I'm Ready - Muddy Waters
Song of the Day #8
Since I've been listening to a lot of 50s Chicago blues recently, this was bound to get a song of the day review, being one of my absolute favorite Muddy songs. In my eyes, only "Hoochie Coochie Man"/"Manish Boy" can truly compete with the sheer cockiness of this tune. I mean, in its main chorus, Muddy literally declares, "I'm ready for you / I hope you're ready for me." He doesn't even give you a goddamn option in this matter: you either like what he's gonna do or you're gonna have to learn to like it. How can anyone be more alpha than that?
Though, if all that was intriguing about the song was Muddy's sexual dominance, I wouldn't hold it in such high regard. Part of the power of the recording is the dark, almost creepy undercurrent to that swagger. The song is so ferocious in spirit that it straddles the line between aggressive sexuality and being downright terrifying. At this point, he doesn't need to play guitar: his voice is so overflowing with charisma that his singing provides the brutal effect required. Every time you hear Muddy suddenly modulate his voice (especially the sharp one on "I'm READY"), you can feel him channeling some deeply sinister energy. The song seems to be about performing something sexually, but in the way he delivers it, he might as well be attempting to murder his lover. Even the cocky verses are enigmatically menacing. "I gotta ax handle pistol on a graveyard frame / That shoots tombstone bullets wearing balls and chain." Doesn't this sound like a weapon the devil would use against his sinners rather than what a mortal macho man would use to scare off his foes? One thing's for sure: when he belts out "I'm been drinking gin like never before," you ought to be scared as shit if he takes another drink.
As with all great Chicago blues recording though, it isn't just about the lead singer. Otis Spann's booming piano riff and the thick bottom sound by the rhythm section make the song unbelievably heavy, making each verse Muddy drops bone-crushing. However, the award of the second-most important instrument goes to Little Walter's harmonica. His fluid performance not only carries the main hook but also gives the song a very hazy feel, almost as if the murderer is approaching but you can't make out where he's coming from. From the rattlesnake-like vibrato on the main chorus to the alarm wail solos, he adds greatly to the tension that Muddy already brings.
Indeed, this song could not hope to be as popular as "Manish Boy." "I'm Ready" is much harder to decipher with its cryptic imagery and its lack of an arch-cocky, catchy riff. Yet, this is no excuse for it not being held as one of Muddy's greatest achievements. Let its aggressive mystique get to you, and once it does, it will kick your ass and creep under your skin like no other. Please, give this masterpiece the many listens it deserves.
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