Customer Reviews

3rd Degree

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No one can ever accuse Johnny Winter of being dull. Since the late sixties, Johnny's been blowing away rock and blues audiences with his growling voice and flamboyant guitar playing. An albino with an impressive mane of shoulder length white hair, Johnny Winter brings new meaning to the term "White Blues." In addition to his considerable musical gifts, Johnny Winter has always had a distinctive sense of style. Back in the seventies he was fond of capes and outrageous bell-bottoms. In the eighties and nineties, he began favoring black sleeveless shirts that showed off his extensive tattoo collection; some publicity shots showed him shirtless, revealing the huge multicolored dragon's head tattooed on his chest. Guitar slingers come and go, but Johnny Winter has established himself as an unforgettable persona in the annals of blues and rock music.

Like his music and stage persona, Johnny Winter's career has also been anything but nondescript. Believing they had discovered rock and roll's next guitar-god, Columbia Records offered Johnny a record-breaking advance back in 1969. Johnny and his band went from sleeping on floors to living in mansions virtually over night. Unfortunately, the rock and roll lifestyle took its toll on Johnny Winter; in the early seventies he was hospitalized due to a combination of substance abuse and clinical depression. After cleaning up his act, Johnny released the aptly titled "Still Alive and Well" and continued to play rock and roll throughout the mid seventies. In the late seventies, Johnny returned to his blues roots by teaming up with his idol Muddy Waters. Winter produced and played on such landmark Muddy Waters albums as "Hard Again" and "I'm Ready." In the early eighties, Johnny found himself recording for the prestigious blues label Alligator Records. Johnny recorded three albums for Alligator - "Guitar Slinger", "Serious Business" and "Third Degree" - before ultimately moving on to Pointblank Records in the nineties. Although all of Johnny's Alligator recordings are well regarded, "Third Degree" is arguably the best of the lot.

The first two albums that Johnny recorded for Alligator were both produced by Bruce Iglaur, the label's founder. Word has it that there was a great deal of tension in the studio between Johnny Winter and Mr. Iglaur, who has always had a reputation for stubbornness and perfectionism. For "Third Degree" production chores were taken over by Dick Shurman, and the result is an album that greatly surpasses Winter's first two Alligator efforts. "Third Degree" is the first Johnny Winter album to feature Dr. John on piano, and was the first album in years to showcase Johnny's steel guitar playing by including two acoustic tracks. In addition, Johnny's original bandmates Tommy Shannon and "Uncle John" Turner make a guest appearance on the Elmore James tune "Shake Your Moneymaker." "Shake Your Moneymaker" and "Mojo Boogie" are both wonderful showcases for Johnny's electric slide playing; he makes his Gibson Firebird scream and howl during his solos on these tunes. Another highpoint is the moody ballad "Tin Pan Alley" which features Dr. John on piano in addition to gut wrenching guitar and vocals from Johnny. "Evil on my Mind" and "Bad Girl Blues" are the two acoustic numbers, and Johnny's prowess with a National steel guitar does not disappoint. With its heartfelt performances and wide variety of blues styles, this recording is clearly one of the high points of Winter's career. "Third Degree" is essential listening not only for Johnny Winter fans, but for anyone with an interest in blues guitar

Of the 3 Alligator releases this is the best one in my opinion. It has everything. Slow blues, fast blues, acoustic blues, rockin electric blues, overall just a good selection of songs on this album. The title track is one of the most intense slow blues I've ever heard, the ABSOLUTE best version of that song ever recorded!! Mojo Boogie shows why Johnny is considered one of the best slide players ever. If you never heard Johnny Winter, and you like blues, then get this and be blown away.

Everything about this gem from Johnny Winter is utterly superb!
Firstly, the cover is magnificent. It says it ALL. The music contained is beyond comparison, you gain the sense of commoraderie amongst the musicians and they really seem to be enthusiastically involved . Every track is blindingly good.There's an updated version of "Broke & Lonely", a song which he first did way back in the very early '60s. Winters version of Eddie Boyds "Third Degree" is the best version ever done. "Mojo Boogie" blazes from start to finish. Johnny is supported by a tour-de-force band which includes Dr. John on piano. The slow blues songs on here really burn with intensity-- Thankfully by 1984 Johnny had quit using the annoying "phaser'sound that he employed on many of his recordings although he did still use the device on live concerts. The guitar tone for this c.d. is pure and clear.
Some of you may not like extended guitar solos...but not me, especially when it's Johnny Winter. As far as i'm concerned he can make the solos last all day long.
Buy this one. You will not be disappointed.

In a seems like never ending swamp of poular music that catches us wading through the Blowfishes and the Matchboxes and tripping on an occassional master such as Eric Clapton it is so very nice to go back and hear a true ole' master such as Johnny. This man is so underrated that it actually brings tears to the eyes. Well, a true bluesman dies unheard of anyway...I guess. I, for one, will never forget how this man can "smoke" a guitar bridge if it is acustic, electric or steel and hold his own with anyone whether dead or alive. It is no wonder that Mr. Winter's dedication to the heart throbbing musicianship that belongs to those married to the blues catapulted a young bassist like Tommy Shannon (plays here) into Double Trouble and bumming around with the late great Stevie Ray. After listening to this recording there will leave little doubt that Johnny Winter can reign supreme with anyone mentioned in the list of "greats". Play on Johnny....

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE JOHNNY SONG "BROKE AND LONELY" IS THE MOST HAIR RAISING GOOSE BUMP MUSIC OF ALL HIS SONGS.AN INTENSE NEARLY 4 MINUTE GUITAR SOLO WILL BLOW YOU AWAY.I NOW HAVE A REMASTERED VERSION AND IM BURIN' IT UP.3RD DEGREE IS AN AWESOME BLUES TUNE WITH SOME OF JOHNNY'S BEST BLUES PLAYING.I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS DISC BUT FINE A REMASTERED ONE JUST FOR THE SONG "BROKE AND LONELY".

Seasoned Texas bluesman Johnny Winter has really given us blues fans (and JW fans) a real gift with his 1986 album 3rd Degree. This album is pure blues, from start to finish, in various blues styles and settings. Johnny was 42 years old when this album was released, and he sounds as good or better than he ever has.

The first song, Mojo Boogie, is electric slide guitar boogie and sounds perfect. Love, Life And Money is minor key slow blues with Johnny's blazing guitar and world-weary vocals. This stuff is authentic blues, people. Mr. Winter is not just a student of the blues, the man lives it and you can hear the proof right here in these songs. He goes acoustic, playing his National steel guitar (including slide) on Evil On My Mind and Bad Girl Blues, and acoustic blues has never sounded better than this! See See Baby, I'm Good, and Broke And Lonely are all faster uptempo blues, sounding almost like the rock n' roll Johnny used to play in the early 1970s with his band, Johnny Winter And. Shake Your Money Maker features more electric slide guitar. The title track is down and dirty slow blues, and like every other song on this superb album, it is awesome.

This is the real thing from a master bluesman in a variety of settings. Friends like Dr. John stop by to help out, too. If you like the blues, this is Blues 101 with Johnny Winter teaching the course!

"I really like this record." wrote Johnny Winter in his 1986 liner notes for 3rd Degree. "It's got a lot of different types of blues on it, more variety."

3rd Degree absolutely does. The twelves bar structures that stand forever stand tall as ever on this album. But the slide guitar of "Mojo Boggie," the minor blues of "Love Life and Misery," and the steel tour de force of "Evil On My Mind" display Winter's encylopedic knowlage and mastery of the form, which coats the entire album.

A guest appearance by Dr. John and the return of 70s cohorts Tommy Shannon and Red Turner round this album perfectly--Shannon had worked with Stevie Ray Vaughn in the interm and returned to Winter a even better musican with his prime rib sticking basslines.

This blues is both down home and cosmopolitan, a perfect album for blues accolyte and blues effcianato.

during the 80's johnny winter made some of his best recordings of all time! '3ard degree' is one of his best blues of his 80's stuff startin' with "mojo boogie" other great blues cuts inclued 'tin pan alley' 'i'm good' 'third degree''shake your money maker'are just a few of the great red hot blues on this cd!!! highley rated for great guitar blues! this is 1 of johnny's finest!!! get it now!!!!!!!!

If you like the blues and when the name Johnny Winters comes up you think of him as a bluesman that tinkered with rock for awhile, then you will not be disapointed with this CD, this is one of his best, great guitar work, great lyrics, mixed well. This is true JW blues guitar at its best.

Johnny Winter is only the best at blues style...His rough voice, his ultra blazing fast solos, his feeling and his slide tecnique made him a lengedary guitarrist from the last century to nowadays...

If you can, buy everything from him...each disc is a gem, and worth any cent paid on it. This 3rd degree is the best one! Don't even think of losing it! Buy, buy, buy. Nothing more to say.