The Best of Muddy Waters

The first compilation of Waters’ singles was released in April 1958; the material included dates from between 1948 and 1954, and features many of his best-known songs (though not “Mannish Boy,” which was recorded in 1955). The performances — from Waters, harmonica wizard Little Walter, pianist Otis Spann, bassist Willie Dixon, and others — set the paradigm for high voltage electric blues, the songs booming from even the tiniest speaker thick with reverb and machismo. “I’m Ready” and “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” are suffused with swagger that verges on hostility, and other tracks like “I Just Want To Make Love To You” and “Mad Love (I Want You To Love Me)” are nearly as intense (“I want you to love me/Love me of your own free will/I want you to love me/Love me and don’t get me killed”).