What do you guys think about Johnny Winter?

[Dave Hicks]

How's he doing these days? He's headlining one day of the Chicago Blues Festival and I'm trying to decide whether to head over for it.

D.H.

[rhomco]

Yep, still have my Music Man 65 Head sittin on top of a Music Man 2-12 Ported Cab sittin on a Music Man 4-12 Cab. Owwwweeeeee! It'll hurt you trying to look up that high. I never use the damn thing anymore but it sure sounds sweet and looks cool. OBTW, I used to hang my Gibson Explorer over the head and call it my "Eric Clapton 70's Rig. I wish either of of them would come and buy this thing.
Rob

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by Dave Hicks

How's he doing these days? He's headlining one day of the Chicago Blues Festival and I'm trying to decide whether to head over for it.

D.H.

He's been playing some gigs around here and he's, well, slowing down. His slide playing is the highlight of the show.

[Superc_1]

Johnny Winters as they use to say in Memphis can cut heads with the best, and I was lucky enough to see that in the '70's. The same show that was recorded live in San diego live albumn. They rocked the house down, I mean just blazing guitars (I saw Jimi Hendrix when I was 12 and this is my base point for everybody else). The other guitar player was Floyd Radford and he was awsome himself (wonder what happen to him?) But when I thought it couldn't get any better than that, he pulled out his stool and played that slide and the blues for about a hour an a half. When he got through you knew that not only he was the king of the blues but was livin the blues (also have had the pleasure of playing with Albert King). Like one guy said earlier Johnny never sold out. I've seen alot of the big names but my wife will tell you I always tell everybody that that concert was the finesses I've seen, heard, or felt til this day.

[tboy]

+1. The real stuff

[JimiBryant]

master of the blues and an incredible slide player especially.

his work on those three Muddy Waters albums is just sublime.

[garytelecastor]

My older brother introduced me to Johnny Winter with his Live Album in the late 70's and he tore my head off. I had never heard guitar played like that it just totally changed my idea of what was possible with a guitar.
He had such a unique approach to tunes. The rock and roll medley he did on LIVE AND just knocked me out.

[Charlie Bernstein]

The Progressive Blues Experiment: critics don't like it, but who likes critics? One of the best all-time albums, in my humble. The original guit-slinger letting it all hang out.

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS -

Saw him a few times in the late 'sixties, never since then. Still remember the shows. Woo.

[Eric Karonen]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

The Progressive Blues Experiment: critics don't like it, but who likes critics? One of the best all-time albums, in my humble. The original guit-slinger letting it all hang out.

I agree. I thought it was as different as Are You Experienced .. back in the day.

[FirstBassman]

The thread question seems to imply that someone would actually knock Winter.
No way.
Besides being great in his own right, it was guys like him and Clapton that were the catalyst for finding Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Lightin' Hopkins, etc. etc. etc.


It's a shame but because of age and health he is now only a shell of his former self.

[trag-o-caster]

t's a shame but because of age and health he is now only a shell of his former self.

I'm not sure if I agree with that. Apparently between the years of 1997-2004 he was not doing well, and on the really bad nights he could barely play or sing, letting his band carry him along. I saw one of those nights, and it was scarey! He shook like a leaf, and could barely hold his left hand up to the neck. Since 2005, his playing has improved to almost that of his good old days. He's really came back around in the last few years, both playing and singing. He still sits in a chair, but he still tears it up too!

Unless he's slipping again, the latest shows that I've heard - from late 2007 - he was still singing and playing great.

GO JOHNNY GO!!!

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by trag-o-caster

I'm not sure if I agree with that. Apparently between the years of 1997-2004 he was not doing well, and on the really bad nights he could barely play or sing, letting his band carry him along.

Unless he's slipping again, the latest shows that I've heard - from late 2007 - he was still singing and playing great.

Trag, I saw him mid last year (at The Barns) and thought he was pretty bad.
Just as you described from the other years.

I think his tone out of that Lazer guitar { http://www.erlewineguitars.com/pgs/lazer.htm } is horrendous and his playing nowhere near what it used to be.

But I know there are plenty of people who disagree with me.
And lots of people say he was hot at the last Crossroads festival.


Funny you should say "letting his band carry him along" 'cause the band members almost did carry him to his chair at the front of the stage. It was very sad.

[byrdbrain]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

The Progressive Blues Experiment: critics don't like it, but who likes critics?

My favourite Winter album, and in my neck of the woods it wasn't panned by the critics.
Second Winter was one of the first albums I bought with my own money,
but Progressive and Johnny Winter are the ones I like the best.

[trag-o-caster]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

Trag, I saw him mid last year (at The Barns) and thought he was pretty bad.
Just as you described from the other years.

I think his tone out of that Lazer guitar { http://www.erlewineguitars.com/pgs/lazer.htm } is horrendous and his playing nowhere near what it used to be.

But I know there are plenty of people who disagree with me.
And lots of people say he was hot at the last Crossroads festival.


Funny you should say "letting his band carry him along" 'cause the band members almost did carry him to his chair at the front of the stage. It was very sad.

That's very sad. I was really rooting for Johnny to come back and show the world - and in MY mind, he has. Maybe he has off nights here and there, but I have heard some audience tapes of shows spanning 2005 to 2007, and every show was pretty much up to par. He still slips up here and there - he ain't perfect (never has been either), but it's still night and day from what I witnessed back in summer 04.

And he always has to be helped to his chair. He is pretty much blind too.

[trag-o-caster]

I just found this on YouTube. It's from last year, possibly about the worst that I've heard him play out of all of the 05-07 shows that I mentioned. It's not that bad really, and he's still quite good in places, but he does slip up here and there. It's still WAY WAY better than what I saw in 04....

[E.D. Patton]

I've seen Johnny maybe 20 times over the past 30 years and some of those shows are in my top 5.

'87 at the Starry Night here in Portland with Jon Paris and Tom Compton. I never got to see Hendrix, but I feel like I saw his equal that night, as well as an encyclopedia of American blues.

That one's a standout. Blew my mind and it's stayed blown ever since.

To those who comment on his state of decline I would ask for a bit of respect for JW. The man is an American treasure and he owes us nothing.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by trag-o-caster

I just found this on YouTube. It's from last year, possibly about the worst that I've heard him play out of all of the 05-07 shows that I mentioned. It's not that bad really, and he's still quite good in places, but he does slip up here and there. It's still WAY WAY better than what I saw in 04....

Yeah, Trag, exactly. That's just how he was when I saw him.
To me, that's pretty bad stuff.
If it was me playin', I'd think, hey that's pretty hot stuff.
For Winter though?

And he was way worse in '04!?
Yikes.

And doesn't that tone sound horrible?

[GoldieLocks]

I like Johnny's tone in that clip. (I wouldn't want to sound like that - but I'm glad he does).

I've been a fan over 25 years now. His 1st 3 albums didn't really grab me. But I love Johnny Winter And, still Alive & Well, And Winter of 88".


I saw him in concert about 10 years ago. The sound was so Horrible (all treble, no Bass) from the P.A. system that I didn't enjoy any of it. I wish i could of seen him back in the 80's when he was with Alligator records. He was makin' some fine music then.