LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Arthur Burnett) looms large in Chicago blues—an incandescent vocalist and all-around powerhouse (guitar, harmonica) whose gritty, commanding presence helped transform Delta blues into the louder, electrified Chicago sound during his Chess Records years.

Message to the Young (1971) is a late-era Chess studio set, recorded in 1970 and issued the following year. It matches Wolf’s unmistakable growl with more structured, of-its-time arrangements—keys, horns, and a smoother, fuller backing band—featuring the title track along with standouts like “I Smell a Rat” and “If I Were a Bird.”

Track Listing:

• A1 If I Were A Bird 4:34
• A2 I Smell A Rat 2:15
• A3 Miss James 3:27
• A4 Message To The Young 5:50
• B1 She's Looking Good 2:40
• B2 Just As Long 3:42
• B3 Romance Without Finance 3:22
• B4 Turn Me On 4:32