Customer Reviews
Definitive "live" Muddy Waters recording 
2008-08-27
This album is so good it should be mandatory listening before any young punk even thinks about playing guitar.
Great songs, great recording, even greater artist.
Buy it, play it and share it with folks who think rock and roll started with Elvis...
Perhaps my ears are defective... 
2007-08-13
Recorded and released in 1960, Live At Newport is one of the most beloved albums in the Muddy Waters catalogue, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest blues records of all time. To be honest, I'm not really sure why. Don't get me wrong: It is by no means a bad album. In fact, some of the performances found here rank among Muddy's very best: The legendary, show stopping rendition of "I've Got My Mojo Working" is a total barn-burner, with its fiery vocals, grinding pianos, and surging rhythms. "Tiger In Your Tank" raves with a similarly infectious abandon, and "Baby Please Don't Go" is tight and muscular.
Sadly, too much of this album is devoted to unspectacular, standard-issue blues. "I've Got My Brand On You" is an uninspired combination of generic songwriting and soulless instrumentation, while "I Feel So Good" doesn't deliver an ounce of the enthusiasm that its title promises. "Soon Forgotten" and "Goodbye Newport Blues" are slow burners that simply don't burn- the music is free of the tension that marks the best slow blues numbers. Perhaps the biggest dissapointment is "Hoochie Coochie Man." In its studio incarnation, "Hoochie Coochie Man" is simply one of the greatest blues songs of all time. On this record, however, it's bland and unentertaining, devoid of the raw sexuality and smouldering passion that made the original such a classic.
So, there you go. An incredibly dissapointing album from a great performer.
It Started Here For A Lot Of Rock and Rollers.. 2007-05-21
Newport 1960, the mecca of a yearly festival of live Jazz that crossed over the greats of the day, and I do mean Greats,into a larger audience where the money and acclaim justifiably started to flow was not lost on this wonderful blues-man who with the likes of jazz men like Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker and others did a lot of good for inspiring groups like the Stones and others whose homage to Muddy is clear.
Creating rock and roll from pure live excitement from albums like this and another legend's stellar album, BB King's Live At The Regal LP are benchmarks for much that followed.
As to this wonderful CD, great sound, nice notes, mono studio bonus tracks found on the live portion makes this a worthwhile companion with historical importance while not forgetting the contributions made by Middy's band of pianist Otis Spann,the harmonica of James Cotton, an artist in his own right,and a special treat, the inclusion of the poet Langston Hughes within the proceedings.
A gem. 2006-09-05
This is Muddy Waters rocking out! He is in fine voice, a force of nature, with a hard driving band. Forget the labels, this is joyous rock n' roll.
Fantastic look at a true legend 
2005-04-13
According to the liner notes from this one, Muddy had a tough time with Blues festivals. First he was too electric and loud. The next year he was too acoustic and quiet. From the sound of this one, he finally got it just right.
This is not a barn-burner. Oh, it has plenty of energy, but if you're looking for the jolt found on his Blue Sky-era recordings, you're going to be a bit disappointed. This is smoother blues. Not mellow, but not as rowdy. Remember, the younger Muddy Waters was trying to find wide-acceptance of his misic. (It is a shame he didn't find that until the last few years of his life)
The song selection is fantastic. "Tiger in your tank" is fun. "Got my mojo working" is a foot-stopmper. But, my favorite is "Goodbye Newport Blues", which was allegedly penned on the stairs to the stage and ad-libbed by the band. But, what a band to have ad-lib!
This one is must for those who want to move beyond blues/rock.
One of the all-time classic live blues albums 2004-01-18
Muddy Waters' July, 1960 appearance at the Newport Folk Festival was recorded and issued as one of the first live blues albums, and one of the very best as well. A bit short at only nine songs (plus four studio recordings), but that's just about the only complaint you could possibly lodge against this classic recording.
The sound on the remastered 2001 edition is simply excellent...the original masters have been transferred in high-resolution digital audio, bringing up Andrew Stephenson's bass overall, and moving Muddy's singing several layers forward in the mix.
And the result is superb. The Muddy Waters Band of 1960 included top-notch harmonica player James Cotton, guitarist Auburn "Pat" Hare, drummer Francis Clay, and the great Otis Spann whose superb piano playing graced almost all of Muddy's 1960s recordings (listen to the swing he adds to "I Feel So Good"). And Muddy Waters himself is in his prime, his big, confident voice possessing tremendous power.
Talking about highlights is a meaningless excercise..."Muddy Waters At Newport" features the definitive renditions of the classic "Got My Mojo Working" and the swaggering "I Feel So Good", but literally everything is superb, from the hits ("Hoochie Coochie Man", Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go") to the little-known songs ("Soon Forgotten", the then-newly recorded "I Got My Brand On You" and "Tiger In Your Tank"). And the live portion of the album winds down with the slow lament "Goodbye Newport Blues", which is pretty generic and obviously slapped together for the occation, but it actually works quite well (and pianist Otis Spann provides a good lead vocal).
The original live recordings have been augumented by four bonus tracks recorded just prior to Muddy's Newport appearance, three of which appear "live" as well. Notice how the live recordings of "I Got My Brand On You", "Tiger In Your Tank" and the slow "Soon Forgotten" are almost twice as long as the studio versions.
The fourth song is one of Muddy's least-known songs...a mid-tempo blues shuffle anchored by a great rhythm section and with some superb harmonica playing by James Cotton. A fine little gem.
"Muddy Waters At Newport" is a must-have for any self-respecting blues fan, casual or fanatical, and one of the greatest items in Muddy Waters' catalogue.
Not too shabby! 2003-09-10
I can't quite say I enjoyed this CD, but seeing as how this was my first Waters album, I have concluded it was a good place to start. It has some of his classics ("I Got my Mojo Working" and "Hoochie Coochie Man"), and a whole bunch of others.
Of considerable interest also would be the fact that not ALL of the tracks are live, both classics listed above are in pre-recorded format, along with another.
MUSIC ITSELF: 4
SOUND QUALITY 4
COVER, INSIDE SLEEVE: 5
OVERALL: 4
The concert that inspired British rock 2002-10-11
This is the concert that inspired the likes of Eric Burdon, Clapton, Winwood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page...this is a must for blues and rock n' roll collectors. The sound is live, probably Muddy's best live recording. I would like to find the video/35mm film to this. I also recommend "Hard Again" by Muddy with the help of James Cotton (who is also on this live recording) and Johnny Winter. The man is missed.
Defining the blues 2001-09-11
This is one of blue's seminal albums -- a must-have for any blues fan. Simply put, it defined the Chicago style. Muddy's vocals are sensational -- he's in top form here -- and the band steams along like a locomotive. Don't expect high-quality sound, though. This 41-year old gem was recorded live and the sound gets pretty thin at times. No matter. It's the historic performance that you get.
You like blues? Gotta own this. 2001-09-07
Muddy Waters is, and probably always will be, the very epitome of the blues to me. Any blues fan knows that the blues is best when performed live. Newport 1960 is probably Muddy Waters' best live recording. It comes from the era when he was at his creative peak. This CD is a must-own for blues fans. Muddy goes through such classics as Hoochie Coochie Man, Baby Please Don't Go and Got My Mojo Working as well as newer (then) material such as I Got My Brand On You and Tiger In Your Tank (the studio versions of which are also included on this remastered version). If you like Muddy Waters or blues, be sure to pick up this CD.
