Shake For Me - Howlin' Wolf
Song of the Day #4
Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shake-for-me/1423339042?i=1423340111
Although "Shake For Me" was originally the A-side to "Little Red Rooster," the latter is the one that gets nearly all the attention and critical acclaim, not only because of the Cooke and Rolling Stones covers but also being probably closer to what people expect from someone like Howlin' Wolf: a terrifying, slowly-crawling masterpiece featuring an absolutely shredding vocal performance. I love both the A-side and B-side dearly, but I have to say I've always been a bit more partial to the A-side. It might sound more danceable and accessible than "Rooster," but when you start closely listening to the song, it can creep under your skin just as much as its more famous sibling does.
You don't even need to go further than the intro to be impressed by the song. Just hear how Hubert Sumlin's frantic, paranoid guitar licks scurry all around the place, almost as if each of those licks is a small critter running for its life to hide from the big bad wolf. When Wolf starts singing, he really does sound like a vicious, animalistic predator, ready to quench his thirst for blood by ripping open any animal he sees. The groove of the song almost cannot handle Wolf's terrifying presence, where it sounds like his voice is physically beating the shit out of the rhythm section to make it dance the way he wants it to. This is one of the most brutal songs he ever put out, not a single compromise he gives in terms of the vocal performance nor does his band ever stray from the minimalistic but ferocious musical arrangement.
And we really shouldn't discount the role of the musicians in the success of this song. In fact, even if it were purely instrumental, I have no doubts it would still be an awesome track because of the great guitarist Hubert Sumlin's juicy licks. That jaw-dropping solo around 0:54 is something to behold, the guitar sounding like a breathing, animate creature giving everything it can to survive (perhaps the prey Wolf is trying to consume?). While the bag of tricks seems limited here, you cannot deny the tones and few ideas here are astonishing in their power and perfectly complement the mood Wolf tries to set.
I could probably talk a bit more about this song, but there's no need: just go ahead and hear this incredible song right now. Just don't hear it when you're in a shady, poorly-lit place: your nerves will positively be on the edge.
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