Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Albums: Alex Kapranos' Baker's Dozen | Page 11 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

10. Howlin’ WolfMoanin’ In The Moonlight

Either of those first two records he did, I could listen to forever. The way that he and Hubert Sumlin bounce off each other – is that the right word? – the way they play around each other it’s like, you know when you look out of your window into your backyard or whatever, and you see two cats that are both very territorial and they know that they’re kind of equals. You know how they step around each other, that’s how the two of them play around each other. Completely symbiotic as well. I’m not hugely into the blues, there’s only a few blues things I like such as this, Bo Diddley and odd bits here and there. To me, this isn’t really the blues, it’s Howlin’ Wolf – he had his own thing. When I hear some blues records they all seem to follow established patterns, whereas Howlin’ Wolf’s melodies… they are something deeply sinister and terrifying, but also completely seductive at the same time.

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