In 1976 the Chicago based blues artist Muddy Waters started recording his album Hard Again. It is the first album that was produced by Johnny Winter, and it was released in 1977.

Waters opens up the album with the one song that cemented Muddy's place in Rock & Roll heaven: “Mannish Boy”, on which Winter's ecstatic 'Yeah!'s can be heard on. Hard Again features Muddy Waters' trademark blues sound: rugged, raw and full of energy. The album was very well received and to this day, is seen as one of Waters' best efforts. Hard Again peaked at #143 on the Billboard 200, which was his first chart appearance since Fathers and Sons in 1969. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording.

After passing away in 1983, Muddy Waters' music found a whole new audience in 1988 when Mannish Boy was used in a Levi's commercial.

Hard Again is available on audiophile vinyl.