Muddy Waters
A confluence of factors, almost like Delta streams, has me thinking about the Delta Blues and Chicago Blues and the man who did the most to electrify them, Muddy Waters (1913 — 1983).
A new movie due out next week, Cadillac Records, tells the story of a truly revolutionary period in American music. Chess Records was pivotal in bringing great Blues and R&B legends like Etta James, Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters to a larger audience, and is the subject of the film. The brothers Chess — Leonard and Phil — recognized the commercial potential for a wide array of musical genius, and helped set the table for Rock N Roll. The new film stars Beyonce Knowles, Jeffrey Wright and Adrien Brody.
Beyonce Knowles (as Etta James) just rips the heart out of this song and plays it back to us, updated, tremendous:
Cadillac Records
Retrospectives provoke us. Send us. Bring new rounds of revaluations. They often create new patterns of influence, new hierarchies of debt and payback. Listening to a recent Fresh Air, a repeat interview with Robert Gordon (the author of a bio of Muddy Waters), I heard proof of the changes the man from Mississippi brought to American music. It was more than just another retrospective. It was a chance to be moved, yet again, but some of the rawest and most direct music we have on tape.
The song Mannish Boy was first recorded in 1955, and provided the name for a rather obscure band from England. The video is from 1970:
Words just get in the way sometimes, and then music says it all. And music in the hands of Muddy Waters cuts through layers of sediment, centuries of stultifying civilization and pretense. The power of that music can melt hesitation and anxiety, like snow under a new southern sun. He took Occam’s razor, electrified it, plugged it in and applied it to 20th century America. Sometimes you just have to be a rolling stone.
You may know that violinists, both men and women, are the stars and celebrities of the classical music world. And rightly so, you seem them standing on stage in a packed hall with the supporting orchestra behind them, the conductor in partnership to the side, in their beautiful posture with their elegantly-designed instruments filling and thrilling with their sweet and richly ringing tones. One of my favorites among them is Hilary Hahn because she writes her own liner notes and provides a lot of context and knowledge; and it was she who said that Muddy Waters is one of her favorites, and it was she who turned me on to Muddy Waters, and I am indebted to her for the recommendation and and pleased to be able to second your enthusiasm. What is the song about his girl died and he is not going to send a letter and a telegram could get lost and he is going to come in person see her in person?
Robert, not sure about the name of that song. Some of the links I provided should get you there, though. There’s a lot about him on the Net. Library of Congress has a great deal about him, thanks to Alan Lomax, most especially. Lomax was the Columbus of the Blues, and a fascinating individual in his own right. He “discovered” some of the greatest musical geniuses ever and recorded them.
Of course, they were always there. Lomax and others just got the rest of us in touch with a vast nexus of national soul.
Interesting about the violin player. I think the best musicians are genre athletes, able to leap from one to another.
The lyrics are not too shabby:
I got a letter this mornin’,
this is they way my letter read;
I got a letter this mornin’,
this is the way my letter read:
“Come on home, Muddy Waters!
They tell me your baby’s dead!“
I start to write,
but I believe I’ll go myself.
No, I ain’t goin’ write,
I believe I’ll go myself:
A letter too slow,
they tell me a telegram may get left.
I hate to go home this mornin’, boys!
There’ll be a crowd of people
standin’ out before my baby’s house;
there’ll be a crowd of people
standin’ out before my baby’s house.
And they everybody’ll all be wond’rin’,
“What in the world all this racket about.”
Yeyeahh!!
Said I wasn’t goin’
’til my baby be in the groun’.
No, I ain’t goin’
’til my baby be in the groun’;
I’ll be standin’ right there
when the gravedigger let her down!
Wow! What a website. You have a real knack for making a blog readable and easy on the eyes. Some sites look like train wrecks, but not this one — it’s a pleasure to read. I don’t have time to read all the articles here right now, I found this site when looking for something else on ask.com, but I’ve bookmarked your homepage and will visit again real soon to see what’s new. Beyonce is such an inspiration to me. She is so strong. I love reading websites my favorite performer, Beyonce. Please visit my website at http://www.Beyonceitis.com! Have a peaceful week!