Waters ever released, and an important audio document from perhaps the greatest bluesman of them all. ~ Michael G. Nastos
![Tempest [Deluxe] [Limited Edition] [Two-LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0887254576013_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Tempest [Deluxe] [Limited Edition] [Two-LP]")
![The Blues Don't Lie [2 LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0196587315214_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Blues Don't Lie [2 LP]")
![The Rockin' Chair Album [Bonus Tracks]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/8436544170534_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "The Rockin' Chair Album [Bonus Tracks]")
