Willie Dixon - 'I Am The Blues'

 

"The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits… The blues are the roots of all American music.  As long as American music survives, so will the blues." —Willie Dixon

Willie Dixon knew what the blues were all about, having been incarcerated for minor offenses on two occasions in Mississippi, the first when he was only 12. In his book, 'I Am the Blues' he said:

"That’s when I really learned about the blues. I had heard ’em with the music and took ’em to be an enjoyable thing, but after I heard these guys down there moaning and groaning these really down-to-earth blues, I began to inquire about ’em…. I really began to find out what the blues meant to black people, how it gave them consolation to be able to think these things over and sing them to themselves or let other people know what they had in mind and how they resented various things in life."

On another occasion, he served thirty days at the Harvey Allen County Farm, located near the infamous Parch man Farm prison. During his time there, he witnessed prisoners being mistreated and beaten.  He described the people running the farm as "devoid of mercy, describing them as mean, ignorant, evil, stupid, and crazy."  This was the first time Dixon had ever seen a man beaten to death.  Willie himself was cruelly treated, receiving a blow to the head that left him deaf for approximately four years.

Dixon arrived in Chicago from Mississippi in 1936, and after a boxing career, singing in a gospel group and in a successful trio, he ended up working for Chess Records, producing, arranging, leading the studio band, and playing bass.  His first big break came when Muddy Waters recorded his "Hoochie Coochie Man" in 1954, which became his biggest hit, Willie went on to become Chess’s top song-writer.

Among his hundreds of classic songs: "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You",  "Little Red Rooster",  "I’m Ready", "My Babe", "I Can’t Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me", "Evil", "Spoonful", "The Seventh Son", "Wang Dang Doodle" and "You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover", to name but a few.

Willie Dixon’s legacy extends beyond the blues songs he composed and recorded by artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and so many others, or the gem of an album which is today's freeload.  It also lies in the way his songs were covered by major rock ’n’ roll artists and influenced their music.

Willie died of heart failure on January 29, 1992, in Burbank, California.

Willie was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, by Chuck Berry, who said:
"...he made me what I am, so far as the basics of my music."

In 2007, Willie was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Vicksburg.

'I Am The Blues' was recorded in 1969 at the Chess Records studio at 2120 South Michigan Avenue and released in 1970 on the Columbia Records label.  It was produced by Abner Spector.

Willie proves himself to be a fine blues vocalist throughout.  He begins with a growling, Howlin’ Wolf-style performance on the first track, "Back Door Man".  He demonstrates excellent control on the slow-paced "I Can’t Quit You Baby"  He adds a playful touch to "The Seventh Son" and gives "The Little Red Rooster" a charming barnyard feel.  You won’t feel like you’re missing out on the original versions of these songs by their famous artists.

'I Am The Blues', is classic Chicago blues, with all the artists at the top of their game, seemingly really enjoying themselves in the recording process.

A few words about the freeload:
This is a 24bit/192kHz rip from the original vinyl (with unusually good sound for a blues recording) album from 1970,  and it's the much sought after "Pitman Pressing" (Columbia – CS 9987).  In 2024, I found a sealed copy at a record store here in Manhattan (I couldn't believe my luck), and has only been played a few times.  

What's so special about a "Pitman Pressing", you ask?  Well, it has that warm "tubey" sound with a huge, realistic and holographic soundstage.  It's so much richer and livelier than all other copies I've had on subsequent vinyl releases, CDs, and even the 2000 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's release.  On decent equipment, it sounds like Willie and company are in the room.

For the freeload, what are some of your Willie Dixon penned tunes?