Customer Reviews

Roadwork

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first heard this album in the early 70's in high school. Now I've turned my own kids (21, 20, 16, 16 and 13) onto it. They can't believe that you could once go into a club and hear bands like this LIVE. They only listen to classic stuff I give them now; there's nothing on the radio that remotely comes close to the gut-wrenching energy of great musicians playing live at full throttle. If you only know Edgar Winter from his "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride" days, you've got an eye-opening experience ahead of you. Listen in particular to Edgar's 18 second full-throated stratospheric sustained vocal in Tobacco Road. You could refinish furniture by putting it in front of the speakers with this song turned up. An absolute MUST HAVE CD.

It's truly a shame that more people aren't familiar with this album. Simply put, Roadwork has got to be one of the greatest live albums ever recorded. From the gospel-tinged "Save the Planet" to the raw blues of "Tobacco Road," this recording just grabs you right from the first song and just won't let go. In addition to being an amazing keyboard and saxophone player, Edgar Winter is an incredible vocalist. When you add the incendiary Jerry La Croix, an equally amazing vocalist, the result sends chills down your spine. For you guys who are air guitar specialists, I recommend that you check out Rick Derringer's rendition of Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA." Derringer proves beyond a doubt why he's a legend on the six string. But it's not enough just to have Rick Derringer on the scene. Edgar introduces his brother Johnny for a fiery version of "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo."There are so many highlights on this recording that it's hard to select just one as a favorite. Certainly one of the highlights is "Tobacco Road." After you've heard Edgar Winter's White Trash work out on this cut, it's just like there's nothing more to be said. If I had to pick just one cut to represent the genius and passion of this album, I'd go with the old rhythm and blues classic "Turn on Your Love Light." Listen as the horns blast out that classic riff and then let Jerry La Croix take you on a trip where the soul of man never dies. This is rock n roll with a vengeance! Or, as Jerry exhorts the crowd at the Apollo: "If you feel like lettin' it out, hot damn, let it out."

This is live Rock and Roll at it's finest! Edgar Winter at the keyboard, Rick Derringer on guitar, and Jerry LaCroix on saxaphone combine to rattle the walls of the Apollo Theater and the Whiskey A' Go Go on this 1972 Epic collection.

Original recordings start gently with the gospel-flavored "Save the Planet" and then ratchet up through the raucous "Jive, Jive, Jive" before covering Otis Redding/Steve Cropper's "I Can't Turn You Loose."

All of this music is tasty and lively. Tracks five, six, and seven, though, anchor this album for me. After a wild rendition of Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA," Edgar introduces his brother, Johnny, to scorch through a little "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo." But buckle up after that for the sparkling "Tobacco Road." Nothing beats opening the sunroof and cranking the volume on a hot summer night to listen to the amazing twists and turns of these multi-talented, full-of-life musicians.

"Do Yourself a Favor" and give this CD a ride.

Disappointing Reissue

You would have thought BGO would have remastered this gem when they reissued it in 2003. I assumed they did and dropped $20 to buy it. Very disappointed. Sound is virtually identical as the Sony 1989 release (this version has a slightly deeper bass sound).

SOMEBODY PLEASE REMASTER THIS!!!!!

EDGAR WINTER/WHITE TRASH-ROADWORK: Recorded live at legendary venues the Apollo Theater and the Whiskey a Go-Go, ROADWORK is a raw, blistering, white hot collection of rock/R&B/jazz/gospel barnburners as only the horn-heavy Edgar Winter's White Trash could administer it. Sax/keys soulman Winter trades screamin' call and response with co-vocalist Jerry La Croix, while ace axeman Rick Derringer conjures up riff after righteous riff. Unbelievably, the party gets even better when Edgar utters the immortal line, "People keep askin' me...where's your brother?" That signals the entrance of Johnny Winter, the whitest man to ever play the blooze, and a ballsy rip through ROCK AND ROLL HOOCHIE KOO. Other tone-kool covers include a particularly maniacal BACK IN THE USA, on which Derringer erases umpteen other versions from memory with the flick of a pick, and Jerry La Croix out-Otis-ing Otis Redding himself on the frantic CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE. But the real wopper-bopper-show-stopper is Edgar's 17 minute scat-fest annihilation of TOBACCO ROAD, a sweat-soaked showpiece from his early days working in Johnny's band. The highlights are rewarding and constant on ROADWORK...the only time the fun stops is during the the brief spaces between tracks!

RATING: FIVE JIVE, JIVE, JIVES

Gospel, soul, r&b, jazz, blues, rock and roll - this record features it all. A live experience not too be missed, it showcases many fine musicians, whether it's Jerry LaCroix enticing the Apollo audience to dance, or Edgar Winter's banshee screams, or Rick Derringer's guitar playing, or Jon Smith's brilliant saxophone leading the horn section's punchy arrangements - this record has everything. Starting strong with Jerry's "Save the Planet", it keeps the tempo up with his self-penned "Jive, Jive, Jive", and continues with Jerry offering a rousing vocal on "I Can't Turn You Loose". Rick Derringer comes in for a rocking "Still Alive and Well" and "Back in the U.S.A.". Johnny Winter does a turn with Rick's "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo", and brother Edgar arrests everyone with an incredible 17-minute "Tobacco Road". The last three cuts were recorded at New York's Apollo, where these guys show they can hold their own. Edgar gets funky with "Cool Fool" and "Do Yourself a Favor". Jerry wraps it all up with a get-down version of "Turn on Your Lovelight". This is a simply excellent album well deserving of its platinum sales status. If we could only get a complete concert's worth!

This review may be a little late, only because there have been "like" releases since this one. Namely Blues Brothers, The Commitments and probably several more. But this is one rockin' soul filled honky band with an urban attitude. What else can I say, gospel laden, rootsy, rockin' with a sassy strut! Plus the chops to match. Randall Hobbs on bass, Edgar Winters, Rick Derringer and an appearance by Johnny Winters really lit off this "double album." I wore the grooves off of this one when it first came out and I purchased the CD because it has staying power. You gotta' love it. It's the real deal!

I've been waiting for this jem to come out on CD for many years. Appearances by brother Johnny! The absolute best version of John D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" ever recorded. It takes up one side of the album. Great horn arrangements. The list goes on. Every working club musician that I knew in the 70's (and I's knew a few) would die to be in this band. A must have for my collection.

White Trash were an interesting band of jazz,soul,funk,gospel all rolled into one large cacophony of sound reminiscent of what was going down at the time with the likes of Delaney @ Bonnie, Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Blood Sweat @ Tears, The Flock..The maniacal screaming albino keyboard rocker Edgar, whose blues man brother Johnny Winter joins him on a track released this 2 LP LIVE set that is all shucking and jive, good musicians with the likes of Rick Derringer and Jerry LaCroix, an audible horn section ..all pretty unique stuff where musicianship was all very important.
Edgar Winter was a trip.

Being a musician from the '70's and '80's I always look for something that rocks my socks off. The previous reviews are 100% accuate! You must listen to "Cool Fool"! Recorded live at the Apollo in Harlem, we can all agree there is no tougher audience. This cut is by far the funkiest cut I have ever heard a group of white boys put out. The audience goes nuts, just like you will for this entire classic album. I have waited to hear this again for years and now I have it in perfect shape on CD (I wore out my vinyl copy! FUNK ON BROTHERS!