Muddy Waters I'm Ready

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - "Hoochie Coochie Man" - Rated 226/500!
Featured in Michael Fremer's Heavy Rotation in the July 2010 Issue of Stereophile! Pressed at Pallas in Germany!
"I'm Ready" is the middle album of a trilogy produced by Muddy Waters with Johnny Winter from the late seventies. With the successful series, consisting of "Hard Again", "I'm Ready" and "King Bee", the "King of Chicago Blues" experienced the artistic and commercial recognition he deserved shortly before the end of his career.
New material as well as well-known singles were played, with a joy and a power that simply carries the listener away. Driving blues pieces like Willie Dixon's "I'm Ready" and "Rock Me" alternate with slower tracks like "33 Years", "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Screamin' And Cryin'". In addition to his proven touring band, consisting of Pinetop Perkins, Bob Margolin and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, he invited two guests to the recordings: Big Walter Hornton and Jimmy Rogers, who propel Waters to heights.
For the middle album of his Johnny Winter-produced late-'70s music trilogy, blues giant Muddy Waters brought a new spirit to some familiar material. Starting with members of Waters' touring band - Pinetop Perkins, Bob Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. Winter added underrated guitarist (and longtime Waters foil) Jimmy Rogers and extraordinary harp player Big Walter Horton to the mix. The songs recorded for I'm Ready offer a mix of new material and vintage hit singles like the title cut, the mid-'60s jewel Screamin' and Cryin', or the Willie Dixon-penned I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man.
For new listeners trying to get a feel of what the blues is all about, I'm Ready is the perfect place to start. Once you experience a taste of Muddy Waters, you'll be ready for more.
"Judging by the gatefold black and white photo,everyone had a great time making the album. You’ll have as good a time listening. The sound is quite three-dimensional, with a pronounced but pleasant presence region peak that ads a needed rough edge to the proceedings. The stage is relatively compact and very coherent with plenty of old fashioned mike leakage that helps to create a “live” sound in an era of isolation booth multi-track mono productions. Producer Winter and engineer Still knew the sound they were going for and they got it!" - Michael Fremer, www.musicangle.com, Music 8/10, Sound 8/10
"Waters tested this ["Hoochie Coochie Man"] out at the Chicago blues club Zanzibar. Dixon gave him some advice: 'Well, just get a little rhythm pattern,' he said. 'Do the same thing over again, y'know.' Waters cut it a couple of weeks later, with Dixon on bass." - Rolling Stone

Features:

• 180g Vinyl
• Pressed at Pallas in Germany
• Limited Edition
• Audiophile Re-Mastering
• Gatefold Jacket

Musicians:

• Muddy Waters, vocals, guitar
• Pinetop Perkins, piano
• Bob Margolin, bass
• Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, drums
• Jimmy Rogers, guitar
• Big Walter Horton, harp
• Jerry Portnoy, harp
• Johnny Winter, guitar

Selections:

Side A
1. I'm Ready
2. 33 Years
3. Who Do You Trust
4. Copper Brown
5. (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
Side B
1. Mamie
2. Rock Me
3. Screamin' and Cryin'
4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl