Johnny Winter, another white guy from the '60s playing the blues -- this one so white he is albino. I guess the important thing is he's from Texas and drank that water deep because as he demonstrates on this slightly unofficial debut (as the liner notes pretentiously point out), once he starts to play he becomes the guitar. There's nothing at all wannabe about this, black white or gray. Brother Edgar may have been the rock star of the family, but Johnny was the one with the blues down deep into his soul. He caked that over good with heroin, barbiturates, and alcohol and spiraled out of sight in the mid-'70s. Made it back, produced one of Muddy Waters's best albums, and has spent his life on the road like most any self-respecting bluesman. But I'm not convinced any album of his is superior to this.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Progressive Blues Experiment (1969)
Johnny Winter, another white guy from the '60s playing the blues -- this one so white he is albino. I guess the important thing is he's from Texas and drank that water deep because as he demonstrates on this slightly unofficial debut (as the liner notes pretentiously point out), once he starts to play he becomes the guitar. There's nothing at all wannabe about this, black white or gray. Brother Edgar may have been the rock star of the family, but Johnny was the one with the blues down deep into his soul. He caked that over good with heroin, barbiturates, and alcohol and spiraled out of sight in the mid-'70s. Made it back, produced one of Muddy Waters's best albums, and has spent his life on the road like most any self-respecting bluesman. But I'm not convinced any album of his is superior to this.
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