Limited edition 180-gram vinyl reissue of the classic Chess Records LP

High definition premium virgin vinyl pressing for super fidelity

Born in Mississippi in 1910, Howlin\’ Wolf, born Chester Arthur Burnett, was an American blues singer remembered and celebrated for his electrifying stage presence. Along with Muddy Waters, Howlin\’ Wolf amplified the Mississippi Delta blues style for urban audiences, forever putting Chicago-style blues on the map.

This is Wolf\’s last hurrah, his final studio album, cut for the Chess label, in 1973. Saxophonist Eddie Shaw was Wolf\’s effective band leader during the time of The Back Door Wolf, as well as manager, arranger, and sometime songwriter. Although it is strange for a Howlin\’ Wolf album not to feature any Willie Dixon songs whatsoever, Shaw\’s compositions — \”Coon on the Moon,\” \”Trying to Forget You,\” \”Leave Here Walking,\” \”The Back Door Wolf,\” (co-written with Chess stalwart Ralph Bass) and \”Watergate Blues\” — do a pretty good job of filling the void. \”Coon\” and \”Watergate\” are two racially-conscious pieces that celebrate the ascendancy of black folks during the immediate post-Civil Rights era. The former acknowledges how far African-Americans had come since the days of Wolf\’s youth, and the latter deals with the black security guard who had busted Richard Nixon\’s henchmen during the infamous Watergate break-in. \”The Back Door Wolf,\” the title track, features the only appearance of Shaw\’s capable saxophone and is essentially an instrumental with Wolf moaning low along with the melody.