This long-buried treasure, featuring a recording session from 1977 available on disc for the first time, reveals two like-minded hard-blues gods getting on like a house afire. Both Billy Boy Arnold and the backing unit here, Tony McPhee & the Groundhogs, were arguably as good as anybody at their instruments (Arnold on harmonica and McPhee on guitar), but were always eclipsed in popularity by bigger acts such as Sonny Boy Williamson for the former or Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix for the latter. A shame that success eluded both, as they can shred with the best of them, and DIRTY MOTHER represents one of the best meldings of Chicago and London electric blues. Arnold, McPhee, and the Hogs tear through 15 blues standards and Arnold originals with a rawness and energy that sounds more like 1964 than 1977. Very highly recommended for fans of hard electric blues.
AMG
Tracks
1. Dirty Mother F... (Traditional) - 6:54
2. Don't Stay Out All Night (William Arnold) - 3:15
3. 1-2-99 (Hawkins) - 4:14
4. Riding The El (William Arnold) - 2:46
5. Just Got To Know (Bob Geddins, Jimmy McCracklin) - 3:50
6. Christmas Time (Bob Geddins, Jimmy McCracklin) - 3:22
7. Wish You Would (William Arnold) - 3:07
8. Ah' W' Baby (Walter Jacobs) - 4:03
9. Sweet Miss Bea (William Arnold) - 4:24
10.Blue And Lonesome (Calvin Carter) - 6:16
11.Eldorado Cadillac (William Arnold) - 2:02
12.Mary Bernice (William Arnold) - 4:23
13.It's Great To Be Rich (Unknown Artist) - 4:11
14.Just A Dream (Big Bill Broonzy) - 3:14
15.Catfish (Robert Petway) - 3:44
Personnel
*Billy Boy Arnold - Harmonica, Vocals
*Alan Fish - Bass
*Wilgar Campbell - Drums
*Tony McPhee - Guitar