Blogcritics: Comments on Song of the day: Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy

Comment by HW Saxton

Wed, 1 Sep 2004 14:24:17 EDT

Muddy Waters wrote "Mannish Boy" after hearing Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man". Which in itself was modeled (partly)on Muddy's 1954 hit "Hoochie Coochie Man". Muddy heard Bo doing the tune at one of Bo's first Chess sessions and he really liked the tune. He couldn't convince Mr. Leonard Chess to "give" him the tune or not release Bo's recording so he wrote "Mannish Boy" as a sort of answer tune. The version on "Hard Again" is alright. Muddy's voice in particular is in great form. Can't beat the original though for ambience, energy and sheer blues raunch.

Comment by Rodney Welch

Wed, 1 Sep 2004 11:31:02 EDT

"Mannish Boy" was well known a Muddy Waters classic long before Hard Again -- it dates from 1955 and may even have been where the Rolling Stones got their name. That album was an effort to introduce Waters to a new audience, but a lot of those who heard it would have already been way familiar with it. I think the whoops at the end of the song have more to do with the fact that Johnny Winter and his fellow musicians are playing with an idol, and the idol is more than happy to be connecting with all that youthful energy. It brings out the best in both, and the rest of the record is just as good, especially "Crosseyed Cat."

Comment by Mark Saleski

Wed, 1 Sep 2004 11:22:27 EDT

my favorite version of Mannish Boy used to be the one on The Band's Last Waltz record..until Hard Again came out...it's a killer.