Customer Reviews

Deluxe Edition

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Alligator Records, Bruce Iglauer did a great job of remastering these classic Winter's rockin' blues tunes. The CD features Casey Jones (drums), and Johnny B. Gayden (bass) from Luther Allison's former band as well as some guest appearances by James Cotton, the Mellow Fellows Horns, Uncle John Turner and Tommy Shannon.

Johnny Winter was at his best when playing the blues and put out some great stuff with Alligator. Best cuts are "Mojo Boogie", "Murdering Blues", "Third Degree", "Bad Girl Blues", "Nothing But the Devil" and "It's My Life, Baby".

This is not a greatest hits CD but it is a good overview of three great CD's--"Third Degree", "Gun Slinger" and "Serious Business".

If you like Blues/Rock, check this CD out and while you are at it, grab a copy of Johnny Winter's "Live in NYC 97", his latest release. You won't be disappointed with either purchase.

Johnny Winter is amazing and this CD shows why. I am a fan of Johnny's 70's work, and I was afraid that his later stuff may not be as good. I picked up this CD and found out otherwise. This material is all from the 80's, but it is just as good as his earlier material. Even if he uses the ugliest guitar in the world, Johnny Winter is a phenomenal blues player. Anyone who likes blues guitar should check this out, and also check out White Hot Blues by Johnny Winter.

This is the definitive Johnny Guitar. If I were stuck on a desert island with only one CD, this would be the one. Johnny's Alligator years were when he was at his peak talent-wise and in the right frame of mind & motivation (blues, not R&R).

Alligator's 20-bit remastering is superb. Right up there with the former Mobile Fidelity Labs in sound quality. My only wish is that Alligator would perform this "magic" to the originals, namely Guitar Slinger, Serious Business, and Third Degree.

I first saw Johnny Winter on tour in support of his "Let Me In" CD in the early 90's and was shocked to see this frail, ghost-like figure come out on stage, but when he cut loose on the guitar I almost fell out of my seat. The guitar he carries obviously does the talking for Johnny. The "Deluxe Edition" release, which takes cuts from his three Alligator releases, only further illustrates the illustrated man's agility with the guitar. Every song is a gem with relentless guitar work, gravelly Johnny vocals and a blues feel all at once. The guitar work is so brilliant that it almost makes you feel tired, like you played the licks yourself! This is evidenced on "Route 90","Mojo Boogie" and other blues-rockers on this collection. My personal favorite is "Third Degree", which is the title cut of his last Alligator release (that is, before this set was released). The laid back cut (laid back by Johnny's terms!) starts off innocently enough, but when the time comes for Johnny's "treatment" it takes on a whole new dimension of power. This collection is a must for guitar fans and Blues fans alike. Own it!

This is the best from the best. Let's face it, Johnny is a truly one of a kind and a legend. There is no other sound like his. No one plays the guitar like he does, although many have tried and failed. I'm sure that there are many others that can relate to first hearing Johnny on his debut album. Talk about being blown away! There was no one else like him then, still isn't. I, myself, am an avid fan of the blues. Johnny Winter helped to instill that in me as a young child. I thank Him immensely for that, and for providing us with years of incomparable music. Through the years, I have been in many clubs listening to music. You always get "those" trying to play the guitar, trying to get as many "notes" in as possible. I always think (when they are doing such a bad job), who do you think you are .....Johnny Winter? He's a Master...it comes naturally...just like it did for Hendrix and Stevie Ray. I just have to say "thank you, Johnny". You are TRULY an artist. You have truly set my soul ablaze for many years. I will keep listening. I will keep hoping for new music from you.

This album, an overview of Johnny's work on Alligator, is a tremendous statement of Blues-Rock. Johnny's previous work on Columbia was Rock, with a Blues bent, but this is pure Blues.

The song "Third Degree" is worth the price of admission, alone. Play it next to Eric Clapton's verion of the same song, and you'll see what I mean.