Let's get this out of the way right here - Muddy Waters was a total badass. In many ways, he was an archetype for all rock and roll. The Rolling Stones got their name from this song. Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' owes some small debt to this song. Hell, where do you think Rolling Stone magazine got its name? The man has influenced everyone from the British beat explosion, to Hendrix, to metal, to modern indie, missing no points between. In many ways, rock and roll probably wouldn't exist were it not for Mr McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield.
The song itself is pretty sparse and spare - the first single released by famed Chess records, recorded in 1948, it's simply Waters and his guitar with none of the big sound that would typify his later work with backing bands. Tempo is provided by a bassy stomp on the low E string, while Waters' guitar leads and plaintive voice rise from, soar above and, ultimately, return to the grounding rhythm. This simple formula makes it easy to trace a direct line from this song to something like Hendrix's Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) and to contemporary bands like The White Stripes and The Black Keys.
It's hard not to be blown away by this song - it's simple and powerful and must have felt like an earthquake in 1948. It makes so much of what I've listened to over the last few days sound overproduced, manufactured and irrelevant. Listening to it for the first time is like waking up one morning to find that your house has been overrun by Neanderthals - it's like experiencing history. Actually, it's nothing like the Neanderthal scenario, it's more like meeting your great-great-grandparents. Or something.
Verdict: Rocking and rolling
Tomorrow: Sam and Dave - Soul Man
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