Cobbler's Child - Reviews

Muddy Waters (1947)

I really enjoy listening to this blues legend, who was the source of such familiar hits as I Just Want To Make Love To You and Blues Before Sunrise.

While I'm not a big fan of the style of guitar playing that makes it sound like a twangy banjo (as with Lightnin' Hopkins as well), it's amazing to compare the performances here of Standing Around Crying, Rollin' And Tumblin' and Walkin' Blues (among others) with Clapton's later covers, and to see how little EC has actually changed them. A little more polish, a little smoothing over of rough edges.

It's not completely clear to me that these performances were meant to be immortalised as recordings. They have the feel of something meant to be enjoyed by the immediate group of listeners as they wound their way out of Muddy Waters' guitar and throat.

Listened on:

9 August 2004 - 10 August 2004
17 October 2003
21 July 2003 - 22 July 2003

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