“Rollin’ Stone” by Muddy Waters stands as a landmark recording for several reasons. Cut in February of 1950, it was the first blues record that Chess ever issued (and the second overall, following a Gene Ammons instrumental). It also is the only classic Chess track Muddy sang and played by himself, demonstrating that he didn’t always need his stellar band in order to deliver a stirring performance. And then, of course, there was that English rock group that took its name from this song as well as a San Francisco-born music magazine whose name drew inspiration from the song title.
