Search - Muddy Waters :: Authorized Bootleg: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco Nov 04-06 1966

So, do we really need one more set of live Muddy Waters?

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 04/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I already gave it five stars, so I don't suppose I'm keeping anybody in suspense here. But yes, when it is as stellar as this one we do.



This is well over an hour of highlights from the Muddy Waters Blues Band's 1966 stay at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium, and the fidelity is absolutely excellent, the "bootleg" layout notwithstanding.

There is plenty of live Muddy Waters out there, yes, but almost all of it (with the exception of the classic Newport album) is from the 70s. This, however, is from the mid-60, and thus significantly closer to Muddy Waters' prime. Not that Muddy was ever that far off his prime, but he sounds less laid-back here than on several of his latter-day recordings.



Muddy's vocals are powerful and aggressive all the way through, and the hard-edged band is no less terrific. It has a grittier sound than the more frequently recorded 70s band which featured Bob Margolin, Pinetop Perkins, and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and these recordings differ from almost all other live recordings of the great man in having no piano player present. Now, I would never suggest that Muddy sans piano was in any way better than Muddy plus piano, but there are plenty of live albums out there which feature either Pinetop Perkins or the great Otis Spann, and it is actually quite nice to hear something a little different. And harpist George "Harmonica" Smith deserves special praise; his huge, horn-like tones and gritty, forceful playing has more character than what you'll hear from most of Muddy Waters' other post-50s harpists (with the exception of James Cotton, of course).



These recordings were made over three consecutive nights, and a few songs appear twice, including "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Forty Days and Forty Nights". It would have been more interesting to have 15 different songs, of course, but it is hard to fault what is here, really. The best, tightest live "Long Distance Call" ever. Two tough, punchy renditions of "Forty Days and Forty Nights". A swinging, swaggering "Got My Mojo Working", and plenty more.



These are tight, compelling performances by one of the best bands in the business, anchored by the great Muddy Waters in top form. It doesn't get much better than that."

Muddy lives

C. C. Eisenhart | God's Country | 05/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One can never get enough of Muddy. My rememberances of him go back to the mid to late 60's when he frequently played in Rochester, NY at Duffy's. I suppose I saw him 15 times in that time period, with the cast of side men frequently changing...Sammy, Snake Boy, Pee Wee, but always with Spann. I can't forget the night I was ejected from the club for dancing (we'd brought all of Buddy Guy's band down to sit in). 5 or 6 white cadillacs later, I was being slid out the door (no dance permit!). The last time I saw Spann was when he played in KoKo Taylor's band with MT Murphy and Luther Tucker at a show I did with Luther Allison, John Littlejohn and Lucky Peterson. Fast forward 10 or so years and I caught Muddy in Portland Oregon w/ Pinetop in the band. Yes he remembered Duffy's, just as he remembered his old mentor Son House, who I recorded in Rochester, as did The Wolf, another of the guys I did shows with and who loved Son.

As I said anything by Muddy is good and that this has been released from the vaults is good!"

Muddy makes it clear

W. Landis | des moines, iowa | 06/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"awesome guitar by the man who electrified the blues. classic tunes, great band, and those oh so sweet guitar licks. my friend, the fridge, said that the recording quality of it was a little low, but i think that just adds to it."