Johnny Winter: Bluesman

[GoodSpeak]

How say you?

Blues or Rock?

I say the Man is Blues through and through.


Make no mistake.

Bad Luck and Trouble
(Johnny Winter)

I believe that bad luck and trouble
Man is all that joins us
I mean that bad luck and trouble
People that's all that joins us
When my bad luck quit me
Lord, my trouble just began
I'm travelin' the highway
Since I was a child
Nobody see no woman man
Nobody seems to care
Bad luck and trouble
Man, is all that joins us
When my bad luck quit me
Man, my trouble just began
Lord, I'm sittin' down and thinkin'
Man, I'm a long, long way from home
Just sittin' down and thinkin'
Man, I'm a long, long way from home
Think about all my good times
Lord, and my friends all want to know
They never hurt nobody
They never done nobody wrong
Other people won't accept me they say
Man, leave me alone
Sittin' down and thinkin'
Lord, I'm a long, long way from home
Thinkin' about my good times
Man, and my friends all want to know
Man, ain't nobody has this trouble
I gonna tell nobody else
Nobody else has this trouble
Man, ain't gonna tell nobody else
My whole life I'm livin' baby
Gonna make it by myself

[GoodSpeak]

[J Lee]

Blues-rock. Whatever he is or isn't, he can play his ass off, as you know.

On the one hand, his work on Muddy's _Hard Again_ -- one of the best blues albums ever done.

On the other hand, _Second Winter_ -- one of the best rock and roll albums ever cut.

[Chris D]

Johnny's great. That last kick he gave to Muddy's profile will always be appreciated.
I like his rock albums from the day a lot; hell, he even made that lame Stones song "Silver Train" from "Goat's head Soup" into a burner.
Every now and then I know it's kinda hard to tell, but I'm still alive and well.

[Dr Dave]

Seen Johnny lately? He's not looking too good. His skin is sagging, and his tattoos look like they're melting. Here's a picture from a gig in 2002; he was sitting because he'd broken his hip. Still playing like a mofo, though.

[GoodSpeak]

Broke his hip?

Sheee-it.


Just exactly how old is this guy?



Glad the music still flows, though

[claude]

You guys ever hear "Whoopin" a record that Johnny did with Sonny Terry back in the eighties. If Johnny isn't playing the blues here I don't know what the blues are.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Seen Johnny lately? He's not looking too good. His skin is sagging, and his tattoos look like they're melting.

Not to mention that he looks pale.

[Boris Badenov]

Yeah, and his hair has turned completely white.

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

Johnny Winter, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan. These dudes can play the sheeeeet out of a geetar. All Cattle, all beer, no foam!

[Dr Dave]

Eric Johnson? You gotta be kidding me. He's so boring! Any time you need to quiet a crowd down after somebody else's great set, all you have to do is trot Eric out there. Virtuosity, sure. But zero personal energy.

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Eric Johnson? You gotta be kidding me. He's so boring! Any time you need to quiet a crowd down after somebody else's great set, all you have to do is trot Eric out there. Virtuosity, sure. But zero personal energy.

Doctor Detroit, virtuosity is the most difficult thing to achieve on an instrument. Saw Eric Johnson 3 times, the most memorable being the time he toured with G3 (Satriani, Vai, and himself). His chops were much cleaner, more precise and creative than the other two guys. The pyrotechnics of Vai in 1996-97 were ok, but I wouldn't buy a ticket for that alone. Yngvie Malmsteen is proof of that...great musicality, but excessive "guitar god" posturing. Now, Vai is now more of a subdued dude than ever. Satriani remains awesome. Johnson has the best technique, (Satch has said this many times in interviews) although his records barely touch the surface of his capabilities. Maybe that's why you consider him boring ("Venus Isle" cd is a disappointment of major proportions.) Go see him in concert. Saw SRV several times. No complaints. Although I don't think Johnny Winter is as accomplished as the aforemntioned names, he really does the bluessss!

[james harrigan]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

yikes. Someone get that man a long-sleeved shirt.

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by Lenny D.Guitarist

Doctor Detroit, virtuosity is the most difficult thing to achieve on an instrument. Saw Eric Johnson 3 times, the most memorable being the time he toured with G3 (Satriani, Vai, and himself). His chops were much cleaner, more precise and creative than the other two guys. The pyrotechnics of Vai in 1996-97 were ok, but I wouldn't buy a ticket for that alone. Yngvie Malmsteen is proof of that...great musicality, but excessive "guitar god" posturing. Now, Vai is now more of a subdued dude than ever. Satriani remains awesome. Johnson has the best technique, (Satch has said this many times in interviews) although his records barely touch the surface of his capabilities. Maybe that's why you consider him boring ("Venus Isle" cd is a disappointment of major proportions.) Go see him in concert. Saw SRV several times. No complaints. Although I don't think Johnny Winter is as accomplished as the aforemntioned names, he really does the bluessss!

Eh, different strokes. I wouldn't walk across the street to hear Steve Vai, or Joe Satriani.

[Chris D]

Me neither. Almost all of those guys featured in the guitar rags bore me. Their records are pretty much all masturbatory.

I saw some squib on one of the mags having a feature on "bad guitar solos." One mentioned was from the Stones version of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." I'm sorry, but that thing -- from Mick Taylor, I think -- has a begining, middle, end, emotional resonance, it's memorable and it doesn't go on too long.

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

I wouldn't cross the street for Malmsteen. I wouldn't cross the street for either of the Stones' guitarists for anything in the past 10-15 years. I'd give Vai and Satriani a listen because of the chops, which I respect for their complexities and creativity. It ain't masturbating if you can walk the walk after you begin foreplay.