| His Best | |
| Type: | greatest |
| Artist: | Howlin' Wolf |
| Cover: | His Best (Howlin' Wolf album) cover art.jpg |
| Released: | [1] |
| Recorded: | May 14 or August 1951 May 25, 1954 – August 1964 |
| Genre: | Chicago blues |
| Label: | MCA/Chess |
| Producer: | Sam Phillips, Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Willie Dixon, Andy McKaie |
| Compiler: | Andy McKaie |
| Prev Title: | Bluesmaster |
| Prev Year: | 1996 |
| Next Title: | His Best, Vol. 2 |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
His Best is a greatest hits album by American blues musician Howlin' Wolf. The album was originally released on April 8, 1997, by MCA/Chess Records, and was one of a series of releases by MCA for the 50th anniversary of Chess Records that year (see 1997 in music). Ten years later – on April 17, 2007 – the album was reissued by Geffen Records as The Definitive Collection.[2]
The album features several of his most well-known recording including "Smokestack Lightnin', "Spoonful", and "Killing Floor".
The first two songs on the collection – "Moanin' at Midnight" and "How Many More Years" – were recorded at Memphis Recording Service on either May 14, or August 1951 and were produced by Sam Phillips, who would later produce Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. The rest of the songs on the album were recorded in Chicago from May 1954 to August 1964.[3] The original recordings were produced by either the Chess brothers (Leonard and Phil) and/or Willie Dixon, who recorded numerous artists for Chess Records. The reissue production was handled by Andy McKaie with digital remastering by Erick Labson.
The album's art director was Vartan, the album was designed by Mike Fink. The photographs for the album were credited to Brian Smith, Joseph Sia, Frank Driggs, Ray Flerlage, Peter Amft, John Gibbs Rockwood, and the Universal Music Archives. The liner notes for the album were written by Mark Humphrey.