The
London Howlin' Wolf Sessions
The
London Howlin' Wolf sessions is basically a collection of his best
songs done with Eric Clapton on lead guitar. Wolf's primary
guitarist Hubert Sumlin was present for the sessions and was
invaluable to the sessions.
The material is not quite as essential as the original
Chess recordings. However, they provide a great listen, especially
for fans of Clapton. The keyboards and horns (when used) were
overdubbed in Chicago. Pianist Layfayette Leake is only on four
songs and his talents really shine, too bad he isn't on more of the
songs.
Excellent rendition of "Goin' Down
Slow!" On it, Clapton locks with the harmonica nicely. Anyone catch the Sopranos episode Chasing It that
feature Wolf's version of the song?
The Deluxe Edition is two discs. Disc one includes
the original album, and three bonus tracks, which were released in
1974 along with some of Muddy Waters London Sessions as London
Revisited. The second disc are rehearsals and alternate takes.
Barry Small ©
From
Amazon:
Shipping sixty something blues icon Howlin' Wolf to England in May
1970, accompanied by his guitarist Hubert Sumlin, was a crapshoot.
Wolf’s health was poor and he hadn’t recorded outside of Chicago
since 1954. Not surprisingly, Wolf’s London excursion remains a
mixed bag. Certainly, the participants’ hearts were in their
music--with the notable exception perhaps of Wolf's--but the result
never quite gelled. When the Brit rockers such as Eric Clapton the
Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts dug into his songs,
they collided with the ornery bluesman. Producer Norman Dayron later
overdubbed Steve Winwood and Lafayette Leake’s keyboards (along
with horns on a few tracks) to salvage the sessions. Of all the
classic Chess albums, this is an odd choice to expand with a second
disc of outtakes, none of which are particularly revelatory. Still,
Clapton is fiery throughout, and Wolf, although not in prime form,
is never less than convincing. Though often criticized, most notably
by Clapton himself, Howlin' Wolf's London Sessions offers a
worthy--though not essential--snapshot of the legend in his waning
years. -Hal Horowitz
