Breakin 'It Up, Breakin' It Down

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Breakin 'It Up, Breakin' It Down
Live album by Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Johnny Winter

Publication
(s)

2007

admission

1977

Label (s) Epic Legacy

Format (s)

CD

Genre (s)

Blues , Chicago blues

Title (number)

11

running time

59:22

occupation
  • Muddy Waters (guitar, vocals)
  • Johnny Winter (guitar, vocals)
  • Bob Margolin (guitar, vocals)
  • James Cotton
    (harmonica, vocals)
  • Pinetop Perkins (piano, vocals)
  • Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (drums)
  • Charles Calmese (bass)

production

Bob Margolin (also the liner notes)

Studio (s)

Breakin 'It Up, Breakin' It Down is a live album by Muddy Waters , James Cotton and Johnny Winter that was recorded on three evenings in 1977 on a tour to promote Waters' album Hard Again . The album reached number three on Billboard's Top Blues Albums.

General

In 1977, with the release of the studio album Hard Again , Muddy Waters' career revived. This is not least thanks to the producer of the album, the guitarist Johnny Winter, who after various crossover attempts led Waters back to his roots, the Chicago blues , and ended his attempts to reach a rock music audience with his albums . After the album was recorded, the musicians went on tour, on which the tapes for the album were recorded. Bob Margolin, who played in the band himself, describes in the text accompanying the album the joy of playing that prevailed in the concerts:

"Original recording engineer Dave Still must have gone nuts with the singers roaming the stage and singing in whatever mic they happened to be near."
("Recording engineer Dave Still must have gone mad about the singers who swarmed around the stage and sang into every microphone that happened to be around.")
"The partnership of these legendary musicians is especially enjoyable when they jam together."
("The partnership of these legendary musicians is especially gratifying when they jam together.")

As you can see from the text accompanying the album, Johnny Winter played the harmonica on Trouble No More when James Cotton was singing. The recordings for this album were also the last James Cotton did with Muddy Waters. After Blue Sky Records broke up, there was a risk that the tapes from the concerts would be thrown away, but the tenacity of Steve Berkowitz of the Epic Legacy record label allowed this album to be released. Working with Muddy Waters and the tour that followed led Johnny Winter to devote himself more to the blues and no longer see it as an infidelity in his career as a rock musician. After the tour ended, Winter recorded his album Nothin 'But The Blues with the same line-up .

Tracklist

  1. Black Cat Bone / Dust My Broom (James, Johnson, Winter) - 5:53. Singing: James Cotton, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters
  2. Can't Be Satisfied (Morganfield) - 3:47. Singing: Muddy Waters
  3. Caledonia (Moore) - 6:57. Singing: James Cotton, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters
  4. Dealin 'with the Devil (Cotton) - 7:50. Singing: James Cotton, Johnny Winter
  5. Rocket 88 (Brenston) - 2:09. Singing: James Cotton
  6. I Done Got Over It (Jones) - 5:59. Singing: Johnny Winter
  7. How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong (Cotton) - 5:53. Singing: James Cotton
  8. Mama Talk to Your Daughter (Atkins, Lenoir ) - 5:53. Singing: Johnny Winter
  9. Love Her with a Feeling ( Fulson ) - 5:47. Singing: Johnny Winter
  10. Trouble No More (Waters) - 4:09. Singing: Muddy Waters, James Cotton
  11. Got My Mojo Workin (Foster, Waters) - 4:59. Singing: James Cotton, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters

Bob Margolin writes about Can't Be Statisfied :

I believe that this Can't Be Statisfied is Muddy's most soulful blues singing.
("I think this version is Muddy's most soulful blues song.")
Tracks Location
1; 3; 4; 5; 7; The Palladium,
New York City , March 4, 1977
2; 8th; 10; 11; The Tower Theater, Upper Darby,
Pennsylvania , March 6, 1977
6; 9; The Masonic Temple Theater,
Detroit , Michigan , March 18, 1977

Criticism

  • Dirty Linen (p. 79): “Waters, in particular, was in fine form… This is a very hot, enjoyable souvenir of a wonderful tour.” ("Waters especially was in great shape ... This is a very hot, enjoyable souvenir of a wonderful tour.")
  • Living Blues (p. 58): “Blues has seldom been more fun than this; it's a party from beginning to end ... This is the real thing. " ("Blues has rarely been more fun than here; it's a party from start to finish. That's the real thing.")
  • Richie Unterberger (AMG): “[…] is really just okay, not great, and not even among the best recordings that have been issued of Waters in the mid-'70s. ”(“ […] Is okay, not great, and not even among the best recordings released by Muddy Waters in the mid-1970s. ”)
  • Josh Hathaway (Blogcritics): "James Cotton is a legend and Winter has had a successful career, but neither is in Waters' league and that can be heard on this disc." ("James Cotton is a legend and Winter had a successful career, but nobody is in Waters' league, and you can hear that on this record.")
  • Doug Colette (All about Jazz): “[…] a valuable homage to the music and the men who made it. "(" [...] a valuable homage to the music and the men who made it. ")

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Liner Notes Bob Margolin
  2. ↑ Texas Monthly interview with James Cotton  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.texasmonthly.com  
  3. ↑ a b c CD Universe product information
  4. ↑ a b album booklet
  5. ^ All Music Guide, review by Richie Unterberger
  6. ↑ Josh Hathaway on blogcritics.org  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as broken. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / blogcritics.org  
  7. ↑ All-about-Jazz-Review