P-Vine Special, the exemplary Japanese specialist reissue label, set the standard in blues box sets during the LP era with the Muddy Waters compilation The Chess Box, issued as an 11-LP set, with a bonus disc added to a special edition release. This box covers all the ‘singles’ sessions–honing in on what the compilers regarded as the meat of Muddy’s work, aimed for commercial release to the black audience–from his first Aristocrat sides, Gypsy Woman and Little Anna Mae, of 1947 to the June 1967 session that produced one of his final Chess 45s, Birdnest on the Ground and When the Eagle Flies, along with a number of unissued tracks and some takes that are alternates to the original Chess issues. More unissued and alternate takes have surfaced since this box was compiled in 1985, but otherwise, the only 1947-67 Chess/Aristocrat sides missing from the box are live recordings (including Newport 1960), the Muddy Waters: Folk Singer tracks from 1963, and the 1966 Brass and the Blues session. MCA in the U.S. issued its own Muddy Chess Box in 1989, a smaller (6-LP or 3-CD) but worthy set which is much easier to find than this P-Vine collectors’ item. P-Vine’s bonus disc consists of the entire session tapes, outtakes, studio talk, and all, of the 1960 tracks Read Way Back and Woman Wanted.

RECORD 1
A-1: GYPSY WOMAN
A-2: LITTLE ANNA MAE
A-3: MEAN DISPOSITION
A-4: I CAN’T BE SATISFIED
A-5: I FEEL LIKE GOING HOME
A-6: TRAIN FARE HOME
A-7: DOWN SOUTH BLUES
B-1: KIND HEARTED WOMAN
B-2: SITTIN ‘HERE AND DRINKIN’
B-3: YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME
B-4: MEAN RED SPIDER
B-5: STANDIN ‘HERE TREMBLIN’
B-6: STREAMLINE WOMAN
B-7: HARD DAYS
B-8: MUDDY JUMPS ONE

RECORD 2
A-1: LITTLE GENEVA
A-2: CANARY BIRD
A-3: BURYING GROUND
A-4: SCREAMING AND CRYING
A-5: WHERE’S MY WOMAN BEEN
A-6: LAST TIME I FOOL AROUND WITH YOU
A-7: ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ Pt.1
A-8: ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ Pt.2
B-1: ROLLIN’ STONE
B-2: ROLLIN’ STONE (alt.take)
B-3: WALKIN’ BLUES
B-4: YOU’RE GONNA NEED MY HELP I SAID
B-5: SAD LETTER BLUES
B-6: EARLY MORNING BLUES
B-7: APPEALING BLUES

RECORD 3
A-1: LOUISIANA BLUES
A-2: EVANS SHUFFLE
A-3: LONG DISTANCE CALL
A-4: TOO YOUNG TO KNOW
A-5: HONEY BEE
A-6: HOWLIN’ WOLF
A-7: COUNTRY BOY
A-8: SHE MOVES ME
B-1: MY FAULT
B-2: STILL A FOOL
B-3: THEY CALL ME MUDDY WATERS
B-4: ALL NIGHT LONG
B-5: ALL NIGHT LONG (alt. take)
B-6: STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH
B-7: LONESOME DAY

RECORD 4
A-1: PLEASE HAVE MERCY
A-2: WHO’S GONNA BE YOUR SWEET MAN
A-3: STANDING AROUND CRYING
A-4: GONE TO MAIN STREET
A-5: IODINE IN MY COFFEE
A-6: FLOOD
A-7: MY LIFE IS RUINED
B-1: SHE’S ALL RIGHT
B-2: SHE’S ALL RIGHT (alt .take)
B-3: SAD SAD DAY
B-4: TURN THE LAMP DOWN LOW (BABY PLEASE DON’T GO)
B-5: BABY PLEASE DON’T GO (alt. take)
B-6: LOVING MAN
B-7: BLOW WIND BLOW
B-8: MAD LOVE (I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME)

RECORD 5
A-1: I’M YOUR HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
A-2: I’M YOUR HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN (alt. take)
A-3: SHE’S SO PRETTY
A-4: JUST MAKE LOVE TO ME (I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU)
A-5: OH YEAH
A-6: I’M READY
A-7: SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING
A-8: I DON’T KNOW WHY
B-1: I’M A NATURAL BORN LOVER
B-2: OOH WEE
B-3: THIS PAIN
B-4: YOUNG FASHIONED WAYS
B-5: I WANT TO BE LOVED
B-6: MY EYES (KEEP ME IN TROUBLE)
B-7: MANNISH BOY

RECORD 6
A-1: I GOT TO FIND MY BABY
A-2: SUGAR SWEET
A-3: TROUBLE NO MORE
A-4: CLOUDS IN MY HEART
A-5: 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS
A-6: ALL ABOARD
A-7: JUST TO BE WITH YOU
B-1: DON’T GO NO FARTHER
B-2: DIAMONDS AT YOUR FEET
B-3: LIVE THE LIFE I LOVE
B-4: ROCK ME
B-5: LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE
B-6: GOT MY MOJO WORKING
B-7: GOOD NEWS
B-8: EVIL

RECORD 7
A-1: COME HOME BABY, I WISH YOU WORLD
A-2: LET ME HANG AROUND
A-3: I WON’T GO ON
A-4: SHE’S GOT IT
A-5: BORN LOVER
A-6: SHE’S NINETEEN YEARS OLD
A-7: CLOSE TO YOU
B-1: WALKING THRU THE PARK
B-2: BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE
B-3: MEAN MISTREATER
B-4: CRAWLING KINGSNAKE
B-5: LONESOME ROAD BLUES
B-6: MOPPER’S BLUES
B-7: TAKE THE BITTER WITH THE SWEET

RECORD 8
A-1: SHE’S INTO SOMETHING
A-2: SOUTH BOUND TRAIN
A-3: JUST A DREAM
A-4: I FEEL SO GOOD
A-5: HEY HEY
A-6: LOVE AFFAIR
A-7: RECIPE FOR LOVE
B-1: BABY, I DONE GOT WISE
B-2: TELL ME BABY
B-3: WHEN I GET TO THINKING
B-4: DOUBLE TROUBLE
B-5: WOMAN WANTED
B-6: READ WAY BACK

RECORD 9
A-1: I’M YOUR DOCTOR
A-2: DEEP DOWN IN MY HEART
A-3: TIGER IN YOUR TANK
A-4: SOON FORGOTTEN
A-5: MEANEST WOMAN
A-6: I GOT MY BRAND ON YOU
B-1: REAL LOVE
B-2: LONESOME ROOM BLUES
B-3: MESSIN ‘WITH THE MAN
B-4: GOING HOME
B-5: DOWN BY THE DEEP BLUE SEA
B-6: MUDDY WATERS TWIST
B-7: TOUGH TIMES

RECORD 10
A-1: YOU SHOOK ME
A-2: YOU NEED LOVE
A-3: LITTLE BROWN BIRD
A-4: FIVE LONG YEARS
A-5: BROWN SKIN WOMAN
A-6: TWENTY FOUR HOURS
A-7: COMING ROUND THE MOUNTAIN
A-8: LET ME HANG AROUND
B-1: ELEVATE ME MAMA
B-2: SO GLAD I’M LIVING
B-3: LOVE STRIKES LIKE THE LIGHTNING
B-4: EARLY IN THE MORNING
B-5: ONE MORE MILE
B-6: HIGHWAY 13
B-7: YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO
B-8: THINGS I USED TO DO
RECORD 11
A-1: THE SAME THING
A-2: YOU CAN’T LOSE WHAT YOU AIN’T NEVER HAD
A-3: MY JOHN THE CONQUER ROOT
A-4: SHORT DRESS WOMAN
A-5: PUT ME IN YOUR LAY AWAY
A-6: MY DOG CAN’T BARK
A-7: I GOT A RICH MAN’S WOMAN
A-8: MAKING FRIENDS
B-1: IT’S ALL OVER
B-2: COUNTY JAIL
B-3: TWO STEPS FOREWARD
B-4: BLIND MAN
B-5: FIND YOURSELF ANOTHER FOOL
B-6: KINFOLK’S BLUES
B-7: BIRDNEST ON THE GROUND
B-8: WHEN THE EAGLE FLIES

BONUS RECORD (12)
A-1: WOMAN WANTED (in a recording session)
B-1: READ WAY BACK (in a recording session)

Released as P-Vine Special PLP-9040 through PLP-9051 in 1985 in Japan.

— Jim O’Neal
www.bluesoterica.com