Johnny Winter is quite a controversial figure in pop music. The pale, cross-eyed, 26-year-old Texan albino made an unexpected breakthrough last year after spending a long time among the ranks of nameless white blues musicians.
His first LP was certainly impressive, and in London, he completely blew the roof off the Royal Albert Hall when he played as the closing act at the CBS Festival. His fame quickly spread to Amsterdam, where he appeared a week later in the wake of The Flock. However, that performance was underwhelming, as Winter insisted on bringing along his little brother, who always manages to make Johnny’s simple blues unbearably complicated and chaotic. The resulting noise lingers in your head for at least fifteen minutes, making you forget about Johnny’s otherwise excellent music.
But back to Johnny Winter. As mentioned, his first LP was worthwhile, if only for his highly authentic approach to the blues and his unmatched technique. That combination ensures that he ranks alongside the legendary Chuck Berry, whose work every self-respecting artist covers at least once in their career. Winter’s interpretation of the blues leans very closely to rock—or so we all thought. However, on his new album, appropriately titled About Blues, he suddenly takes a very purist approach, and it turns out that the volume has been significantly toned down.
Standout Tracks
The album opener, Parchman Farm, is still quite good. It’s a great song, featuring the best stops and perfectly suited to Winter’s slightly breathless voice. But after that, he embarks on some musical experiments that don’t particularly appeal to me. Livin’ in the Blues sounds like a Jimi Hendrix who doesn’t have his guitar. Winter’s guitar playing on this standard cover is heavily influenced by Hendrix, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I just don’t see why Winter—who can hold his own on the guitar—felt the need to imitate that style.
Fortunately, the wailing guitar work in Livin’ in the Blues is toned down in Leavin’ Blues, making it much more pleasant to listen to. Winter thrives on simplicity, and that becomes evident here.
After that, he goes even simpler, playing a quiet acoustic guitar track. But then he suddenly starts singing à la Dylan. That’s fun, of course, but still… Why, Johnny? That question keeps lingering.
Execution
Fortunately, Winter sounds like himself again on Bad News, which is the best track on the album, not least because of his subtle and skillful use of the harmonica, an instrument he is particularly proficient with.
The rest of the album consists of very pure blues tracks. Overall, it’s not bad, but it’s not an absolute must-have either. Thankfully, Brother Edgar doesn’t get too much time in the spotlight—he is spared from performing slide solos, which he often does too much in live recordings. Here, he limits himself to a bit of harmonica playing in the Tamla/Motown soul style.
To prevent any misunderstanding after reading this review, here’s the final verdict: About Blues is a good, but not exceptional, album. It’s not one-dimensional, but at the same time, it doesn’t fully showcase the energy, virtuosity, and soulful voice that Johnny Winter is capable of delivering._
