Blind Dog Radio

Hard Again by Muddy Waters

Label: Blue Sky Records.
Release Date: January 10, 1977.
Recording Time: 45 minutes.
Recording Date: October 1976.
Releases: 1977 (CBS Records), 1987 (Blue Sky), 1994 (Sony Music Distribution), 1996 (Sky Records), 2004 (Columbia), 2004 (Epic / Epic/Legacy), 2010 (Friday Music), 2012 (Music on Vinyl).

Styles: Chicago Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Regional Blues, Slide Guitar Blues, Electric Blues, Delta Blues.

After a string of mediocre albums throughout most of the 1970s, Muddy Waters hooked up with Johnny Winter for 1977's Hard Again, a startling comeback and a gritty demonstration of the master's powers. Fronting a band that includes such luminaries as James Cotton and "Pine Top" Perkins, Waters is not only at the top of his game, but is having the time of his life while he's at it. The bits of studio chatter that close "Mannish Boy" and open "Bus Driver" show him to be relaxed and obviously excited about the proceedings. Part of this has to be because the record sounds so good. Winter has gone for an extremely bare production style, clearly aiming to capture Waters in conversation with a band in what sounds like a single studio room. This means that sometimes the songs threaten to explode in chaos as two or three musicians begin soloing simultaneously. Such messiness is actually perfect in keeping with the raw nature of this music; you simply couldn't have it any other way. There is something so incredibly gratifying about hearing Waters shout out for different soloists, about the band missing hits or messing with the tempos. Hey this isn't pop music, it's the blues, and a little dirt never hurt anybody. The unsung star of this session is drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, whose deep grooves make this record come alive. The five-minute, one-chord "Mannish Boy" wouldn't be nearly as compelling as it is if it weren't for Smith's colossal pocket. Great blues from one of the dominant voices of the genre. - Review by Daniel Gioffre.

The come back album for Muddy Waters. It explodes right off the bat with "Mannish Boy" and really never lets up. As mentioned in the All Music review, the production is very sparse and that makes it feel like some of the early Chess sessions. Johnny Winter is all over this album, shouting and going manic and the rest of the musicians follow suite in what is one of the most startling albums Waters made. Highly essential. - by Bryan Adkins.

Grammy Awards: 1977 Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording.
Note: Hard Again peaked at #143 on the Billboard 200, which was his first appearance on the chart since Fathers and Sons in 1969.

Personnel: Muddy Waters – vocals, guitar (credited as guitar although did not actually play); Bob Margolin – guitar; Pinetop Perkins – piano; James Cotton – harmonica; Willie "Big Eyes" Smith – drums; Charles Calmese – bass; Johnny Winter – guitar, miscellaneous screaming, producer; Dave Still – engineer; Andy Manganello – assistant engineer; Joseph M. Palmaccio – mastering; Al Quaglieri – reissue producer; Chris Theis – mix engineer.

Credits: Charles Calmese - bass; Charles Chalmers - bass; James Cotton - guest artist, harmonica, harp; Bo Diddley - composer; Willie Dixon - composer; Mel London - composer; Bob Margolin - guitar; Brownie McGhee - composer; McKinley Morganfield - composer; Pinetop Perkins - guest artist, piano; Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - drums; Muddy Waters - composer, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Johnny Winter - guest artist, guitar, producer, vocals.

Tracks: 1) Mannish Boy; 2) Bus Driver; 3) I Want to Be Loved; 4) Jealous Hearted Man; 5) I Can't Be Satisfied; 6) The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock & Roll; 7) Deep Down in Florida; 8) Crosseyed Cat; 9) Little Girl; (Original album); 10) Walking Through the Park (2004 bonus track).