For the middle album of his
Johnny Winter-produced, late-'70s musical trilogy, blues giant
Muddy Waters brought a new spirit to some familiar material. Starting with members of
Waters' touring band -- pianist
Pinetop Perkins, bassist
Bob Margolin, and drummer
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."
Waters and band provide these well-worn gems with a little new studio polish, but it is with the newer songs that the performers really shine. On the powerful "33 Years,"
Waters punctuates his tale of lost love with snaky slide guitar, assisted by
Horton's wailing electric harp. "Who Do You Trust" features some of
Waters' dirtiest vocals, the bluesman growling the lyrics while
Winter layers his twangy slide above
Horton's harp and
Perkins' mournful ivories. "Rock Me" is old-school blues,
Waters revisiting this classic cut for the umpteenth time as
Rogers and
Horton support his vocals with smoky guitar and guest player
Jerry Portnoy adds some subtle but assertive electric harp to the affair.
I'm Ready closes with the
Sonny Boy Williamson chestnut "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," the high-spirited
Waters sounding in good form as
Portnoy's harp flails away in the background. Although nearing the end of his career,
Waters experienced a well-deserved artistic and commercial resurgence thanks to the three albums recorded with
Winter for Blue Sky.
Hard Again,
I'm Ready, and
King Bee all bring a harder edge to
Waters' classic performances, with
Winter's production heavy on the guitar and lighter on the brassy Chicago blues sound unfamiliar to the rock-oriented target audience. For new listeners trying to get a feel of what the blues is all about,
I'm Ready and its bookends are the albums to start with. Once you experience a taste of
Muddy Waters, you'll be ready for more.