Long before Stevie Ray Vaughan was putting his own stamp of blues all over the rock 'n' roll map, Texan Johnny Winter was quickly becoming legend. Beginning in the late 60's, this man was already slaughtering audiences with killer guitar licks and showing people the meaning of boogie. His work was eclipsed by others. It never stopped those devoted faithful fans from filling concert halls to see Johnny headline or give the finishing act a run for their money.
As the seventies and future decades roared, Winter ran hard. Escaping the pitfalls and chemical demons that threatened to terminate his career, Winter emerged as a survivor and an elder statesman of the blues. His stints with Alligator Records produced some great cds and any Johnny Winter fan would be wise in picking them up.
But that was another era. Now we find Johnny Winter releasing "Im A Bluesman" on Virgin Records. Surrounding himself with seasoned players (Harmonica player James Montgomery is an old friend) was the incentive for Johnny to buckle down.
Absent is the lightning licks and raucous blues singer's growl. The opening title track sums it all up about Johnny. His picking hand is slower. But the tone and attitude are more or less the same. Drummer Tom Hambridge gives assistance and steps up to the plate with compositions "Cheatin Blues" and "Lone Wolf." In "Lone Wolf" there are traces of Winter's stronger traits. He can half-howl his infamous "yeahs" and still drag a slide over the strings. This song is a Winter party favorite and has "shake your ass" written all over it.
"So Much Love" written by Winter's ex-bassist Jon Paris finally sees James Montgomery making his appearance on harp. Following something like "Lone Wolf" could be an anti-climax. Winter's vocals pale in comparision to hot iron guitar licks. Montgomery's harmonica solo just isn't long enough in this blues tale of seduction.
Speaking of seduction, "The Monkey Song" is a song for those depraved men who are always in the adult section of their local video store. To say this is a simple love song for the ladies will get you tarred and feathered. Montgomery's harp fills energizes this comic number of lust, degradation and perversion. Winter's blues don't lack humor. Not with the men folk anyway.
Johnny never has been much of a writer. It comes in spurts with him. When his muse comes aknockin, he grabs it tight. "Sweet Little Baby" comes with those Johnny Winter slide riffs. For just a few moments, we recall when Johnny was the guitar warrior who can walk with the king. This boozed blues rocker ends in a flash. Retreating into an "unplugged" mode, Winter kisses mother earth in "That Wouldn't Satisfy." By himself on acoustic, Johnny is the portrait of a bluesman standing at the uglier side of life.
These are the finest assets in "I'm A Bluesman." Winter shows the signs of becoming a senior citizen: His vocal chords quieter. His fretboard velocity slower. Most likely Johnny won't win a Grammy with this release. But "I'm A Bluesman" still is an impressionable display of a man who wants to finish his golden years doing what he does best. Winter is a survivor of a sometimes skull and crossbones lifestyle that relishes burying its own children. In Johnny's case, don't pick the shovel up yet. The story isn't finished.
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