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Howlin Wolf: The Chess Box

Box Set

Howlin' Wolf Format: Audio CD
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 46 ratings
$54.50
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Track Listings

Disc: 1

1 Moanin' At Midnight
2 How Many More Years
3 Howlin' Wolf Boogie
4 Wolf Is At Your Door
5 Mr. Highway Man
6 Howlin' Wolf Talks #1
7 Bluebird
8 Saddle My Pony
9 That's All Right (Well)
10 My Last Affair
11 Just My Kind
12 Work For Your Money
13 Mama Died and Left Me
14 All Night Boogie (All Night Long)
15 Streamline Woman
16 Crazy About You Baby
17 You Gonna Wreck My Life
18 Neighbors
19 Howlin' Wolf Talks #2
20 I'm The Wolf
21 Rockin' Daddy
22 Baby How Long
23 Evil
24 I'll Be Around
25 Forty-four
26 Who Will Be Next

Disc: 2

1 Don't Mess With My Baby
2 Smokestack Lightning
3 You Can't Be Beat
4 Howlin' Wolf Talks #3
5 I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)
6 The Natchez Burnin'
7 Who's Been Talkin'?
8 Tell Me What I've Done
9 Sittin' On Top Of The World
10 I Didn't Know
11 Moanin' For My Baby
12 Change My Way
13 I Better Go Now
14 Howlin' For My Darling
15 I've Been Abused
16 Mr. Airplane Man (Alt. Take)
17 Wang Dang Doodle
18 Back Door Man
19 Howlin' Wolf Talks #4
20 Spoonful
21 Down In The Bottom
22 Shake For Me
23 The Red Rooster
24 You'll Be Mine
25 Just Like I Treat You
26 I Ain't Superstitious
27 Goin' Down Slow
28 Tail Dragger

Disc: 3

1 Hidden Charms
2 Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy
3 Built For Comfort
4 Love Me Darlin'
5 Killin' Floor
6 My Country Sugar Mama
7 Louise
8 I Walked From Dallas
9 Tell Me What I've Done
10 Don't Laugh At Me
11 Ooh Baby (Hold Me)
12 New Crawlin' King Snake
13 My Mind Is Ramblin'
14 Commit A Crime
15 Dust My Broom (I Believe I'll)
16 I'm The Wolf (Acoustic)
17 Ain't Goin' Down That Dirt Road
18 Mary Sue
19 Hard Luck
20 The Red Rooster
21 Moving

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

71 of the rawest Chicago blues ever recorded! Wolf's greatest sides from 1951-1973, including two previously unreleased acoustic tracks and never-before-heard interviews, and unreleased stereo versions of such classics as Spoonful and I Ain't Superstitious . Two sets of liner notes, too!

Amazon.com

This is probably the best Wolf compilation there is in terms of comprehensiveness and digestibility. The problem with collecting the works of prolific artists is that there's so much material; fortunately, Chess made some good selections. Chronicling Howlin' Wolf's career from Memphis, through Chicago, and on into his later years. There are snippets of interviews, as well as the classic tracks you'd expect: "All Night Boogie", "Howlin' For My Darling", "Evil", "Forty Four", "Spoonful", and "I'd Better Go Now." This box set is a bit much to swallow if you're not already a fan of the Wolf, but if you are, this is a great way to get his best work in one place. --Genevieve Williams

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.35 x 12.6 x 1.34 inches; 1.69 Pounds
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Chess
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 1991
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ December 7, 2006
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Chess
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000002OBL
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 46 ratings

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
46 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Big Muff
5.0 out of 5 stars The Chess Box vs. Smokestack Lightning: Complete Chess Masters
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2014
Verified Purchase
So you may be wondering what's the difference between this box set and "Smokestack Lightning: Complete Chess Masters".....Here you go. Dups were removed.

The Chess Box:
Ain't Goin' Down That Dirt Road
Built For Comfort
Commit A Crime
Don't Laugh At Me
Down In The Bottom
Dust My Broom
Goin' Down Slow
Hard Luck
Hidden Charms
I Ain't Superstitious
I Walked From Dallas
I'm The Wolf (Acoustic)
Just Like I Treat You
Killing Floor
Louise
Love Me Darlin'
Mary Sue
Moanin' At Midnight
Moving
My Country Sugar Mama
My Mind Is Ramblin'
New Crawlin' King Snake
Ooh Baby (Hold Me)
Shake For Me
Stay Here Til My Baby Comes Back
Tail Dragger
Tell Me What I've Done
The Red Rooster (1961 Single Version)
The Red Rooster (False Start And Dialogue)
Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy
Who's Been Talking?
You'll Be Mine

Smokestack Lightning: Complete Chess Masters
(You) Can't Put Me Out
Can't Put Me Out (alternate)*
Bluebird
Break Of Day
California Blues #1
California Blues #2
California Boogie*
Color And Kind
Come To Me Baby
Decoration Day (Blues)
Dorothy Mae
Dorothy Mae (alternate take)*
Everybody's In The Mood
Gettin' Old And Grey
Getting Late
Going Back Home*
Highway My Friend
Hold Your Money
Howlin' Blues (I'm Going Away)
Howlin' For My Baby (takes 1-7)*
I Better Go Now (Howlin' Blues) (alternate)*
I Didn't Know*
I Have A Little Girl
I Love My Baby
I'm Leaving You
I'm Leaving You (alternate take)*
I'm Leaving You (takes 7-10)*
I'm Not Joking
I've Been Abused (takes 4-12)*
I've Got A Woman
Look-A-Here
Moaning For My Baby (Midnight Blues) (takes 3 & 4)*
Mr. Airplane Man (takes 1-2)
My Baby Told Me
My Life
My People's Gone
Nature
Nature (alternate take)
Nature (takes 1/4/6)*
No Place To Go (You Gonna Wreck My Life)
Oh Red
Poor
Poor Boy (alternate take)
Smile At Me*
So Glad
Somebody In My Home
Somebody In My Home (alternate take)*
Sweet Woman (a/k/a I Got A Woman)
Walk To Camp Hall
Wolf In The Mood (instrumental)
Worried All The Time
You Gonna Wreck My Life (No Place To Go) (alternate take)
You Ought To Know
7 people found this helpful
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Roger Berlind
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of Blues
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2009
Verified Purchase
Chester Arthur Burnett (aka, The Howlin' Wolf) got a late start in music, recording his first single at the age of 41 which is kind of inspiring to anyone considering a mid-life change of career since The Wolf went on to become one of the giants of the Blues.

This Chess box set collects 71 performances from this singer, guitarist, and harmonica player, recorded between 1951 and 1973. Additionally, there are 4 tracks that record excerpts from an interview he did in 1968. The music will please anyone who likes the Blues. Even those who primarily listen to rock music might recognize some of the tunes which were covered by various rock groups including the Yardbirds, the Doors, Cream, the Jeff Beck Group (with Rod Stewart), and the Rolling Stones. The entire set was digitally remastered and sounds great.

The box set has an excellent booklet with two essays, lots of pictures, and detailed track listings. My only complaint about the box set is the format of the box which is sized like a 12" LP rather than like a more typical multi-CD box set. This means that you can't store the set with all your other CDs. Of course, if you still have records, it will fit in just fine with those. Of course, this is just a minor nit. In reality, the format is advantageous in that it allows much bigger pictures.

One interesting bit of trivia: The Wolf was named after President Chester Arthur, who was President of the United States in the 1880s and died in 1886. Given that the Wolf was born in 1910, his being named after President Arthur is a mystery which the booklet doesn't clarify.
6 people found this helpful
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Fred Camfield
5.0 out of 5 stars Another essential addtion to a blues collection
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is a boxed set of 3 CDs with an accompanying booklet. There are 75 tracks with Howlin' Wolf providing vocal and harmonica. There are a few where he talks. Songs were written mainly by himself and Willie Dixon (who also plays standup bass on some) with a few by others such as Sonny Boy Williamson.

Born Chester Arthur Burnett in West Point, Mississippi, in 1910, he started life as a farmer and took up music late compared to some others. He alternated between farming and playing music (with a break for a stint in the US Army during World War II), until eventually moving to West Memphis, Arkansas. Originally playing on a radio station, he was picked up by Sam Phillips and things progressed from there. Recordings were produced between 1951 and 1973. Some were not previously released on albums. He passed away in 1976.

This is a good addtion to a collection along with the Muddy Waters Chess Box The Chess Box , Willie Dixon Chess Box  The Chess Box , etc. (see separate reviews).

For historical accounts of Blues you might be interested in  Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music  or also  Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta
6 people found this helpful
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Drew T. '77
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent boxset...
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
Obviously if you're reading this review or checking out this set chances are you're familiar with Howlin' Wolf and his music. I have the Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters Chess boxsets also and the quality of the music is comparable to those. For recordings from the 40's and 50's these tracks sound excellent. More often than not fans of the original blues masters tolerate less than spectacular sound quality but that's not the case with the artists on the Chess roster. The track selection is excellent and covers all the necessities and some obscure tracks that aren't on the typical collections. No reason to go into a commentary on the man's talent or legacy or go into a track by track review... It's Howlin' Wolf and there's not much I can add to the legend that's already been extremely well covered by other reviews here. If you're a Wolf fan or just a fan of the Delta or Chicago blues from that era you can't go wrong with this set or any of the Chess collections available. *****
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Top reviews from other countries

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Moordown Man
5.0 out of 5 stars Smokestack Lightnin'
Reviewed in Canada on January 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is a great collection of Howlin' Wolf's best recordings on Chess. Great informative booklet too.
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Tom
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2014
Verified Purchase
Beautifully presented this is a great introduction to the great man! This is a 12" x 12" box set, with a superb book, not those horrible little booklets you have to squint at to read, that you get with a normal CD release! Some great pictures and history of the mighty Howlin' Wolf. As for the CD's themselves, great music, great quality, and lovely to hear the snippets of the man himself talking. Highly recommended, that's all I can say!
One person found this helpful
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PAULOCHON
5.0 out of 5 stars le plaisir du crai blues
Reviewed in France on August 25, 2010
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Du beau, du bon, du vrai blues, Le loup crie toujours malgré son départ, chez lui tout est bon je vous conseille aussi les "london sessions"
3 people found this helpful
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Freddy Freeloader
5.0 out of 5 stars Extensive Collection
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
3CDs of Howlin Wolf tracks, sorted by age. Recordings of interviews are included: these are for the scholars and absolute fans as they are almost unintelligible, but I kick back and enjoy the distinctive sound of the Wolf's voice.
2 people found this helpful
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Nana C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely gift.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2013
Verified Purchase
My son asked for this for his birthday, he was genuinely surprised and delighted when he actually saw it.
Beautifully presented, I felt I was giving a very special gift that he will treasure.
4 people found this helpful
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