Johnny Winter (Official Thread)

[E-Z]

Probably where it all went wrong for Johnny was when he was dropped by Columbia records around 1980, maybe before that with the release of his "straight blues album" Nothin' but the blues in 1977 then working with blues legend Muddy Waters producing four of Muddy's albums between 1977-81.

Johnny re-appeared in the mid 1980s with three "Chicago blues" albums which were god-awful and since then he has ploughed the "straight blues" path??.

What Johnny should have done was played exciting blues/rock in a rock band set-up like he did with Rick Derringer or Floyd Radford on second guitar. I always liked hearing Johnny's straight blues licks played with a second 'rock guitar' which in my opinion worked really well.

Johnny could have played stadium rock for the last 30-35 years selling out venues across the USA & Europe instead of playing to a couple of hundred people on a 'blues nite' at a pub gig?.

 

[Groovy Man]

What Johnny should have done was played exciting blues/rock in a rock band set-up like he did with Rick Derringer or Floyd Radford on second guitar. I always liked hearing Johnny's straight blues licks played with a second 'rock guitar' which in my opinion worked really well.

I agree...when Johnny had Derringer and Radford...it seemed to step up his game....not that Johnny needed to...but, you know what I mean.

Sometimes you need another guitarist to feed off of. Clapton usually has a sideman on and off over the years.

But, then again...

Johnny with just a bass player and a drummer always sounded good to me too.

 

[E-Z]

Thanks for your considered comments Groovy Man and i'm a long-time Johnny Winter fan but it's something that has always 'bugged me' about him why did he go into "straight blues" instead of keeping a rock band set-up together and play with a 2nd rock guitarist like Rick or Floyd??.

Johnny's Captured live album from 1976 (recorded in 1974) is one of my top 10 favourite live albums of all time it's so exciting it burns!!. Like i said before Johnny's blues licks worked really well in the context of a rock band rather then just blowing his blues licks in a three piece blues band??.

Hey Johnny i still play ya 1970s Columbia albums.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

I like a lot of Johnny's Chicago blues albums. They are anything but God awful.
I do agree that the earlier material is superior but that doesn't make his later stuff terrible. I still say his worst album is the watered down "rock and roll" ( pretty harmless and de-balled, IMO ) of Johnny Winter and...w/ Derringer and company ( studio album of course ). Some of ( alot of...) Rick Derringers own albums are pretty boring affairs ,IMO. And while Johnny could have made more money continuing on w/ his brand of hard rockin' blues he choose to go down the more trad. blues path, come hell or high water. I have to respect the fact that music is more important to him then money even though I would rather he had stuck to his hard edge stuff (for the most part).

Not taking exception to the above commit about his 80's releases but just giving my own opinion on the matter.

 

[E-Z]

Hey DaKillerWolf i go a long with most everything you say perhaps i was a bit OTT saying that Johnny's three Chicago blues albums Guitar Slinger, Serious Business & the third blues album i forgot the name of it now was god awful but i prefer his earlier 1970s blues/rock albums and with him playing with a 2nd rock guitarist personally.

Talking of Ricky or Rick Derringer i'd love to get my hands on his early 1980s album 'Good dirty fun' which i had on vinyl back in the day and rocks!! but it has never been released on cd over here in the UK.

 

[E-Z]

My personal favourite Johnny Winter albums from 1969-80.

1.JOHNNY WINTER
2.SECOND WINTER
3.JOHNNY WINTER AND...
4.JOHNNY WINTER AND... LIVE
5.STILL ALIVE AND WELL
6.SAINTS AND SINNERS
7.JOHN DAWSON WINTER III
8.CAPTURED LIVE!
9.WHITE HOT & BLUE
10.RAISIN CAIN

Least favourite of Johnny's albums from the 1970s

1.NOTHIN BUT THE BLUES

 

[DaKillerWolf]

Hey DaKillerWolf i go a long with most everything you say perhaps i was a bit OTT saying that Johnny's three Chicago blues albums Guitar Slinger, Serious Business & the third blues album i forgot the name of it now was god awful but i prefer his earlier 1970s blues/rock albums and with him playing with a 2nd rock guitarist personally.

I guess that makes sense as I do like his hard rock best. If I wasn't a trad. blues fan as well as a blues rock fan I would probably feel the same way about his straight blues albums . I'm into Lead Belly, Howling Wolf, Son House etc. so I really enjoy Johnny's blues recordings as well as his screaming rock n roll blues. My favorite Winter album is Captured Live, so we have that in common. I just enjoy Johnny's blues albums more then his tamer rock material. J W and ... is in my opinion lacking any passion or fire, nearly devoid of any blues influence and not much going on as far as rockin' hard to speak of either. Again my opinion ....I'm not the type of person to think that my own opinion is the alpha and omega though, so I can agree to disagree and respect the fact that someone else has a different point of view

 

[E-Z]

Yeah i always kinda hoped that 'Blue sky' records (part of CBS/Epic records i believe?) that originally released CAPTURED LIVE! would one day re-release CAPTURED LIVE! with some 'previously unreleased' live recordings from those same US 1974 stadium concerts.

Possibly live versions of- ROCK & ROLL HOOCHIE COO, GUESS I'LL GO AWAY,
LET IT BLEED, STILL ALIVE & WELL, STONE COUNTY, BLINDED BY LOVE, THIRTY DAYS, PICK UP ON MY MOJO, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BLUES & RAISED ON ROCK cos they sound funky as hell with Johnny playing along side Floyd Radford (2nd guitar) Randy Jo Hobbs (bass) & Richard Hughes (drums).

I'm not sure if Johnny ever played any of the above numbers live except for ROCK & ROLL HOOCHIE COO and maybe GUESS I'LL GO AWAY but i would sure like to hear any of the above numbers if they were recorded live on the same US 1974 tour that produced CAPTURED LIVE! cos Johnny was burning up on that tour!!!.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

^^I would love to see that happen as well

You might want to search the internet for live bootlegs...some are very damn good recordings. I'm still trying to find a live version of Stray Cat Blues on CD, bootleg or DVD. I have been unsuccessful thous far.

I plan to order both, Johnny Winter- Live Through The 70's, and Johnny Winter- Live Through The 80's, DVDs on Christmas day. I get a $50.00 Vista Gift Card every Christmas, I'm hoping that trend continues this year since I already have it spent ..lol

 

[E-Z]

Hell yeah DaKillerWolf i forgot about Johnny's 'killer version' of the 'Stones' number STRAY CAT BLUES off of Johnny's Saints & Sinners album from 1974 yeah that would have to be on a new CAPTURED LIVE! album for sure