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Music / Moanin' in the Moonlight

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Moanin' in the Moonlight is the 1959 debut album by Howlin' Wolf. His most famous songs, "Moanin' at Midnight", "How Many More Years?", "Smokestack Lightnin'" and "Evil" are all present here.

In 1999, his Signature Song "Smokestack Lightnin'" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award; ten years later, it was added to the National Recording Registry for being "historically, culturally and aesthetically important".

Side One

  1. "Moanin' at Midnight" (2:58)
  2. "How Many More Years" (2:42)
  3. "Smokestack Lightnin'" (3:07)
  4. "Baby How Long?" (2:56)
  5. "No Place to Go" (2:59)
  6. "All Night Boogie" (2:12)

Side Two

  1. "Evil" (2:55)
  2. "I'm Leavin' You" (3:01)
  3. "Moanin' for My Baby" (2:47)
  4. "I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)" (2:53)
  5. "Forty-Four" (2:51)
  6. "Somebody in My Home" (2:27)

Tropin' at Midnight:

  • Alliterative Title: "Moanin' at Midnight"
  • Animal Motifs: A wolf howling at the moon is seen on the cover.
  • Break-Up Song:
    • "How Many More Years?"
      How many more years?
      Have I got to let you dog me around
      How many more years?
      Oh, I got to let you dog me around
      I'd soon rather be dead
      Sleeping six feet in the ground
    • "I'm Leavin' You"
      Woman, I got to put you down
      Well, if you can't treat me right
      Ain't no use of me hangin' around
  • Cover Version: "Evil" and "Forty-Four" are covers, respectively by Willie Dixon and Roosevelt Sykes.
  • Mundane Made Awesome: "Smokestack Lightnin'" was inspired by the smokestack sparks that came out of the trains going by.
  • Non-Appearing Title: The song "Moanin' at Midnight" comes close.
  • One-Word Title: "Evil".
  • Questioning Title?: "How Many More Years?" and "Baby How Long?"
  • Record Producer: Willie Dixon, Sam Phillips, Leonard & Phil Chess.
  • Shout-Out: "How Many More Times?" on Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin (1969) was inspired by Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years?", but without giving him credit. The reissue has put this straight.
  • Special Guest: Willie Johnson plays guitar, Ike Turner piano, Willie Dixon bass and Otis Spann piano.
  • Train Song: "Smokestack Lightning".

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