Muddy Waters' Folk Singer - is it the best recording ever?*

Sitting here listening to Folk Singer MFSL CD and after nearly 20
years, it still amazes me. The detail, the sound of the room, the superb
musicianship, and the sheer beauty of the simplicity just "take me there"
like no other recording I have heard.

The MFSL vinyl is even better!

Is there anything that betters it that I could be educated about?

Time Out is close, Egyptian Reggae tells me everything about the room, and the instruments sound so real, some Pet Sounds "takes me there", but for me nothing beats Folk Singer

 

You're assuming that everyone knows what "Folk Singer" is.

I believe this is the album being discussed:

 

thanks

 

I prefer Muddy's electric stuff from the same era, but there's no faulting the quality of this one.

 

The AP SACD of this is incredible...Truly a great recording

 

i've got nothing to compare it to, but I recently picked up a Japanese XRCD 24 bit CD that sounds great.

It's one of those albums that are recorded so well, it's hard to botch a mastering, I suppose...

Later, Chris

 

Great natural recording, but the music and performances do little for me, just boring. And it's not folk music either. It's like saying Casino Royale is the greatest recording, try listening to that more than once a year.

 

Certainly one of my 8 Desert Island Discs. I used My Home Is In The Delta for the soundtrack of Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey. There's nothing, in my view, more evocative of the huge fields of Stovall's Plantation.

 

Who is willing to do a "best sounding" Folk Singer shoot-out? I'm aware of the following versions:

Original release
Reissues of the original
MFSL 33rpm
Classic 33rpm
AP 45rpm
Classic 45rpm

Of course, numerous CD versions exist including the MFSL gold, AP SACD, etc.

Maybe a poll is in order to start the discussion?

 

I have owned the UMG SACD for years and think it is great and I am aware that it was released several times but I can't imagine a good case can be made that it is the best recording ever. For the few here that might not know anything about it, it is not folk music, it is a great acoustic blues album. Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Clifton James, and Otis Spann also perform here, pretty great lineup.

 

I'm usually not one to quibble over semantics, but it most certainly is folk music. Folk music doesn't have to be white. What about Richie Havens? You wouldn't call that blues, would you?

 

What about the DAD and the HDAD?

 

I've had the SH-mastered 1980s MCA-Chess 2fer CD forever and have never felt the need to upgrade.

It's not Anglo-European (ie: 'white') folk music, but it's still folk music.

 

Agreed. It is folk blues. Great American Folk music.

 

Its a great recording
But
The sound of the room is an EMT plate and a tape delay.

Try some Art Pepper on Contemporary by Roy Du Nann for fidelity and room.

 

No it's not

 

There's a lot of other Muddy Waters recordings I like better. They might not be very good sonically, but the quality of the performances are on fire in a way that this pleasant "Folk Singer" album most certainly is not.

 

This is the one I have. On the Beat Goes On label. Both Sings Big Bill Broonzy and Folk Singer sound very nice.

 

One of my favorite albums.

 

I will disagree with this. The only Richie Havens music I am aware of is folk music. This album was called Folk Singer to try to bring acoustic blues to the mass audience in a time when folk music was very popular but that doesn't change the fact it is acoustic blues. Find me a single site that calls this a folk album, I will find fifty that call it a blues album. Muddy Waters didn't do another exclusive acoustic album as far as I know and I don't think this one sold all that well but it is my favorite Muddy Waters album.

I have been listening to both types of music for 50 years or so and that is most certainly the way I see this album. White or black has nothing to do with it, there are great black folk artists and great white blues artists.

 

Blues, especially acoustic blues is folk music. It may not be the Kingston Trio, but by God, it's folk music just the same.

 

At least five times, here! I love that album.


Its hard to beat Muddy's bellowing voice on "Folk Singer.' Definitely an audition piece all the time.

 

The SH mastering renders all other versions obsolete, in my opinion.