Goin' Down Slow - Howlin' Wolf
Song of the Day #20
Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/goin-down-slow/1423339042?i=1423340118
I guess this is a pretty strange choice for Thanksgiving, but in a way, Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf do spend some time being grateful in the song, even if it is savoring reckless partying, spending, and "having fun" (read: sex). Though, don't be fooled into thinking this is just a decadent rendition of this standard. Willie understood more than anyone the fine line between "sexual" and "menacing" in blues music, and he totally capitalized it here by perfectly tight roping across that line. Although Willie Dixon's spoken-word section exudes sleaziness, Wolf's shredding delivery right after makes it unexpectedly creepy, as if Willie's carnal urges have allowed his demons to overtake their host and transform him into a terrifying beast. I have no idea if they intended this effect, but the slow build-up of this contrast was truly genius.
Yet, the star of the show here for me is still the great Hubert Sumlin. He adds an incredible amount of sonic depth to the song through all the juicy guitar licks he throws in. Just hear that absolutely poisonous sound he gets around 0:46. Dear god! Electric blues simply does not get more intoxicating than that. His mastery of tone and suspense was simply unparalleled, and when combined with Wolf's glass-shattering voice and a gritty, powerful rhythm section, you get yourself a band capable of churning out an endless run of classics. Treat yourself to this delightfully skin-crawling masterpiece, and no, that's not an oxymoron when it comes to blues of this caliber.
No comments:
Post a Comment