Junior Wells – Hoodoo Man Blues (1965/2009) [AcousticSounds DSF DSD64/2.82MHz]

Mastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray

One of the all-time great urban blues records and the best-seller in the famed Delmark catalog. Hoodoo Man Blues is so full of bravado and snap it’ll make you feel tough just listening to it. Not all of the Delmark titles were recorded very well, but this one certainly was. Hoodoo Man Blues, which features Buddy Guy on guitar, is not only Junior Wells’ first LP appearance, it’s damn near the first LP by a Chicago blues band. Chess and a few other labels had reissued 45s by Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James, etc., but virtually no one had tried to capture the Chicago blues sound free of the limitations of juke box/airplay promotion. Hoodoo Man Blues went a long way in the popularization of real Chicago blues and of Junior Wells.

Originally released in 1965.

Hoodoo Man Blues is one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to fully document, in the superior acoustics of a recording studio, the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. Junior Wells just set up with his usual cohorts — guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, and drummer Billy Warren — and proceeded to blow up a storm, bringing an immediacy to “Snatch It Back and Hold It,” “You Don’t Love Me, Baby,” “Chitlins con Carne,” and the rest of the tracks that is absolutely mesmerizing. Widely regarded as one of Wells’ finest achievements, it also became Delmark’s best-selling release of all time. Producer Bob Koester vividly captures the type of grit that Wells brought to the stage. When Wells and his colleagues dig into “Good Morning, Schoolgirl,” “Yonder Wall,” or “We’re Ready,” they sound raw, gutsy, and uninhibited. And while Guy leaves the singing to Wells, he really shines on guitar. Guy, it should be noted, was listed as “Friendly Chap” on Delmark’s original LP version of Hoodoo Man Blues; Delmark thought Guy was under contract to Chess, so they gave him a pseudonym. But by the early ’70s, Guy’s real name was being listed on pressings. This is essential listening for lovers of electric Chicago blues. -AllMusic Review by Bill Dahl

Tracklist:
1 Snatch It Back And Hold It 2:54
2 Ships On The Ocean 4:09
3 Good Morning Schoolgirl 3:58
4 Hound Dog 2:11
5 In The Wee Hours 3:49
6 Hey Lawdy Mama 3:16
7 Hoodoo Man Blues 2:09
8 Early In The Morning 4:51
9 We’re Ready 3:45
10 You Don’t Love Me Baby 2:27
11 Chitlin Con Carne 2:16
12 Yonder Wall 4:14

Personnel:
Junior Wells, harmonica, vocals
Buddy Guy (originally billed as Friendly Chap), guitar
Jack Myers, bass
Bill Warren, drums

Download:

mqs.link_JunirWellsHdManBlues19652009AcusticSundsDSD64.part1.rar
mqs.link_JunirWellsHdManBlues19652009AcusticSundsDSD64.part2.rar

SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz