Johnny Winter - Live Through The 70s [2008] [DVD]

This captures some truly amazing footage of JW in his prime. Blues fans will really enjoy his very casual but amazing version of Key To The Highway (with his famous Firebird). Be Careful With A Fool is as good as you'd expect and more. Truly stunning blues guitar up there with Hendrix, Clapton, Allman, Green and co.

Mean Town Blues is great except for some crazy bit in the middle where the tv station showing it switches over to a presenter while JW is playing. Quite funny actually. JW probably ran over his alotted time on the show. They go back to him in full flow and we get to see him finish one of his great originals (it was a time when tv producers still had some soul). Be ready for the sudden loss of cabin pressure when that tv presenter interrupts the performance:)

The Rock n Roll hoochie coo stuff is well performed if you're into that side of JW. Personally, I detest this part of his career. Bad habits, bad management and the temporary disappearance of great artistic vision from his soul. Thank the Lord he found his way back home to the blues by becoming Muddy Waters's producer. I guess we can all get lost some times. Just shows us Johnny was human after all. Ain't no shame in that. We've all had our moments. Thankfully this is only a small portion of the dvd.

The inclusion of the hard rock, more commercial style tracks on this disc is why it only gets 4 stars. Johnny Winter is a true bluesman not a Gene Simmons wannabe! You can blame his former manager, Steve Paul, for the poor musical choices made during JW's "Rock" period (ultimately JW is to blame for those choices but it should be noted he was out of his brain on heroin when they were made - and his manager knew this too well).

If you're a blues guitarist, blues fan or a Johnny Winter fan just buy this dvd. 5 star blues once you skip the hard rock stuff.

Reason I'm giving this DVD such a high rating is because both the picture and sound quality are pristine. Total of fourteen foot-stomping blues rockers as only Johhny Winter is able to play them. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the three song performance from the 1970 Danish Teen Club show of "Frankenstein", the bluesy "Be Careful Of The Floor" and "Drop The Bomb" plus the three song live concert (looks like maybe a 16mm film) snippet from the Royal Albert Hall with brother Edgar on sax. I, for one had no idea they toured together in 1970. Other must-see footage here include his appearance on the Don Kirshner's Rock Concert 1973 gig of "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo" and "Stone Country" - actually remember seeing this show when I was in junior high and the 1974 Soundstage taping, of a song written by Muddy Waters - the toe-tapping "Walking Through The Park". Simply, a must-have for all true Johnny Winter fans.

pleased with purchase arrived very promptly nice to see one of the alltime greats some rare footage picture quality was abit poor but otherwise no probs best regards kjones