Folk Singer
| Folk Singer | ||||
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| Studio album by Muddy Waters | ||||
| Released | April 1964 | |||
| Recorded | September 1963 Tel Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois |
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| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 40:05 | |||
| Label | Chess | |||
| Producer | Muddy Waters, Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon | |||
| Muddy Waters chronology | ||||
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Folk Singer is a studio album by Muddy Waters, released April 1964 on Chess Records. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar. The album is Waters' first and his only all-acoustic album. Numerous reissues of the album include bonus tracks from two subsequent sessions in April 1964 and October 1964.
Although not charted in any country, Folk Singer received critical acclaim; most reviewers praised its high-quality sound, especially on remastered versions, and the instrumentation. In 2003, the album was ranked number 280 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
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[edit] Background
Muddy Water's first recordings were for the Library of Congress in 1941, which included an acoustic version "I Be's Troubled", and he was recorded again in 1942.[1] He did not take up the electric guitar until 1944. These early recordings were later released on Testament Records.[2]
After his successful performance at Newport Jazz Festival and tours through America, Chess Records decided to record songs for Waters' studio album Folk Singer. Before the recording, many musicians left and joined Waters' band. Andrew Stephens, who played during Newport, was replaced in the following years with numerous bassists. The latter became the bandleader soon after he received entry to the band. Waters' "Junior" band included drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, who later replaced Francis Clay. Pat Hare was convicted to life sentence for the murder of his wife Mrs. Winje. While in jail he formed the band Sounds Incaracerated.[3]
Hare was replaced with James "Pee Wee" Madison, who unlike Hare held the guitar backwards. Around that time, Sammy Lawhorn joined Waters' band. He was favored by Morris, but allegedly suffered from narcolepsy; however, Elvin Bishop denied this and believed he was just an alcohol addict.[4] Electric guitarist Buddy Guy, who recorded Blues From Big Bill's Copa Capana on Chess, was the last person who was hired. Guy was previously discovered by Waters shortly after Guy's arrival from Lousiana.[5]
[edit] Recording
Folk Singer is what is called an "unplugged" recording, and differs from his early, electric blues albums. The album was given its name Folk Singer by Chess when it was recorded during the time when folk was very popular. Chess thus decided to record a more acoustic album with two acoustic guitarists. Buddy Guy was hired as the second guitarist, other guitarists played on bonus tracks.[6] Guy played on all original songs, except the last song "Feel Like Going Home", together with Waters.[7]
Waters accepted the proposal to be backed by Guy, firstly, because of his latest panned performance in London, when he played on an electric screeching guitar,[8] as he intended to perform in Europe in future, and secondly, because he wanted to attain the acoustic sound in the early years.[6] He intended to perform in Europe, including in London, the next month.[5] The recording took place at the Tel Mar Recording Studios in Chicago, Illinois on September 1963, and was produced by Willie Dixon.[9] The original vinyl release includes 9 songs, most of which are performed at a slower tempo, with the exception of the uptempo "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl". During recording, Waters emphasized his singing with hummings and sighs.[10]
[edit] Releases and tour
The original LP was released in April 1964 by Chess Records.[7] Since then, numerous recording labels released different versions on CD with different bonus tracks from the band's 1964 sessions. According to Allmusic, among the first CD versions was released in 1993 by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, containing two bonus tracks, "You Can't Lose What You Ain't New Had" and "The Same Thing."[11] The 1999 remastered version contains 5 bonus tracks, "The Same Thing", "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had", "My John The Conqueror Root", "Short Dress Woman" and "Put Me In Your Lay Away".[12]
The supporting tour through Europe, the second American Folk Blues Festival, began one month after the recording of Folk Singer. The first gig out of seventeen took place in London; other performances were in countries like Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark. In London, Waters started with the unreleased "My Captain", following that "Rollin' Stone". The remaining songs, "Five Long Years", "Blow Wind Blow", "Trouble No More", "My Home Is In The Delta" and "Got My Mojo Working", were slower in tempo.[13]
[edit] Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [7] |
| Rolling Stone | (favourable)[14] |
| Musicangle | (favourable)[15] |
| The Audio Beat | [16] |
Folk Singer received positive critical reception. It was generally lauded for its high-quality sound and the instrumental performance by Waters, Guy and band. Cub Koda from Allmusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the fresh and vital sound.[7] The album was ranked at number 280 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003, stating that the "unplugged" playing was pioneering and "is beloved by blues and folk fans alike."[17] In a 1994 issue of Rolling Stone, the reviewer wrote, "...There aren't too many blues albums that qualify as audiophile recordings, but Muddy Waters Folk Singer surely does. A wonderfully intimate session, it delivers Waters' voice in all its power and subtlety, while rendering his guitar work...with such vivid realism, you would think you were sitting in the studio...."[18]
The sound of the 2011 remastered version was described in a review by Musicangle's Michael Fremer as "sweet, liquid and free of harshness and edge", and the dynamics as "mind-boggling". He suggested that "Muddy and Buddy and Willie have never sounded as natural and 'in the room' as they do [on the 2011 remastered version]".[15] Similarly, Marc Mickelson from The Audio Beat enjoyed the "direct and unfettered" playing, which emphasizes "the emotional rawness of the blues", and the "spacious and reverberant" sound, which creates "a sonic atmosphere that fits the music especially well."[16]
[edit] Track listing
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[edit] Personnel
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Source: AllMusic.com[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Gordon 2003, p. 43.
- ^ Gordon 2003, p. 339.
- ^ Gordon 2003, pp. 202–203.
- ^ Gordon 2003, pp. 203.
- ^ a b Gordon 2003, pp. 211.
- ^ a b Matthew Rowe. "Music Review". Musictap. http://www.musictap.net/Reviews/WatersMuddyFolkSingerSACDDVDA.html. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Cub Koda. "Allmusic -> Folk Singer". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r123335. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Gordon 2003, p. 159.
- ^ Santelli 1997, p. 128.
- ^ Gordon 2003, pp. 212.
- ^ "Allmusic -> Folk Singer [Mobile Fidelity"]. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/folk-singer-mobile-fidelity-r618054. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ "Folk Singer [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered"]. Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Folk-Singer-Muddy-Waters/dp/B00000JNOJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327760167&sr=8-1. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Gordon 2003, pp. 212–213.
- ^ Rolling Stone, 3/10/94, p.67
- ^ a b Michael Fremer. "Folksinger Yet Again?". MusicAngle.com & Michael Fremer. http://www.musicangle.com/album.php?id=1023. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ a b Marc Mickelson. "Muddy Waters • Folk Singer". The Audio Beat. http://www.theaudiobeat.com/music/waters_webster_lp.htm. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 280 Folk Singer – Muddy Waters". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. 2003. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/folk-singer-muddy-waters-19691231. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Rolling Stone, 3/10/94, p.67
- Bibliography
- Gordon, Robert (June 1, 2003). Can't Be Satisfied – The Life and Times of Muddy Waters. Keith Richards (foreword). Back Bay Books. ISBN 978-0316164948.
- Santelli, Robert (December 12, 1997). The best of the blues:the 101 essential albums. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140237559.
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