Artist: Winter, Johnny
Label: Columbia Records
Release: 1969
Running time: 33.45
If you ever happened to think blues was dull, maybe even soul-crushing music that’s all about repeating the same old “tricks” over and over, think again! Johnny Winter, a lanky, cross-eyed albino with long woolly hair, will quickly convince you otherwise with his fiery, manly (and, if you like, downright “balls-out”) approach. Johnny, whose music has always leaned more on classic blues than that of his British colleagues, never reached the fame of guitarists like Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page. But he should have!
Johnny Winter plays the blues his own way. It packs more grit, along with the kind of feeling that, despite the ruthless and at times almost drunken vocals, holds us in a gentle embrace of indifference and melancholy for the whole album. His blues is of course totally emotional, and emotional first and technical second, which doesn’t mean our “red neck” friend lacks any technique whatsoever. And speaking of technique, it’s worth mentioning that Winter is, among other things, one of the better “slide” guitarists around, as you can hear on I’m Yours And I’m Hers, whose funny title says a lot about Johnny’s attitude toward women. Above all, you can’t get past his truly unique voice, which, even though it doesn’t exactly sound thrilling, gives the song incredible energy. Bass and drums add their bit to this “ode to love,” laying down a powerful, trio-typical rhythm over which Johnny chimes in every so often with his “slide” masterpieces. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to crack open a beer and give in to more of that wicked guitar talk. One of the album’s peaks is definitely the next track, Be Careful With A Fool, where we get a long guitar solo whose fast and above all precise execution is today considered one of Winter’s many “trademarks.” And of course it’s the point where, from the beer mentioned above, you simply have to “switch” to something stronger, which seems essential to understanding the song itself. The erotic charge that’s everywhere, heavily mixed with a Southern “bad ass” attitude, helps squeeze a string of truly stunning guitar passages out of Winter. Things calm down with the acoustic Dallas, where Winter entertains us with some fine “slide” and a simple, fun lyric that comes off as pretty hilarious next to the vocal delivery. It’s a joy to watch the variety of the guitar playing, with which Johnny effectively “frees” the listener from the wild boogie – blues rhythms of the opening that warmed us up so nicely on the first two tracks. There’s definitely no messing around with Johnny; Mean Mistreater keeps working us over with its rhythm “borrowed from the devil,” with none other than Mr. Willie Dixon himself on acoustic bass!! A truly impressive mix of black and white gradually pushes the tempo up, peaking with the typically Southern-spiced Leland Mississippi Blues and Good Morning Little School Girl. This is boogie blues, working hand in hand with stinging sax arrangements that get the listener’s blood properly pumping. The cover of Johnson’s When You Got a Good Friend also sounds solid, with Winter getting very close to the original version, especially vocally. It’s an enviable achievement that once again shows Johnny’s versatility, this time as a singer, which, frankly, given his “wicked” approach, you wouldn’t have thought he had in him. And speaking of the versatility of his music, you won’t find a better example of it on this album than I’ll Drown In My Own Tears. Here Johnny hands the lead to the piano keys, which, backed by gentle wind arrangements and of course pleasantly “worn-out” singing, carry us deep into a blue-tinted world. Together with the female backing vocals, this is a masterpiece in the true sense of the word. Well, since Mr. Winter, besides sad “philosophizing,” mostly loves women and booze, the album closes with Back Door Friend, returning once more to basic blues, which brings this “dirty” album to an end way too fast.
Johnny Winter is one of those musicians who set out on the risky path of creating on their own terms. Much like his Irish colleague Rory Gallagher later on, he never paid attention to the ever-changing musical trends and has stayed true to the blues to this day, which is truly admirable. In any case, with his debut, Winter proved that blues can be plenty interesting, even to music fans who aren’t otherwise all that fond of the genre.
Lineup
Johnny Winter – guitar/vocals
John Turner – drums
Tommy Shannon – bass
Guest musicians:
Willie Dixon – bass
Edgar Winter – piano/alto saxophone
Stefan Sefsik – alto saxophone
Albert Butler – tenor saxophone
Norman Ray – baritone saxophone
Karl Garin – trumpet
Peggy Bowers – vocals
Carrie Hossel – vocals
Elsie Senter – vocals
Production
Johnny Winter
Track list
1.I’m Yours And I’m Hers
2.Be Careful With A Fool
3.Dallas
4.Mean Mistreater
5.Leland Mississippi Blues
6.Good Morning Little School Girl
7.When You Got A Good Friend
8.I’ll Drown In My Own Tears
9.Back Door Friend
