Paul Rodgers' tribute to
Muddy Waters is not a return to
Waters' electric Chicago blues, but a continuation of the blues-rock of
Rodgers' old bands,
Free and
Bad Company. Taken on those terms, Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters works only when
Rodgers is matched with a good blues-rock guitarist.
Jeff Beck,
Buddy Guy, and
Gary Moore all play well, while
Richie Sambora,
Neal Schon, and
Trevor Rabin all sound a bit lost; the rest, including
David Gilmour and
Brian May, fall somewhere in between. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide