HOWLIN' WOLF
The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (Deluxe Edition)
(MCA/Chess/Universal)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner


Universal's Deluxe Edition reissue of The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions is a cause for celebration for Howlin' Wolf fans. This 2-CD set features the original LP remixed along with three songs from the 1974 Muddy Waters/Howlin' Wolf disc, London Revisited: "Killing Floor," "I Want to Have a Word With You," and "Goin' Down Slow." The second disc features 52+ minutes of alternate rehearsal takes, and will surely be a Howlin Wolf completists' delight, particularly for versions of "Highway 49" and Wolf's instructions to the band on "Who's Been Talking." Bill Dahl's liner notes tell quite a story of young British musicians who take time out from their own ascendant careers to make music with one of their idols. While the sessions got off to a rocky start, the music that came out of them is memorable, particularly the contributions of Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, Ian Stewart, and Bill Wyman. Wolf brought his long-time guitarist, Hubert Sumlin, to London, along with 19-year old Chicago harpman Jeffrey M. Carp, to round out an all-star band that also included Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman, and Phil Upchurch. At 60, the Wolf was plagued by heart and kidney problems, but there are several glimpses of his earlier power on "Little Red Rooster," "What A Woman," and "Wang Dang Doodle." The packaging and the music on this reissue are first-rate, and they complement other MCA/Chess Howlin' Wolf compilations, most notably Chess' 50th Anniversary "Best of" disc or the 3-CD Chess Box.

Track List:

Disc One: Rockin' Daddy * I Ain't Superstitious * Sittin' On Top Of The World * Worried About My Baby * What a Woman! * Poor Boy * Built for Comfort * Who's Been Talking? * The Red Rooster (False Start and Dialog) * The Red Rooster * Do The Do * Highway 49 * Wang Dang Doodle * Bonus Tracks: Goin' Down Slow * Killing Floor * I Want to Have a Word With You

Disc Two: (Previously Released Bonus Tracks, Alternate Takes) Worried About My Baby * The Red Rooster * What A Woman (AKA Commit A Crime) * Who's Been Talking * Worried About My Baby * I Ain't Superstitious * Highway 49 * Do The Do * Poor Boy * I Ain't Superstitious * What A Woman (AKA Commit A Crime) * Rockin' Daddy

© 2003 - Eric Steiner