Customer Reviews

Albert Collins - The Iceman at Mount Fuji

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Years ago Albert Collins produced an album "Live In Japan". It featured perhaps his best tune after "Frosty" which was "If Trouble Was Money". This excellent DVD, released during the Year of the Blues 2003 features two sets by Collins and the Ice Breakers lineup which I saw him with during his final tour to Australia. This is set at the Mt Fuji Jazz Festival. The playing is casual, but Collins distinctive sound is no way diminished. Any fan of his music will love this DVD.

While the set has many tunes that are replicated, the overall presentation is very interesting and excellent. The first set has a stand-in bassist for Johnny B. Gayden, his usual player and oldest Icebreaker, who does a good job. The two highlights of this opening set are "Light's Are Out But Nobody's Home", Collins always excelled at slow blues and storytelling. The other is Same Old Thing is also very funky and well done (even without Debbie Davies singing backup!). On Travelin' South the string he had just changed (Collins had no backup guitar- like Albert King) goes way out of tune, but he still manages.

The night set is better. A great highlights of this are "Nobody Home" again and "Frosty" his signature tune. But, I really love Lowell Fulson's "Honey Hush". He had recorded this tune as the opener on his most infuential LP "Ice Pickin". I really love his style on this!

This DVD is essential for any Blues lover. Collin's live performances on video or DVD are rare (Like Albert King's). This is a great edition to one's library- color great, sound is very good, could have been longer, but is still excellent.

Great DVD with the Master of the Telecaster!
Albert Collins in great shape at Mount Fuji in Japan 1992. Both sound and picture quality is good, the only drawback with the DVD is the fact that it contains one day- and one night performance and the set lists are almost the same so there are some duplicate titles here. On the other hand, you can't get too much of the Iceman...
If you're into the totally unique approach to the blues that Mr. Collins had, don't miss this DVD.

Having had the pelasure of seeing Albert Collins, this dvd was a real treat capturing not that long before he passed away but who would know that from the vital performances captured here. As the others have noted there is some duplication of material between the two sets presented here but the sound and video is quite good and he has quite a strong band behind him

Albert Collins The Master of the Telecaster. If you've never
got a chance to see him Live, This is your chance-Don't miss
it. Albert Collins is sorely missed. His band brought Life and
Fun to the blues. Once you've heard them your hooked. You'll
be looking for anything Albert Collins. Sorry to say many
of his CD's are beginning to vanish from the stores, but look
for them I promise you won't be dissapointed.
Five Stars, you bet five stars. Though some songs are repeated
in the two sets there is a different feel to them, so enjoy
Thank God Someone had the good sence to put this on DVD.

I just picked it up on a whim, I have been a casual fan for years. I put it in the player and was blown away. The sound is great, the band kicks, I played the DVD all afternoon. I never do that.

From time to time, the pain of missing one of the greatest blues guitarist I have ever witnessed becomes so great that I have to indulge in the the acquisition of a live performance DVD to relieve that aching. Since no recorded performance can ever really fulfill the lacking experience of a live performance, one has to temper their expectations accordingly. As far as this particular DVD release is concerned, I strongly felt the true essence of the greatness of Albert Collins is intact, however, it is an unusual situation in that it is a large outdoor concert and not the intimate landscape of the nightclub environment that Albert more usually worked his magic. Being such a distance from his audience, especially a foreign one, only seems to encourage Albert to work harder than ever to deliver the goods to his fans - and he does so admirably. At moments is magic his is as potent as ever. The sound quality of this disk is very good overall (I don't no to what degree I can endorse the bands performance - I think the bassist was particularly weak). The most glaring deficiency of this performance is the missing trademark of Albert's always anticipated and always exciting foray into the thick of his audience and possibility of actually exiting the club with his guitar while engaging in a continuous mind-blowing solo. The disk does contain a nicely detailed written biography but that's about it. I think the evening performance is preferred to the day performance but that is understandable. All that being said, I still think this is a worthy product for any hardcore Albert Collins fan. This performance come on the eve of his painful & untimely death and once again proves that he was a true blues master to the very end. Albert definately went out with his boots on. Albert always delivers. I will still continue to look for another recording that truly captures the intimate relationship that Albert so fondly and generously shared with his fans.

....I've had the privilege of sharing the stage with two GREAT "Masters Of The Telecaster"...Albert Collins & Roy Buchanan...as a guitarist with Billy Price & The Keystone Rhythm Band in the late '70s, I was fortunate to have been in the company of both...at a club date at Mancini's in Pittsburgh, Albert and I tuned up our guitars together before the show...I told him I sometimes opened up the set for the band with a song of his called "Master Charge"...a playful tune he composed regarding the use of his credit card by his wife...after viewing the DVD, though he is no longer with us, he's as "Frosty" as ever on this workout....his band on this occasion is beyond stellar...forgive me for not naming names for the production/editing/cinematography....I've never been good with names, telephone numbers, or addresses....but whoever put this together...a thousand times....THANK YOU !!!

...it's blues to me,
charles frank roethel

This is a fantastic CD. The quality of the image and the sound is excellent.

In the beginning, the band is announced. As the band walks out onto the state, Albert Collins emerges. He can't be described as walking. The man is strutting. He knows he is the man. And he knows he is about to blow away a bunch of people many of whom probably have never heard of him before.

The CD contains some excellent guitar work, and the unselfish Collins is generous in giving the band members their own chances at solos. Two bass solos are the best I've ever seen on DVD. James Genus genus, bassist for the Brecker Brothers, sits in for Johnny B. Gayton in the first set, and he is fantastic.

My wife is a merenguerra and a fan of family friendly contemporary christian music. She has never heard of the blues when I had met her. After having seen parts of this DVD, she now proudly responds, "The Blues!" whenever anyone asks her what type of music she likes.