Howlin' Wolf - Moanin' At Midnight

This CD combines some of the material from blues giant Howlin' Wolf's first two albums, themselves compilations of his singles released between 1951 and 1962. Apart from two tracks cut in Memphis with Ike Turner, these Chess Studios recordings are landmarks in the development of electric Chicago blues. The Mississippi Delta native's gruff persona towers over "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Red Rooster," "Spoonful," "Evil," "Wang Dang Doodle," "Back Door Man," and others that have become standards since being "discovered" by the Rolling Stones, Clapton, The Doors, et al. Almost as influential as Wolf's bottomless growl are the guitar playing of Hubert Sumlin and the writing and direction of Willie Dixon. An exceptional twofer value for such a weighty slice of American musical history. –Ben Edmonds

Songs: Shake For Me (W. Dixon) * The Red Rooster (C. Burnett) * You'll Be Mine (W. Dixon) * Woh's Been Talkin' (C. Burnett) * Wang - Dang - Doodle (W. Dixon) * Little Baby * Spoonful (W. Dixon) * Goin' Down Slow (J. Oden) * Down It The Bottom * Back Door Man (W. Dixon) * Howlin' For My Baby (W. Dixon/C. Burnett) * Tell Me (C. Burnett) * Moanin' At Midnight (C. Burnett) * How Many More Years (C. Burnett) * Smokestack Lightning (C. Burnett) * Evil (W. Dixon) * I'm Leavin' You (C. Burnett)