Fathers and Sons (album)

Fathers and Sons
Studio album / Live album by Muddy Waters
Released August 1969 (1969-08)
Recorded April 21–23, 1969 at Tel Mar Studios in Chicago, Illinois[1]
April 24, 1969 at the Super Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree in Chicago, Illinois[1]
Genre Chicago blues
Length 64:32
Label Chess
Producer Norman Dayron[1]
Muddy Waters chronology
After the Rain
(1969)After the Rain1969		 Fathers and Sons
(1969)		 Sail On
(1969)Sail On1969
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Rolling Stonefavorable[3]

Fathers and Sons is the seventh studio album by American blues musician Muddy Waters, originally released as a double LP by Chess Records in August 1969.

The album features both studio and live recordings recorded in April 1969 with an all-star band including Michael Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Donald "Duck" Dunn of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Otis Spann, and Sam Lay in Chicago, Illinois.

The album was Muddy's biggest mainstream success, reaching #70 on the Billboard 200, which was his only appearance in the top half of the chart. Muddy would not make another appearance on the 200 until Hard Again in 1977.[4]

Background

According to Marshall Chess, the idea behind Fathers and Sons came when Mike Bloomfield was at his house and said that he and Paul Butterfield wanted to do an album with Muddy Waters because they would be in Chicago for a charity concert. Chess then rounded up Donald "Duck" Dunn, Otis Spann, and Sam Lay for the studio sessions.[5]

While many blues purists criticized the Waters "psychedelic" album Electric Mud at the time, Fathers and Sons was received more favorably since it avoided psychedelia, instead showcasing the "classic" Waters sound of the 50's. In many ways, the album anticipated the later, critically acclaimed Waters blues albums produced by Johnny Winter.

Recording and production

The studio disc of the album was recorded in April 21–23, 1969 at Ter Mar Studios. These sides were engineered by Ron Malo and featured rhythm guitarist Paul Asbell, who did not play on the live songs.

The live songs were recorded on April 24, 1969 at the Super Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree. These sides were engineered by Reice Hamel. Drummer Buddy Miles played on the second part of "Got My Mojo Working".

The producer on all sessions was Norman Dayron, who would go on to produce The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions in 1970, among other items.[1]

Artwork and design

The cover illustration for Fathers and Sons was created by Don Wilson and was based on Michelangelo's design on the Sistine Chapel. The original album's design was by Daily Planet[1] and was packaged in a foldout sleeve.[6] The 2001 MCA Records expanded reissue featured a reissued design by Mike Fink.

Track listing

All songs written by McKinley Morganfield, except where indicated.

Vinyl version

Side A (studio)
  1. "All Aboard" – 2:50
  2. "Mean Disposition" – 5:42
  3. "Blow Wind Blow" – 3:35
  4. "Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had" – 3:03
  5. "Walkin' Thru The Park" – 3:07
Side B (studio)
  1. "Forty Days and Forty Nights" (Bernard Roth) – 3:04
  2. "Standin' Round Crying" – 4:01
  3. "I'm Ready" (Willie Dixon) – 3:33
  4. "Twenty Four Hours" (Eddie Boyd) – 4:46
  5. "Sugar Sweet" (Mel London) – 2:16
Side C Live
  1. "Long Distance Call" – 6:35
  2. "Baby, Please Don't Go" (Big Joe Williams) – 3:05
  3. "Honey Bee" – 3:57
Side D Live
  1. "The Same Thing" (Dixon) – 6:00
  2. "Got My Mojo Working, Part 1" (Preston Foster, Morganfield) – 3:39
  3. "Got My Mojo Working, Part 2" (Foster, Morganfield) – 5:33

CD version

  1. "All Aboard" – 2:52
  2. "Mean Disposition" – 5:42
  3. "Blow Wind Blow" – 3:38
  4. "Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had" – 3:06
  5. "Walkin' Thru The Park" – 3:21
  6. "Forty Days And Forty Nights" (Roth) – 3:08
  7. "Standin' Round Cryin'" – 4:05
  8. "I'm Ready" (Dixon) – 3:39
  9. "Twenty Four Hours" (Boyd) – 4:48
  10. "Sugar Sweet" – 2:18
  11. "Country Boy" – 3:20
  12. "I Love the Life I Live (I Live the Life I Love)" (Dixon) – 2:45
  13. "Oh Yeah" (Dixon) – 3:38
  14. "I Feel So Good" (Big Bill Broonzy) – 3:00
  15. "Long Distance Call" – 6:37
  16. "Baby, Please Don't Go" (Williams) – 3:03
  17. "Honey Bee" – 3:56
  18. "The Same Thing" (Dixon) – 5:59
  19. "Got My Mojo Working, Part 1" (Foster, Morganfield) – 3:22
  20. "Got My Mojo Working, Part 2" (Foster, Morganfield) – 2:54

Personnel

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
North America August 1969 Chess Records mono double LP LP-127
stereo double LP LPS-127
United Kingdom September 1969 Chess Records double LP CRL 4556
North America 1972 Chess Records stereo double LP 2CH-50033
North America 1989 MCA/Chess Records Cassette CHC-92522
CD CHD-92522
North America October 30, 2001 MCA/Chess Records extended CD 088 112 648-2
Japan August 22, 2007 Chess Records mini-LP CD UICY-93295

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Fathers and Sons (Vinyl sleeve). Muddy Waters. Germany: Chess Records. 275025/026.
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ Welding, Pete (18 October 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (44): 40. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Charts & Awards: Muddy Waters – Billboard Albums". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  5. ↑ Paige, Earl (August 16, 1969). "A Chess Album That May Set a Trend". Billboard: 46. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  6. ↑ David Edwards; Mike Callahan; Randy Watts. "Chess Album Discography, Part 1 (1956-1965)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
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