Hard Again
by Muddy Waters

Hard Again by Muddy Waters
Year: 1977
Overall rank: 4,266th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
78/100 (from 135 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1977 (66th)
Award Top albums of the 1970s (722nd)
Award Best albums of all time (4,266th)

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Product Details
Availability

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eBay
MUDDY WATERS - HARD AGAIN - 180-GRAM VINYL LP " NEW, SEALED "
Condition: New


eBay
eBay
MUDDY WATERS Hard Again LP BLUE SKY PZ 34449 STEREO 1977 Blues
Condition: Used


eBay
eBay
MUDDY WATERS/HARD AGAIN/1977/VG+(+)
Condition: Used


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Muddy Waters bestography

Hard Again is ranked 4th best out of 38 albums by Muddy Waters on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Muddy Waters is The Best Of Muddy Waters which is ranked number 2044 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 807.

Muddy Waters album bestography « Higher ranked (3,052nd)
Muddy Waters At Newport 1960
This album (4,266th)
Hard Again
Lower ranked (5,401st) »
Electric Mud

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

Apr
04
Sat
Mud Morganfield: Celebrates the Birthday of Muddy Waters
SPACE, Evanston, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 

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Hard Again rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 4,266th | 1970s rank: 722nd | 1977 rank: 66th

Hard Again collection

Hard Again ratings

Average Rating: 
78/100 (from 135 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 135 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
65/100
 
01/22/2026 05:28 Proto  Ratings distribution  4,05533/100
 
70/100
 
01/13/2026 00:07 iann97  Ratings distribution  1,96374/100
 
70/100
 
01/06/2026 13:32 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  7,62070/100
 
100/100
 
12/03/2025 05:07 Fatkins  Ratings distribution  16497/100
 
70/100
 
12/01/2025 17:05 Jakor  Ratings distribution  5,13568/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 3% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 77.7/100, a mean average of 77.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 78.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.3.

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Hard Again favourites

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Hard Again comments

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Rating:  
80/100
From 04/05/2025 04:21 | #308325
This record pretty solidly exceeded my expectations. Definitely anticipated a good blues record and it’s that for damn sure, but these songs are simply mighty.

Tons of good energy to these songs, some of which is captured through in-studio howls or post-tracking banter. The band and production help to make these songs thick as Delta mud.

And of course, what a voice.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 04/18/2024 02:47 | #303039
Was probably the first blues album I ever got. I played it to death. Great "comeback" album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 09/08/2021 16:38 | #273506
just another drop in the history of Delta blues legend
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 06/17/2016 11:06 | #168962
A comeback album for Muddy Waters. Hard again, is an enjoyable blues LP recorded with the likes of Johnny Winter. It's great that it manages to keep a raw edge to it so it doesn't sound to slick. Mannish boy, is obviously the standout but there are plenty of other great tracks on offer. Enjoyable.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 05/06/2015 07:40 | #140948
This was a very solid comeback album for Muddy Waters. He's backed here by a bunch of blues legends: Johnny Winter on guitar, James Cotton on harmonica, and Pinetop Perkins on piano, among others.
For many people, "Mannish Boy" was their introduction to the blues. It was definitely one of first blues songs I heard. Willie Dixon wrote the song, but Muddy's version was the best. He recorded the song several times, and this is a very good version. I believe Muddy had also previously recorded "I Can't Be Satisfied", but this version is outstanding. I really like "Crosseyed Cat" and "Bus Driver" as well.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 01/01/2012 18:24 | #34133
A legend at work. Mannish Boy is a Willie Dixon song but Waters steals it here for all time. The Blues Had a Baby is big fun as is Little Girl. This is a legend refusing to act his age. The true centerpiece, then, might be I Can't be Satisfied. Waters digs deep into his chest to sing that chorus. It sticks in your mind forever, easily on par with other timeless readings of that same sentiment by the Stones and the Replacements.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 11/03/2010 15:41 | #16171
This album (PZ 34449) was a really big album(for a blues album)in 1977..it came out of nowhere and remained a big catalogue album for Columbia who distributed it.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 06/02/2010 11:42 | #12432
"Mannish Boy" is the song that made me fall in love with the blues. The first 30 seconds as they're warming up and then Johnny Winter yelling in the background all throughout the song as he's trying to goad Muddy on ... it sounds like they KNEW they were onto something hot and everyone was working on all cylinders. Fantastic song and a great album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1977
1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
2. Animals by Pink Floyd
3. Marquee Moon by Television
4. Low by David Bowie
5. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols
6. Aja by Steely Dan
7. The Stranger by Billy Joel
8. Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers
9. "Heroes" by David Bowie
10. The Clash by The Clash
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20. The Idiot by Iggy Pop
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