Description

Limited edition 180-gram vinyl reissue of the classic Chess Records LP

High definition premium virgin vinyl pressing for super fidelity

Born in Mississippi in 1910, Howlin Wolf, born Chester Arthur Burnett, was an American blues singer remembered and celebrated for his electrifying stage presence. Along with Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf amplified the Mississippi Delta blues style for urban audiences, forever putting Chicago-style blues on the map.

This is Wolfs last hurrah, his final studio album, cut for the Chess label, in 1973. Saxophonist Eddie Shaw was Wolfs effective band leader during the time of The Back Door Wolf, as well as manager, arranger, and sometime songwriter. Although it is strange for a Howlin Wolf album not to feature any Willie Dixon songs whatsoever, Shaws compositions Coon on the Moon, Trying to Forget You, Leave Here Walking, The Back Door Wolf, (co-written with Chess stalwart Ralph Bass) and Watergate Blues do a pretty good job of filling the void. Coon and Watergate are two racially-conscious pieces that celebrate the ascendancy of black folks during the immediate post-Civil Rights era. The former acknowledges how far African-Americans had come since the days of Wolfs youth, and the latter deals with the black security guard who had busted Richard Nixons henchmen during the infamous Watergate break-in. The Back Door Wolf, the title track, features the only appearance of Shaws capable saxophone and is essentially an instrumental with Wolf moaning low along with the melody.