Fans of 70's blues rock guitar genius Johnny Winter will be overjoyed at this new DVD release from MVD Visual. Live Through the 70's is just under 2 hours of vintage Johnny Winters, with footage going back to 1970 and up to 1979. Though Winter is normally classified as a pure blues guitarist, he had plenty of rock fire in his playing, and for much of the mid-70's his output could more than stand up to his contemporaries like Frank Marino, Robin Trower, Rick Derringer, and Ted Nugent. With 14 songs in total, you get a nice sprinking of the Johnny Winter repertoire here, some of the best stuff being the oldest footage, like the sizzling four piece from 1970 with his brother Edgar, bassist Tommy Shannon (later of Stevie Ray Vaughan fame), and drummer Uncle John Turner, as they rip through a VERY early version of Edgar's "Frankenstein", with Johnny's guitar taking over most of the keyboard parts and a wicked dual drum battle between Edgar and Turner. This four piece also rocks hard on the footage at the Royal Albert Hall, Johnny starting to ease into his rock star persona with platform shoes and flashy clothes (he would have fit right into Yes or Queen at the time) as they deliver scorching renditions of "Johnny B. Goode" and "Tell the Truth", the guitarists lead solos truly electrifying. Other highlights include "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" and "Stone County" from Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (with the guitarist sporting a funky looking beard), footage from a 1974 blues summit (featuring Dr. John, Buddy Miles, Junior Wells, and Michael Bloomfield), a killer "Boney Maronie" from German TV in 1974 (which for no apparent reason cuts to the German TV announcer during Johnny's solo!), and an extended jaunt through the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Suzie Q" from 1979.
As old as much of this footage is, the quality is surprisingly good, though the Royal Albert Hall tracks are probably the worse for wear, but ironically those three tunes are the most exciting out of all the ones included here in this set. The band was really on fire at that point, and on the verge of major breakout. Soundwise, it's pretty decent all around. Interview footage with Johnny is interspersed throughout the DVD, and though he seems rather aloof at times, you can tell the guitar slinger has a good sense of humor and it quite witty.
Call it blues, call it progressive blues, or plain old blues rock, Johnny Winter's music has soul, emotion, fire, and chops. This DVD is something pretty special, so if you are a Winter fan or just love good old fashioned bluesy guitar rock, then grab yourself a copy.
Track Listing
Danish TV-Gladsaxe Teen Club, Denmark 1970
1) Frankenstein
2) Be Careful of the Fool
3) Drop the Bomb
Royal Albert Hall, London, UK 1970
4) Johnny B. Goode
5) Talk to Your Daughter
6) Tell the Truth
Beat Club, Bremen, Germany 1970
7) Mean Town Blues
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT 1973
8) Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo
9) Stone County
Soundstage, Blues Summit, Chicago, IL 1974
10) Walking Through the Park
Musikladen, Bremen, Germany 1974
11) Boney Maroney
Rockpalast, Bremen, Germany 1979
12) Walking By Myself
13) Mississippi Blues
14) Suzie Q
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