Customer Reviews

Live Bootleg Series, Vol. 1

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kudos to Friday Music for giving us the Live Bootleg Series. If Volume One is any indication, Johnny Winter fans are in for a veritable feast of superb blues and rock 'n' roll. This initial offering gives us over an hour of great music from one of the true masters. Johnny comes out smoking and never lets up. "Stranger" is a particular standout and shows what a fine vocalist he was before age began to take its toll. The recording quality is a bit uneven, but for the most part as good as you might hope for from a '70s recording. I saw Johnny earlier this year at the Rex Theatre in Pittsburgh, and he still delivers. While he's slowed down a bit, and he can't sing like he used to, he still tore the place up. If he comes to your town, don't miss out on the chance to see a true living legend. In the meantime, get this recording. You won't be disappointed.

When I bought this CD I was a little concerned that I (and Johnny) was going to get ripped off by someone just trying to make a buck. You do not have to worry. The CD is 100% Johnny Winter legit and I hope he makes a bundle off it and keeps on with series.

This CD is incredible!!! First off this appears to be a complete live session plus the added cut "It's All Over Now". I am guessing based on the song set and Johnny's backup musicians this is a late 70's recording. This CD smokes. "Johnny B. Goode" has a few uneven bits but after that the band tightens up, they get in sync with Johnny and then it's a Johnny Winter show from then on out. At this point in Johnny's career he is a several years out of his rock n roll superstar era (as I call it) but still heavily influenced by it and it shows on this CD. It is rockin' high energy from start to finish. Johnny's playing is amazing (of course) and in many spots hits the, "what did he just do" incredible level. Most of the cuts are well over six minutes and what is really cool is Johnny and the band go into several "jam sessions" (trading off leads with the bass and drums) which are not usually found on Johnny's live stuff. "Messin' With the Kid" is excellent and, yes, Johnny plays that amazing rhythm section live that is on his studio version of the tune. "Rollin and Tumblin" has not been one of my favorite tunes by Johnny, however, this live version is by far my favorite. Every tune is excellent and a true stand out. The sound quality is quite good, so don't let the "Bootleg" in the title scare you.

If you like Johnny rockin' hard, rockin' the blues, and his blazing guitar licks, some at breakneck speeds, by this CD, you will not be disappointed.

Keep making them Johnny, I'll keep buying them.

As many of the J. Winter fans out there know...you take a big chance with "new" Winter stuff. There is soooo much garbage out there repackaged under different names it is at times rediculous. So you can understand my concern when I purchased this disc. First of all, the sound is top notch, the guitar is clear. vocals up front, no inordinate hiss...nice. The performance is very nice as well (I don't think I have heard this one before...surprise - Jon Paris is on bass). Johnny seems fairly interested and excited, his playing is very good, not great, but very good (Y'Know as I continue to listen while a type...damn, he is playing pretty good). Look, I know what I was expecting when I ordered this and was pleasently surprised by what I received...hopefully, this is a "series" of releases, I am hooked.

This CD is a must for all Johnny Winter and Blues-Rock fans. Johnny really smokes on this CD which I believe is the Woodstock Reunion concert in 1979.
What really distinguishes Johnny from all the rest of his guitar rivals is that when he plays you do not know when the Blues stops and Rock 'N'Roll begins.
My favourite track is Stranger, one of his own compositions. It over 7 minutes long and the two guitar solos are terrific. Next is Messin with the kid. Rory Gallagher's version in "Live in Europe" was my benchmark for this song, but Johnny takes it to a new level. Help Me is also fantastic and Come on in my kitchen. Hell - all the tracks are excellent and I hope this is a first of many "Bootlegs" to be released. Don't hesitate, buy it now.

HELLO, JUST GOT THIS INCREDIBLE CD IN THE MAIL. I SAW MY FIRST JOHNNY WINTER CONCERT AT THE CAPITAL THEATER IN PASSAIC N.J.IN 1983, AND NEVER LOOKED BACK. SAME LINEUP WITH JON PARIS ON BASS, BUT NOT SURE IF BOBBY CALDWELL WAS THE DRUMMER THEN. THESE SHOWS WERE SET IN THE MID TO LATER SEVENTIES. CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOOTLEG SERIES COMES OUT. JOHNNY PRESERVED A LOT OF RECORDINGS OVER 40 YEARS WORTH. THIS CD LEAVES YOU WANTING MORE. SEEING JOHNNY TODAY IN CONCERT IS NOT THE SAME, BUT STILL AN HONOR TO GO SEE HIM, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS BROTHER EDGAR ON THE BILL. THANKS AGAIN.

This CD, Johnny Winter Live Bootleg Series, Volume One, is (except for the bonus track), Johnny Winter's performance at the Woodstock 10 Year Anniversary Concert. I am certain of that because I have compared them side by side. The unofficial bootleg of this concert includes a bit more of Johnny talking, including the key phrase, "I haven't had this much fun in 10 years." Why this CD (and all the other Live Bootleg Series of which there are 6 now) do not identify the performance is beyond me. But yes, this is one of the BEST Johnny Winter CDs available. Live in America 1978 (Import, actually Denver 1980) is also GREAT, as is Captured Live, And Live, and the new And at Filmore East just released by CCMusic and available here. There are others as everything Johnny did is GREAT, the only issue is sound quality on some recordings, particularly Live Bootleg 6. Sound quality on this Live Bootleg 1 is very good.

I love Johnny and will miss him when he's gone. This album is a great snapshot of him in the 70's, and compliments the albums he released in those years.

The recording and mix is quite good. I'll listen to this often.

Of the four "Bootleg"-discs released so far, this one is the most "rock n' roll-like", if you will, even if it is still dominated by blues numbers. The other three are almost straight blues, but this first disc also throws a couple of rock n' roll songs, most notably a powerful, energetic "Johnny B. Goode", but also covers of "Bony Moronie", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "It's All Over Now".

This is not a bootleg in the usual sense of the word, of course; these carefully selected recordings come from Johnny Winter's own vault and are produced by himself. The fidelity is generally excellent, and never worse than good, and Winter was on top of his game in the late 70s when these performances were recorded. He was playing with just bassist and occational harpist Jon Paris and drummer Bobby Turillo, but you never really feel like anything is lacking. This is blues (and rock) guitar at its finest, slow blues, fast numbers, R&B, Winter does it all with equal mastery, and his playing is always full of energy and passion, never repetitive, never showy.

In many ways, these live recordings are even more impressive than most of Winter's studio albums. The "Live Bootleg" series really shouws what a masterful guitarist he is, and his covers of blues classics like "Messin' with the Kid" and "Help Me" burn with fills and solos to rival anything you've ever heard.
Winter does a great, rather gritty "Hideaway", the much-lauded Freddie King-instrumental, before moving on to a sparse but powerful six-minute cover of Robert Johnson's "Come on in my Kitchen". Wonderful, biting slide guitar. Okay, so the riff suddenly sounds more like "You've got to Move" by Fred McDowell, but they're basically the same song anyway...

I'm usually not quite as fond of Winter's "old time rock n' roll"-covers like Larry Williams' "Bony Moronie", but this one is actually really good, with some sizzling guitar playing which sees Winter moving effortlessly between big riffs and single-string fills and solos. And while I'm not excactly blown away by an unconvincing "It's All Over Now", Winter's take on the Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is also quite enjoyable. I can't help but think that the 8-minute "Rollin' and Tumblin'" would have benefited from being played a bit slower...the same semi-complaint I think I made against this very high-octane rendition when I first heard Winter perform it on the 1969 "Progressive Blues Experiment" album. But this one is no throwaway either, certainly, and it actually evolves into a rather interesting duet between Winter's guitar and bassist Jon Paris' harmonica. And the nine-minute original "Stranger" which follows it is another fine listen, if a bit uncharacteristic. It's sort of a rock ballad with a pinch of soul thrown in and played a little like a slow blues...not unlike something Whitesnake might've come up with at about the same time.

But the real five-star glow-in-the-dark highlights are the aforementioned blues standarts, a terrific "Messin' with the Kid", "Come on in my Kitchen", "Help Me", a really fine "Johnny B. Goode", and what I consider the best, juiciest version of "Bony Moronie" I've ever heard Winter (or anyone) perform. Oh, and don't forget the excellent take on "Hideaway"!
All in all, fans of Johnny Winter the bluesman will probably enjoy this highly enjoyable nugget the most, but fans of Johnny Winter the rocker should find a lot of stuff to like as well.
4 1/2 big, shiny stars...and the Bootleg series only gets better!

This "album" is highly recommended! This is another must-have for any fan of Johnny Winter or blazing guitar playing. The band's music overcomes any shortcomings in the sound quality. (Volume 1 is a better recording, but volume 2 may have more innovative playing.) After all, these are live recordings, from an era before sophisticated remote music equipment. Don't let the warts spoil a fantastic musical experience. Sit back (if you can) and enjoy! The licks aren't as polished (occasionally) as his studio albums, but the improvisation is fantastic. This group puts out an amazing sound for three members.

This CD recalls Johnny's best early stuff. Be prepared to experience Johnny with fresh ears, as the sound quality is vastly updated from the original recordings. It's not for everyone, but if you love the blues and hard driving rock done Johnny Winter's style, then you'd better get it. Some favorites are Johnny B. Goode, Help Me, and a red-hot cover of the Rolling Stones' Jumpin'Jack Flash.