Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings	[5]

Rolling Stone said “All in all, it’s a rainy night sounding, laid-back album with the emphasis on good solid blues”^[6] AllMusic reviewer Bruce Eder stated “Muddy Waters Live (At Mr. Kelly’s) shows precisely how fortuitous Muddy Waters’ history with Chess Records was. … This album, recorded during two June 1971 gigs at one of Chicago’s top clubs, was the third full-length concert release of his career … The core of the band that would work with him for the rest of the ’70s was already with him, and the man himself was in excellent form — in voice and on slide guitar … the effect of hearing a master of the blues virtuoso band in action is overpowering”.^[4]

Track listing

All compositions by McKinley Morganfield except where noted

1. “What Is That She Got” – 4:30
2. “You Don’t Have to Go” (Jimmy Reed) – 3:25
3. “Strange Woman” (Morganfield, Ralph Bass) – 5:00
4. “Blow Wind Blow” – 4:30
5. “Country Boy” – 4:58
6. “Nine Below Zero” (Sonny Boy Williamson) – 4:45
7. “Stormy Monday Blues” (Aaron Walker) – 4:38
8. “Mudcat” – 3:37
9. “Boom, Boom” (John Lee Hooker) – 4:38
10. “C.C. Woman” – 3:45

Personnel

• Muddy Waters – vocals, guitar
• Joe “Denim” (tracks 1, 3 & 9), Paul Oscher – harmonica
• Pinetop Perkins – piano
• Sam Lawhorn, Pee Wee Madison – guitar
• Calvin Jones – bass
• Willie Smith – drums