Muddy Waters - Breakin' It Up & Breakin' It Down

Muddy Waters had his second coming 30 years ago, when longtime friend and disciple Johnny Winter and his Blue Sky label returned him--after a series of listless recordings aimed at the rock audience--to the raw, powerful authenticity of his timeless Chess material with a series of powerful albums. Beginning with 1977's acclaimed Hard Again, a subsequent tour produced Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live, recorded onstage in Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia with Muddy's band, Winter, and harmonica player/vocalist James Cotton. Enough live material remained for Legacy to release an expanded version with an entire second disc of unissued concert material. It seems even that wasn't the end. This collection returns again to those remarkable concerts, featuring Muddy on five tracks, among them a rousing "I Can't Be Satisfied," "Trouble No More," "Caldonia," and the closing "Got My Mojo Workin'." Winter and Cotton are no less powerful, Cotton redoing Jackie Brenston's hit "Rocket '88'" and Winter ripping up John Lee Hooker's "I Done Got Over It" and "Mama Talk to Your Daughter." --Rich Kienzle Amazon.com

What a wonderful concert CD!

What a concert CD! "Breakin' it Up, Breakin' it Down" features the vocals of three pretty good bluesmen--Muddy Waters, James Cotton, and Johnny Winter. Waters and Winter also play guitar, and James Cotton is referred to as "Superharp" in the notes accompanying the CD. Also in the group: Bob Margolin (guitar and vocals), Pinetop Perkins (vocals and piano), Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (drum), and Charles Calmese (Bass). They play awfully well together. . . .

Bob Margolin wrote to notes. At one point he says of this CD: "[The CD] showcases each of these [three] blues legends leading the band, but more important historically, and much more fun, we find them jamming together, pushing, teasing, and inspiring one another."

Let's take a look at a few examples of the cuts on this live CD. . . .

"Black Cat Bone/Dust My Broom." The authorship of this song is split among Winter, Elmore James, and Robert Johnson. This is a rocking version of this song! There is fine guitar work, good keyboards, and terrific harmonica. It is taken at a rollicking pace. The three central vocalists take turns in vocals--to good effect.

"Can't Be Satisfied." One of Muddy Waters' hits, covered by many others, including the Rolling Stones. There is cool guitar work at the outset, and Waters' singing does justice to this song. There is a sense of improvisation and spontaneity, as the three central players interact with one another. Lots of fun.

"Rocket 88" is one of Cotton's songs, about his car. It starts up with some great harmonica work. This work is taken at the quick pace and there is a sense of joy to Cotton's vocalizations.

Another Waters' classic closes out this concert CD--"Got My Mojo Workin.'" The three principal artists share in the vocals, but this is Muddy Waters' song. Love the lyrics!

"Got my mojo workin',
Just don't work on you.
So bad I just don't
Know what to do."

A real lively version, with the crowd getting involved. Harp, drums, guitars work well together. There is some nice jamming among the musicians in the middle. What a way to close out this CD.

So, my judgment? If you like the blues, this would be a fine addition to your library. I rate this highly.
September 7, 2008

Great Find

Why was this stuff hidden away for so long--I love this CD--a great addition to my collection July 4, 2008

Muddy Winter

As a Muddy Water's CD, I've heard him do better, but as a Johnny Winter CD it's some of his best work. Still, if you are a blues fan, you must add this important collaboration to your collection. March 28, 2008

IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!

This was a match made in "blues heaven". Some have lamented that Johnny Winter and James Cotton sings part of these tunes...somehow they just don't understand that all of these men are true legends of the blues.

I saw Muddy Waters as the headliner in 1970. Ten Years After stole HIS show! He was going through the motions, but he pretty much "phoned in" his set. He looked and sound whipped. I saw this group at the Palladium in Los Angeles, CA. on 03/04/1977 (I still have the stub). Johnny Winter was producing and resurrected Muddy. Ever since Johnny had struck gold with The AND Band, he was a huge personality in the Rock and Roll genre and with the blues crowd. Muddy was a new man compared to what I saw in 1970. To this day, the show I witnessed in LA, was one of my all time favorite blues shows (and I seen dozens).

Toss out the 2 star guy, he obviously doesn't understand the importance of this offering. If you LOVE THE BLUES, or you enjoy any of these featured artists, buy this one, you'll have no buyer's remorse. February 20, 2008

Winter-Cotton-Margolin riding Water's Mud Flaps

You thought this was a Muddy Waters CD? Not so, majority of the vocals here are Winter and Cotton, with Muddy Waters singing some or part of only 5 songs on this 11 song disc. Unless you want to hear James Cotton imitate a young man singing like a girl, pass this up and head for the real deal that this tour sprung from, the excellent Muddy Waters "Hard Again" disc. Even "Got My Mojo Workin'" begins with Johnny Winter singing vocals on the song Muddy Waters made into a classic. January 26, 2008

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