The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions [Deluxe Edition]

Disc 1
1	Rockin' Daddy 3:46
2	I Ain't Superstitious 3:32
3	Sitting on Top of the World 3:53
4	Worried About My Baby 2:58
5	What a Woman! 3:03
6	Poor Boy 3:05
7	Built for Comfort 2:10
8	Who's Been Talking? 3:04
9	The Red Rooster False Start and Dialog 1:59
10	The Red Rooster 3:58
11	Do the Do 2:21
12	Highway 49 2:48
13	Wang Dang Doodle 4:32
14	Goin' Down Slow Bonus Track 5:55
15	Killing Floor Bonus Track 5:17
16	I Want to Have a Word With You Bonus Track 4:05
Disc 2
1	Worried About My Baby previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Rehearsal Take 3:46
2	The Red Rooster previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Mix with Alternate Piano 3:32
3	What a Woman! aka Commit a Crime 3:53
4	Who's Been Talking? previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Take With False Start & Dialog 2:58
5	Worried About My Baby previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Take 3:03
6	I Ain't Superstitious previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Take 3:05
7	Highway 49 previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Take 2:10
8	Do the Do previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Extended Alternate Take 3:04
9	Poor Boy previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Lyrics/Mix 1:59
10	I Ain't Superstitious previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Mix 3:58
11	What a Woman! aka Commit a Crime / Alternate Mix with Organ ... 2:21
12	Rockin' Daddy previously unreleased / Bonus Track / Alternate Mix 2:48
13	[Untitled Hidden Track] 4:32
14	[Untitled Hidden Track] 5:55
15	[Untitled Hidden Track] 5:17
16	[Untitled Hidden Track] 4:05

Barnes & Noble

Joined by some cream-of-the-crop of British blues players, the legendary Howlin’ Wolf turned in one of his last great recordings on this all-star get-together. Guitarist Eric Clapton takes the lead guitar chores, while Rolling Stones Bill Wyman on bass and Charlie Watts on drums make up the rhythm section. (Among the other guests are Rolling Stones associate Ian Stewart on piano and Steve Winwood, who later overdubbed keyboard parts in Chicago.) Hubert Sumlin, Wolf’s regular guitarist, is also here providing a solid bedrock. The playing from all is tasty rather than flashy; this was the leader’s session, and their restraint displays their respect. The mighty Wolf, for his part, gives it all he's got, digging into strong versions of some of his best-loved numbers. The expanded version collects three tracks from the London Revisited album and a full disc of highly interesting unreleased tracks. William Pearl

All Music Guide

Although The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions was not a high point in the careers of either Howlin' Wolf or the guest superstars Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Stevie Winwood, and Ringo Starr, it's not as bad as some blues purists make it out to be. This deluxe edition two-CD set pads out the original with an entire disc of previously unreleased alternate takes/alternate mixes (and three tracks from the same sessions that eventually showed up on the 1974 compilation London Revisited, which also included material by Muddy Waters). Fewer and fewer leftovers from the Chess catalog were available at the beginning of the 21st century, so here this is, bolstered by lengthy and entertaining liner notes spotlighting memories from producer Norman Dayron. The original album, presented here in its original mix, was adequate but flawed. The alternate versions really aren't all that different from the ones selected for the album, and some, in fact, are just alternate mixes. There are, however, some occasional notable differences, like "What a Woman!" with an organ overdub,"Poor Boy" with different lyrics, "The Red Rooster" with an alternate piano, a rawer "Who's Been Talking" with lots of studio chat, a version of "Do the Do" that goes on more than twice as long as the album rendition, and a "rehearsal take" (the only such item here) of "Worried About My Baby" that's far sparser than the one ultimately chosen. Richie Unterberger