[Harp-L] Muddy Waters Woodstock Album

[Special20 <special20harp@xxxxxxxxx>]

I downloaded the Muddy Waters Woodstock album from iTunes since I was
in the mood to hear some great Paul Butterfield harp lines.
Butterfield and Waters make this album worth hearing, but there is one
sideman who plays on several cuts who really annoyed me.

Garth Hudson (from The Band) plays keyboard (sounds like a B3) and
accordion.  Yep, an accordion.  An instrument with metal reeds, like a
harmonica.  It clashes sharply with Butterfield's harp work, and
sounds starkly out of place.  And Hudson plays as if he's pissed off
at Butterfield, stepping on his licks at nearly every opportunity.

The album also has Pinetop Perkins, the piano player from Muddy's
band, and he sounds outstanding, but for some reason the producer
(Levon Helm, also of The Band) wanted to add the organ and accordion
to the mix.  I don't think it worked at all.   I would pay extra for a
version without the extra noise.

Still, the music on the album is sensational because of the
combination of Waters and Butterfield.  They are masters, and
listening to Butterfield on this album is an object lesson in tone and
taste in blues harmonica.  Fox Squirrel is a bonus CD track and it is
nearly worth the price of the album by itself.

-Spec20