Customer Reviews

Second Winter

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Johnny Winter is now pretty much the blues purist, but there was a time where he flirted with rock 'n roll and didn't do too badly at it, either. This is a white-hot stone killer of an album, with Winter and his band (including brother Edgar) roaring through 11 songs with style. My favorite is the last one, "Fast Life Rider," about 8-or-so minutes of guitar rave-ups that never falter. Winter also does all right by Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited," Little Richard and even "Johnny B. Goode," which you never thought you'd want to hear again until you hear this incredible version. This is a Winter's gale blowing full-blast!

Johnny has always been my hero, mainly because, when i was growing up in London- England I'd had so much Clapton/Hendrix/Alvin Lee/Jimmy Page shoved down my throat. Although I still loved these others too, I was refreshed to hear someone who sounded unique. Johnny Winter was that person...he sounded different, he could sing, and he LOOKED different. I remember in one of his 1973 interviews how Johnny Winter spoke of an ardent fan who wanted to spend an evening just looking at him..this person was astounded just by Winter's visual impact alone. As the other reviewer said above, Johnny wasn't scared of taking chances musically.
Percy Mayfields classic blues "Memory Pain" has never sounded so good. It seems like it was written for Johnny personally. His guitar screams in agony with wonderfully phrased licks. I remember this tune took up one whole l.p. side originally.(or at least, nearly a whole side!)
Every other track is astounding and the variety is endless. Alot of delicious psychedelic blues...e.g. "Good Love" Fast Life Rider" I'm Not Sure"...but these are mixed in with some 50s teeny bop classics ..e.g. "Slippin' & Slidin'" and "Miss Ann". The musicianship is always at a continual high throughout. My own favorite from this album has always been an unusual choice of song called "I Love Everybody". This one starts with a background giggle and then launches into some of the most blinding , relentless slide guitar ever played. It's a basic Delta blues song but Johnny takes it into electro-psychedelic outer-space...the channels shift as he plays the solo, which adds to the jet propelled tension. This song, by itself, is PURE, UTTER brilliance and a wonderful variation on a basic Delta blues.
The songs counterpart is one called "I Hate Everybody" which is almost arranged like a T. Bone Walker 'jump blues' and Winters solo is very jazz- inflected ...lightnin' fast and precise.
Edgar Winters sax solo on this one is pure bebop influenced.
This album/c.d is SO varied that when I first heard it I was utterly confused (especially for me, back at that time in 1970).
Back then there was either bubble- gum pop, heavy rock or folk in the English charts.
This one was/is unique and i don't think it will ever be equalled.

Originally released in 1969 as a 3-sided double album, this is the definitive Johnny Winter CD! Blues-rock at its finest! Some outstanding tracks include "Fast Life Rider", "Highway 61 Revisited", "Slippin' & Slidin'", "Hustled Down In Texas", and "The Good Love". The Winter blues trio never played better than they do here! Essential listening for blues and rock fans alike, it just doesn't get better than this. Grab it.

This work is some of the most progressive sounds ever released by "The Winter Brothers". When it was first released on Vinyl LP it was a three sided album (side four was blank). The producer had too much music for a single album, but not enough to fill four sides. While trying to decide which songs to drop (to fit on to one LP), they just said, "there is nothing that NEEDS to be dropped as each song was outstanding". The band was gone from the studio so they couldn't get any more tracks. Ultimately it was decided, release every tune recorded and leave side four blank. I owned the original LP set and I'm glad that they used all of the material. The result was in my opinion, the very best collaboration ever released by Johnny and Edgar together. You will not be disappointed!!

Anyone who knows music,knows that there's a point where, although you do your best to describe it,the music says lots more than your words ever will.
You can compare the artist, the style, or whatever you want to others, but the music speaks for itself.
This album is one of those cases...
Although I've enjoyed this piece for nearly 30 years, it is still as enjoyable as when first released.
The writing, the execution, the quality of the recording.....if you like this style of music, it's hard to do better.
Just buy it.

For thoes who like Kenny Wayne Shepared,you have to love this. I am not to sure but this album has to be 20-25 years old. This guy came way before SRV and one of the best in Texas. Listen to this and figure out for yourself who took the licks from whom.

Johnny Winter unfortunately has only recorded two *great* albums in his career, this and the previous Columbia release 'Johnny Winter'. His first, on Mercury and called 'Progressive Blues Experiment' was badly produced and his playing hadn't reached its peak yet. Everything that came after Second Winter pales by comparison to his two first Columbia albums.

I'd give it 5 stars but as someone else has mentioned, some of the songs themselves are weak compositions. Four stars for incredible blues rock playing that has influenced practically every guitarist who has followed Winter.

I originally bought this on vinyl when it was first released and it was notorous for being a double LP with only three sides (the 4th side was blank).

Sweet lord. Five stars is not an adequate rating for this recording. Buy this disc now. Buy it for "Fast life rider" alone. Johnny and the boys hit a groove so stupendous, and tear it up on that song so astonishingly that you wish the song would never end. Quite simply put, this is one of the best hard blues albums ever recorded. And then there's "Memory Pain"...and "Hustled down in Texas"... whew, man.

Thank me later.

THE BEST FROM ONE OF THE BAD MEN OF THE BLUES. GET THE MOFI OR LEGACY VERSION.

This is a great album from blues and slide master Johnny Winter.
Its definetly a must have in your Winter collection and your rock and blues collection. Johnny does a little more rock and roll than one his first album (also a must have) but it's just as good and he cranks it out just as well. This album also features his brother Edgar Winter who was definetly a positive influence on Johnny and his music. Edgar helps make this album fantastic. My Track Ratings-
1.Memory Pain- 10/10
2. I'm Not Sure 10/10
3. The Good Love 10/10
4. Slippin' and Slidin' 9/10
5. Miss Ann 9/10
6. Johnny B. Goode 9/10 (the best version of this song is on the album Johnny Winter And Live, go out and get that one too)
7. Highway 61 Revisited 10/10
8. I love Everybody 10/10
9. Hustled Down in Texas 10/10
10. I Hate Everybody 10/10
11. Fast Life Rider 9/10

This is a great album, go out and get it!
Also get his first album Johnny Winter, Johnny Winter And and Johnny Winter And Live!