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"…I'm Hungry…Let's Do This Fucker!"
Johnny Winter's first entry
in Sony’s hugely successful "Original Album Classics" Series is a
genuine nugget (there’s a 2nd box set for later albums). A 5CD Mini Box Set
concentrating on his rightly celebrated Late Sixties/Early Seventies Blues-Rock
output. Two of the discs even have uncredited bonus tracks and it's mid-price
into the bargain. Johnny B Damn Goode on a budget. Here are the Texas White Boy
Blues...
Released 24 January 2011 in
the UK (1 Feb 2011 in the USA) - "Original Album Classics" by JOHNNY
WINTER on Columbia/Sony Legacy 886976561727 (Barcode is the same) is a 5CD Mini
Box Set with each CD housed in a singular card sleeve which repro's in
miniature the back and front artwork of the original vinyl LP.
Although there’s no booklet (and with the card details being almost illegible) – Sony provides downloadable recording info, production credits etc via the Net from their website. Let's get to the nitty gritty...
Although there’s no booklet (and with the card details being almost illegible) – Sony provides downloadable recording info, production credits etc via the Net from their website. Let's get to the nitty gritty...
Disc 1 - "Johnny
Winter" (34:14 minutes):
1. I'm Yours And I'm Hers
2. Be Careful With A Fool
3. Dallas
4. Mean Mistreater
5. Lean Mississippi Blues
[Side 2]
6. Good Morning Little
Schoolgirl
7. When You Got A Good Friend
8. I'll Drown In My Own Tears
9. Back Door Friend
Tracks 1 to 9 are his 2nd
studio album "Johnny Winter" - released on vinyl in the USA in May
1969 on Columbia CS 9826 and July 1969 in the UK on CBS Records S 63619
Disc 2 - "Second Winter"
(46:57 minutes):
1. Memory Pain
2. I'm Not So Sure
3. The Good Love
4. Slippin' And Slidin' [Side
2]
5. Miss Ann
6. Johnny B. Goode
7. Highway 61 Revisited
8. I Love Everybody [Side 3]
9. Hustled Down In Texas
10. I Hate Everybody
11. Fast Life Rider
Tracks 1 to 11 are his 3rd
studio album "Second Winter" - released as a 3-sided 2LP set in
November 1969 on Columbia K2S 9947 in the USA and May 1970 in the UK on CBS S
66321 (Side 4 was left blank)
Disc 3 - "Live/Johnny
Winter And" (40:12 minutes):
1. Good Morning Little
Schoolgirl
2. It's my Own Fault
3. Jumpin Jack Flash
4. Rock & Roll Medley:
(a) Great Balls Of Fire (b)
Long Tall Sally (c) Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On [Side 2]
5. Mean Town Blues
6. Johnny B. Goode
Tracks 1 to 6 are the live LP
"Live/Johnny Winter And" by JOHNNY WINTER AND - released March 1971
in the USA on Columbia CS PC 30475 and in the UK on CBS S 64289
Disc 4 - "Still Alive
And Well" (44:32 minutes):
1. Rock Me Baby
2. Can You Feel It
3. Cheap Tequila
4. All Tore Down
5. Rock & Roll
6. Silver Train [Side 2]
7. Ain't Nothing To Me
8. Still Alive And Well
9. Too Much Seconal
10. Let It Bleed
Tracks 1 to 10 are his 4th
studio album "Still Alive And Well" - released April 1973 on Columbia
KC 32188 in the USA and in the UK on CBS S 65484
[NOTE: Tracks 11 and 12
"Lucille" and "From A Buick Six" are uncredited bonus
tracks]
Disc 5 - "Saints &
Sinners" (41:48 minutes):
1. Stone County
2. Blinded By Love
3. Thirty Days
4. Stray Cat Blues
5. Bad Luck Situation
6. Rollin' 'Cross The Country
[Side 2]
7. Riot In Cell Block No. 9
8. Hurtin' So Bad
9. Boney Maronie
10. Feedback On Highway 101
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album
"Saints & Sinners" - released February 1974 in the USA on
Columbia KC 32715 in the USA and in the UK on CBS S 65842
[NOTE: Track 11
"Dirty" is an uncredited bonus track]
Winter's debut LP "The
Progressive Blues Experiment" was released on Imperial Records in the
States in April 1969 - so the first disc on here "Johnny Winter" is
actually his 2nd album and his debut for Columbia Records. Along with its
impossibly cool follow-up "Second Winter" (a 3-sided 2LP set where
Side 4 was blank) - they are vinyl treasures I've had on my turntables for over
45 years.
Highlights from both include
the twin guitar boogie of "I'm Yours And I'm Hers" along with the
stunning National Steel slide of "Dallas". And as if to stamp his
credentials on the genre, the cover of the Muddy Waters staple "Mean
Mistreater" features two huge Blues Legends - Willie Dixon on Bass and
Walter "Shakey" Horton on Blues Harp. Speaking of mean harmonica
warblers – Johnny Winter's own Harp playing on "Back Door Friend"
makes him sound like some 70-year old veteran. The immediately impressive
"I Love Everybody" track from "Second Winter" 2LP set
turned up on those CBS sampler LPs in 1970 and 1971 while his cover of Percy
Mayfield's "Memory Pain" sounded so Hard Rock - a great opening salvo
and a clever reading of the changing sounds of the time.
But like Rory Gallagher with
his 1972 meisterpiece "Live In Europe" (another genuine guitar hero)
- it wasn't until 1971 that you heard the full power of Johnny Winter and his
band on the now legendary "Live" album (credited as Johnny Winter
And). There are versions of the Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and
Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" that are arguably definitive -
blistering stuff. I'm afraid I threw many a guitar shape to these tracks in my
living room as a teenager...oh dear. "Mean Town Blues" only showed
how deeply he was DNA'd to the Blues - truly amazing stuff...
The final two albums featured
here – 1973's "Still Alive And Well" and 1974's "Saints And
Sinners" - saw RICK DERRINGER both join the ranks and produce. The Canned
Heat/ZZ Top boogie of "Rock & Roll" (lyrics above) and the Slide
Blues of "Too Much Seconal" showed that the magic was still there
(even if the drugs seemed to be getting the better of him). His version of the
Stones "Silver Train" from 1973's "Goat's Head Soup" sounds
so much like them that it might very well have been an outtake from that 1973
session with Winter singing lead vocal instead of Mick Jagger. His funky spoken
intro of "I'm hungry...Let's do this f****er..." to "Still Alive
And Well" raises a laugh to this day and his raucous version of Chuck
Berry's "Thirty Days" is great fun too. Todd Rundgren provided
Mellotron on the Rick Derringer written "Cheap Tequila" while future
Disco buff Dan Hartman penned "Can You Feel It".
Despite personal health
problems - the "Saints And Sinners" album still rocked. It opening
with the hard-hitting "Stone Canyon" (penned by Richard Supa from the
American East-Coast 'Man' band - not to be confused with the Welsh group) – all
riffing guitars backed up some Lynyrd Skynyrd type girly vocals. He gives Allen
Toussaint's "Blinded By Love" a Funky Rock tint and just about
succeeds. Back to more familiar territory with Chuck Berry's "Thirty
Days" but the production is murky and the take way too frantic. Far better
is the Jagger-Richards cover of "Stray Cat Blues" – great playing and
a big meaty Bluesy Rock sound from the clearly enthusiastic band. Side 1 ends
on his own "Bad Luck Situation" – a good guitar tune even if his
vocals seem lost in some echo room. Dan Hartman and his brother Edgar Winter
provide "Rollin' 'Cross The County" – a very commercial rock single
for the time not unlike BTO firing on all sixes. His own "Hurtin' So
Bad" is good but best of all is the surprise Dobro/Flute Blues of
"Dirty" – a sort of unannounced bonus track – what a cool, trippy
addition...
To sum up - nearly 6 albums
worth of great Blues-Rock for roughly two quid a record is a bit of a
no-brainer really. No Johnny Winter of discontent here folks...
PS: If you want more check
out his late Seventies collaborations with MUDDY WATERS on Blue Sky Records
which feature Winter producing and playing on all (see the 3CD "Original
Album Classics" box set). There is also a LEGACY Double of "Second Winter"
and a "Woodstock Experience" version of "Johnny Winter" -
both have superb bonus discs of period live material (see reviews)...
This review is part of my SOUNDS GOOD Music Book Series. One of those titles is CLASSIC 1970s ROCK - an E-Book with over 250 entries and 2100 e-Pages - purchase on Amazon and search any artist or song (click the link below). Huge amounts of info taken directly from the discs (no cut and paste crap).
______________________________________________________
PPS: below is a list of titles in the "Original Classic Albums" Series
5CD and 3CD sets up to and including January 2012
1. The Allman Brothers Band
2. Argent (see REVIEW)
3. Jeff Beck (Box 1)
4. Jeff Beck (Box 2)
5. Tony Bennett
6. George Benson
7. Big Audio Dynamite
8. Blood, Sweat & Tears
9. Blue Oyster Cult
10. Boney M
11. Pierre Boulez
12. The Brecker Brothers
13. Dave Brubeck Quartet
14. Jeff Buckley
15. The Byrds
16. Johnny Cash
17. Cheap Trick
18. Stanley Clarke
19. Harry Connick Jr.
20. Cypress Hill
21. Miles Davis (Box 1)
22. Miles Davis (Box 2)
23. Duke Ellington
24. Earth, Wind & Fire
25. Electric Light Orchestra
26. Agnetha Faltskog [Frida of Abba]
27. Dan Fogelberg
28. Aretha Franklin (see also 3CD list)
29. Rory Gallagher
30. Glenn Gould
31. Hall & Oates
32. Hot Tuna
33. The Isley Brothers (see REVIEW)
34. The Jacksons
35. Etta James
36. Jefferson Airplane
37. Jefferson Starship
38. Waylon Jennings
39. Journey
40. Judas Priest
41. Kansas
42. Carole King
43. Kris Kristofferson
44. Mario Lanza
45. Cyndi Lauper
46. The Lovin’ Spoonful
47. The Mahavishnu Orchestra
48. Henri Mancini
49. John McLaughlin
50. Al Di Meola
51. Molly Hatchet
52. Thelonious Monk (Box 1)
53. Thelonious Monk (Box 2) (see also 3CD sets)
54. Mott The Hoople
55. Mountain
56. Willie Nelson
57. Harry Nilsson
58. Ted Nugent
59. Laura Nyro
60. The Alan Parsons Project
61. Dolly Parton
62. Murray Perahia
63. Michel Petrucciani
64. Poco
65. Prefab Sprout
66. Preservation Hall Jazz band
67. Elvis Presley (Box 1)
68. Elvis Presley (Box 2)
69. Leontyne Price
70. The Psychedelic Furs
71. Lou Reed (Box 1)
72. Lou Reed (Box 2)
73. REO Speedwagon
74. Sonny Rollins
75. Artur Rubinstein
76. Run DMC
77. Santana (Box 1)
78. Santana (Box 2) (see also 3CD list)
79. Joe Satriani
80. Boz Scaggs
81. Nina Simone
82. Sly & The Family Stone
83. Lonnie Liston Smith
84. Patti Smith
85. Smokie
86. Soft Machine
87. Spirit
88. Isaac Stern
89. The Stranglers
90. Ivor Stravinsky
91. Suicidal Tendencies
92. James Taylor
93. Steve Vai
94. Various - Carols For Christmas
95. Various – The Joys Of Christmas
96. Weather Report (Box 1)
97. Weather Report (Box 2)
98. John Williams
99. The Edgar Winter Group
100. Johnny Winter (And) (see REVIEW)
101. Johnny Winter (second 5CD set)
102. Paul Young
103. Sophie Zelmani
PS: 01/02/2010 saw the introduction of THREE DISC SETS in the “Original Album Classics” Series and releases are ongoing. Here is a list as of January 2012…
1. ADAM & THE ANTS (26/09/2011)
[Dirk Wears White Sox/Kings Of The Wild Frontier/Prince Charming]
2. AMERIE (01/02/2010)
(All I Have/Touch/Because I Love It)
3. ANATHEMA (26/09/2011)
[Judgement/A Fine Day To Exit/A Natural Disaster]
4. BLONDIE (26/09/2011)
[No Exit/Livid/The Curse Of Blondie]
5. COLIN BLUNSTONE (26/07/2010)
[One Year/Ennismore/Journey]
6. DAVID BOWIE (09/01/2012)
[Outside/Earthling/Hours…]
7. JOHNNY CASH (09/01/2012)
[Hello, I’m Johnny Cash/The Johnny Cash Show/Man In Black]
8. CLANNAD (24/01/2011)
[Magical Ring/Macalla/Sirius]
9. SHAWN COLVIN (08/02/2010)
[Steady On/Fat City/Cover Girl]
10. ALICE COOPER (26/09/2011)
[Trash/Hey Stoopid/The Last Temptation]
11. MILES DAVIS (26/07/2010)
[Nefertiti/Socerer/Filles De Kilimanjaro]
12. DEEP PURPLE (26/09/2011)
[Slaves And Masters/The Battle Rages On/Purpendicular]
13. DONOVAN (22/07/2010)
[Mellow Yellow/Hurdy Gurdy Man/Barabajagal]
14. BOB DYLAN (26/07/2010)
[Empire Burlesque/Down In The Groove/Under The Red Sky]
15. BOB DYLAN (09/01/2012)
[Good As I Been To You/World Gone Wrong/MTV Unplugged]
16. EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER (28/03/2011)
[Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970/Live At The Royal Albert Hall/Live In Poland]
17. AGNETHA FALTSKOG [FRIDA of ABBA] (01/02/2010)
[Agnetha Faltskog/Nar En Vacker Tanke Blirsang/Elva Kvinnor I Ett Hus]
18. (PETER GREEN’S) FLEETWOOD MAC (01/02/2010)
[Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac/Mr. Wonderful/The Pious Bird of Good Omen – The Original UK Album Track Lists – No Extras]
19. ARETHA FRANKLYN (01/02/2010)
[The Electrifying/The Tender The Moving The Swinging/Soul Sister]
20. THE JEFF HEALEY BAND (09/01/2012)
[See The Light/Hell To Pay/Feel This]
21. JAPAN (28/03/2011)
[Adolescent Sex/Obscure Alternatives/Quiet Life]
22. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (28/03/2011)
[Volunteers/Bark/Long John Silver]
23. JOURNEY (01/02/2010)
[Departure/Escape/Frontiers]
24. TAJ MAHAL (24/01/2011)
[Taj Mahal/The Natch’l Blues/Mo’ Roots]
25. CHARLES MINGUS (26/07/2010)
[Mingus Ah Um/Mingus Dynasty/Tijuana Moods]
26. WILLIE NELSON (01/02/2010)
[Yesterday’s Wine/Red Headed Stranger/Stardust]
27. THE ONLY ONES (09/01/2012)
[The Only Ones/Even Serpents Shine/Baby’s Got A Gun]
28. SHUGGIE OTIS (09/01/2012)
[Here Comes Shuggie Otis/Freedom Flight/Inspiration Information]
29. DOLLY PARTON (8/02/2010)
[Eagle When She Flies/Slow Dancing With The Moon/White Limozeen]
30. IGGY POP (28/03/2011)
[New Values/Soldier/Party]
31. ELVIS PRESLEY (26/09/2011)
[Today/From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis Tennessee/Moody Blue]
32. PRIMAL SCREAM (26/09/2011)
[Vanishing Point/Echo Dek/XTRMNTR]
33. SANTANA (08/02/2010)
[Illuminations/Oneness/The Swing of Delight]
34. SANTANA (26/09/2011)
[Havana Moon/Beyond Appearances/Spirits Dancing In The Flesh]
35. SCORPIONS (01/02/2010)
[In Trance/Virgin Killer/Taken By Force]
36. GIL SCOTT-HERON (24/01/2011)
[Real Eyes/Reflections/Moving Target]
37. SIMON and GARFUNKEL (01/02/2010)
[Sounds Of Silence/Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme/Bookends]
38. PATTI SMITH (26/07/2010)
[Gone Again/Peace And Noise/Gung Ho]
39. THE STRANGLERS (28/03/2011)
[Feline/Aural Sculpture/Dreamtime]
40. TOTO (08/02/2010)
[Toto/Hydra/Turn Back]
41. LUTHER VANDROSS (01/02/2010)
(Never Too Much/Give Me The Reason/The Power of Love)
42. VANGELIS (26/09/2011)
[Heaven And Hell/Albedo 0.39/Spiral]
43. THE WALKER BROTHERS (01/02/2010)
[No Regrets/Lines/Nite Flights]
44. MUDDY WATERS (24/01/2011)
[Hard Again/I’m Ready/King Bee]
45. BOBBY WOMACK (09/01/2012)
[Home Is Where The Heart Is/Pieces/Roads Of Life]
