Howlin ' Wolf: The Complete RPM & Chess Singles As & Bs, 1951-62

I'm not a modern blues/blues rock fan, but I love traditional American and folk music.Don't let Howlin' Wolf's reputation as a blues artist turn you off. These are essential and historical American recordings that should be listened to by all.

I bought this recently and was not disappointed, so many great tracks and many of them covered later by great rock bands like The Doors and The Yardbirds. If you're a fan of the blues, then you need some Howlin' Wolf in your life, he was a true original with great musical ideas, guitar work and a unique voice.

See my comments on the companion CD set of Muddy Waters for the issue--I'd say non-issue--of the "durability" of these discs.Wolf's greatest period was when he recorded for Sam Phillips and for a few years after he moved to Chicago. SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING is the terminal side for me, though I admit a lot of what follows is worth listening to. It's just that I think Willie Dixon's lyrics, which were forced on Wolf, are mostly awful, but you can't ignore Hubert Sumlin's guitar, even on some of the worst sides. (What a ham Dixon was: he has to recite a litany of ups and downs on GOIN' DOWN SLOW that add nothing to the side: Wolf could have done the job much better.)Sam Phillips said that Wolf was his greatest discovery, not Elvis. I think the first blush of hearing such a primitive blues artist must have stunned him, especially with a jazzy guitarist like Willie Johnson in tow. (Actually, Jerry Lee Lewis was the greatest discovery Phillips made, Moon Mullican and Big Maceo in one split personality.)The sides Phillips recorded are amazing. MOANIN' AT MIDNIGHT is epochal, of course, the rest of the stuff is just a few degrees below MOANIN'. I especially like SADDLE MY PONY, which sounds like Charlie Patton returned from the dead.Wolf's first Chicago sides are extraordinary. EVIL features a tremendous vocal, an almost incomprehensible section ("Catch the first thing smokin'./If you have to hobo"), and Len Chess admonishing Wolf to sing "louder, louder".I ASKED FOR WATER is better than Tommy Johson's original COOL DRINK OF WATER, FORTY-FOUR is the best ever version of this evergreen, and of course SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING is one of the top ten blues records of all time.Buy this set. It's an amazing bargain and the music is magnificent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before this purchase my knowledge of the Wolf's music was very limited only hearing Smokestack Lightning, Back Door Man, Spoonful and Killing Floor. I was surprised to hear some songs that were more jazz than blues. Overall an outstanding CD set where you can hear the seeds of Rock and Roll throughout.That said, some (audiophiles) may find issue with the sound quality on some of the songs. Some (a few, not all) are scratchy with hisses and pops but there's probably no avoiding this with ANY recordings considering the rarity and equipment used at the time. Definitely NOT a deal breaker but I figured I mention it for those looking for perfect sound-the songs were recorded in the early 50s-60s.For the price you can't go wrong here. As I stated earlier you can hear the influence the Wolf had on such bands like Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Rolling Stones and many others. Do yourself a favor and get this set, you won't regret it!

I bought this collection for Christmas for my boyfriend. He's an avid fan of the Blues and he's been playing it everyday since the day he got it! Awesome addition to any Blues Lover's collection!

Didn’t have a Howlin’ Wolf song in my collection. This more than filled in the void. Great album.

Tremendous collection of Howlin' Wolf material. Because much of it is recorded on primitive recording instrumentation, obviously some of it is going to be mono in nature. However, the sound is very clean. His later material sounds more stereo. As far as the content, it's just amazing. I have to admit to being only somewhat familiar with his music. This collection was eye opening. I didn't realize just how much music of quality he produced. I listened for over an hour the first day without coming across a song that I didn't like. There is just a time capsule quality to this collection. It's remarkable how much early rock and roll musicians stole from Howlin Wolf. And he did it better!

Love Howlin Wolf

As with the same company’s compilation of Muddy Waters’s Aristrocrat and Chess recordings, this is an essential purchase. The greatest material is that recorded in Memphis, but many of the Chicago recordings are very fine. Thus us all the Wolf that you need to own.

Brilliant collection of all the Howl' Wolf sides that matter. Alongside Muddy Waters as my top rated blues musician. Powerful blues from a mighty singer with a great band urging him on. Highly recommended.

Nice to have a chronological compilation so you can hear Wolf’s progression as listeners would have at the time.

After having only one HW compilation CD for nearly 20 years decided to buy this excellent 11 year overview of the great man's recordings between '51 and 62. Excellent value for money at £10 or so for 80 recordings. Confident that (God willing) I'll still playing this in 20 years time.Treat yourself.

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