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He's the Wolf!!!If life were a college course in Blues Appreciation, at least three aural textbooks would be required listening: the Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson and the Chess Boxes of Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf. Just purchasing a CD or two of any of the other blues masters will suffice (for awhile anyway), but these three giants produced so much listenable and danceable music that nothing less than complete box sets will do. Even at 71 tracks, this set still feels incomplete; where is Wolf's fabulou…
If life were a college course in Blues Appreciation, at least three aural textbooks would be required listening: the Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson and the Chess Boxes of Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf. Just purchasing a CD or two of any of the other blues masters will suffice (for awhile anyway), but these three giants produced so much listenable and danceable music that nothing less than complete box sets will do. Even at 71 tracks, this set still feels incomplete; where is Wolf's fabulous live recording of "Highway 49" from the Newport Folk Festival? Or "Do the Do" from London Howlin Wolf Sessions, featuring Eric Clapton and Hubert Sumlin's fantastic guitar figures? But these are minor quibbles. How can you argue with an album that starts with a lonesome Wolf moan ("Moanin at Midnight") and ends (well, one track from the end, anyway) with a frail Wolf teaching a roomful of top blues acolytes (Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts) how to play acoustic guitar on "Little Red Rooster" the way Charlie Patton himself taught Wolf some 40-50 years ago? What an experience! His powerful, gargling-battery-acid voice (only Blind Willie Johnson and Captain Beefheart had more abused throats) now a shadow of it's former self, his commanding presence still moves the assembled royalty of British blues-rock to "get on it" and produce a memorable take. In between are too many highlights to mention, including "Killing Floor" (probably the only song set in an animal slaughterhouse), "Back Door Man" (later covered memorably by the Doors), "I Ain't Superstitious" (also covered well by Jeff Beck Group and Savoy Brown), and most memorably, his signature song "Smokestack Lightning." As a bonus, there are several snippets from an interview recording just a few years before his death in which he reveals how he got his name, how he got started playing the blues, and the "hidden" meanings behind both "Smokestack Lightning" and "I Asked Her For Water". These glimpses into the real, behind-the scenes Wolf persona, each about 30 seconds to one minute long, are priceless. Throughout the set, Wolf is supported by first-rate musicians, particularly the aforementioned Sumlin, who was such a good guitarist that he was "borrowed" regularly by the likes of Muddy Waters and Little Walter, but always made his way back to Wolf's pack. This set and all it's great music should keep most listener's happy for hours. Now, when will some great writer take up the challenge of giving Howlin' Wolf the biography he deserves? (Waters and Walter already have fine bios.) Until then, the Wolf fan will just have to make do with the (excellent) liner notes from this set and play it once again to hear the magic of the Wolf moanin' at midnight, or at any time of day he so desires.
Written by chris meesey Food Czar
Howlin' Wolf: The Chess BoxUnfortunately, the discs would not play normally in my CD player, as most songs skipped around on each disc. It's a great collection of incredible music; I just couldn't hear a lot of it.
Written by Anonymous
Track listing Edit
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CD 1 : Howlin Wolf: The Chess Box
format: number: title: number name artist hh:mm:ss 1Moanin' at Midnight - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 2How Many More Years - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 3Howlin' Wolf Boogie - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 4The Wolf Is at Your Door - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 5Mr. Highway Man - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 6Howlin' Wolf Talks, No.1 - Howlin' Wolf,?:??Play Buy track 7Bluebird - Howlin' Wolf, Burnett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 8Saddle My Pony - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 9Well That's All Right - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 10My Last Affair - Howlin' Wolf, Johnson, Haven?:??Play Buy track 11Just My Kind - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 12Work for Your Money - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 13Mama Died and Left Me - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 14All Night Boogie (All Night Long) - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 15Streamline Woman - Howlin' Wolf, Waters, Muddy?:??Play Buy track 16Crazy About You Baby - Howlin' Wolf, Williamson, Sonny B?:??Play Buy track 17You Gonna Wreck My Life (No Place to Go) [Alternate Take] - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 18Neighbors - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 19Howlin' Wolf Talks, No. 2 - Howlin' Wolf,?:??Play Buy track 20I'm the Wolf - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 21Rockin' Daddy - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 22Baby How Long - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 23Evil - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 24I'll Be Around - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 25Forty-Four - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 26Who Will Be Next? - Howlin' Wolf, London, Melvin?:??Play Buy track -
unknown format 2 : Howlin Wolf: The Chess Box
format: number: title: number name artist hh:mm:ss 1Don't Mess With My Baby - Howlin' Wolf, Graham, L.?:??Play Buy track 2Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 3You Can't Be Beat - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 4Howlin' Wolf Talks, No. 3 - Howlin' Wolf,?:??Play Buy track 5I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 6The Natchez Burning - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 7Who's Been Talking? - Howlin' Wolf, Burnett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 8Tell Me - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 9Sitting on Top of the World - Howlin' Wolf, Chatmon, Lonnie?:??Play Buy track 10I Didn't Know - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 11Moanin' for My Baby - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 12Change My Way - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 13I Better Go Now - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 14Howlin' for My Darlin' - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 15I've Been Abused - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 16Mr. Airplane Man [Alternate Take][#] - Howlin' Wolf, Benett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 17Wang Dang Doodle - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 18Back Door Man - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 19Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 20Down in the Bottom - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 21Shake for Me - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 22The Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 23You'll Be Mine - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 24Just Like I Treat You - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 25I Ain't Superstitious - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 26Goin' Down Slow - Howlin' Wolf, Oden, James Burke?:??Play Buy track 27Tail Dragger - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track -
unknown format 3 : Howlin Wolf: The Chess Box
format: number: title: number name artist hh:mm:ss 1Hidden Charms - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 2Three Hundred Pounds of Joy - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 3Built for Comfort - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??Play Buy track 4Love Me Darlin' - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 5Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf, Burnett, Chester?:??Play Buy track 6My Country Sugar Mama - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 7Louise - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 8I Walked from Dallas - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 9Tell Me What I've Done - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 10Don't Laugh at Me - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 11Ooh Baby (Hold Me) - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 12New Crawlin' King Snake - Howlin' Wolf, Atkins, Alex?:??Play Buy track 13My Mind Is Ramblin' - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 14Commit a Crime - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 15Dust My Broom - Howlin' Wolf, James, Elmore [1]?:??Play Buy track 16I'm the Wolf [#][Version] - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 17Ain't Goin' Down That Dirt Road [#][Version] - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 18Mary Sue - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 19Hard Luck - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track 20The Red Rooster [With False Start and Dialogue] - Howlin' Wolf, Dixon, Willie [1]?:??21Moving - Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf?:??Play Buy track
Credits Edit
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performer
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Hubert Sumlin [Guitar]
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Other versions Edit
We're not aware of any other versions of The Chess Box.
Tell us about another version?
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