The leaves hadn’t fifty-fifty started turning ruddy inwards Texas inwards slowly Oct 1969 when Beaumont-born bluesman Johnny Winter released Second Winter, arguably the pinnacle of his long as well as storied career.
Technically speaking, this was the guitar great's "third Winter," if you lot accept into concern human relationship 1968's Progressive Blues Experiment, which was released past times Austin’s tiny Sonobeat Records earlier Winter signed amongst the mighty Columbia -- a label as well as then powerful, it evidently had no qualms close revising historical accounting.
Either way, the talented six-string phenom grasped this chance as well as allow loose a powerful display of fret prowess across all iii vinyl sides of Second Winter. As anyone amongst a prized original copy, or a long memory, tin give notice say you, the album was released every bit a rare three-sided set, the production of an inspired Nashville recording session that yielded every bit good much bully cloth to live pared downward into a regular two-sided LP simply non quite plenty for a four-sided double.
So, rather than short-change fans or themselves, Winter as well as his bandmates -- bassist Tommy Shannon (who subsequently joined Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble), drummer Uncle John Turner as well as keyboard-and-sax-playing lilliputian blood brother Edgar -- released the mass of the sessions as well as left side 4 blank.
Winter starts it all off past times showing off his soulful vocalisation on a encompass of Percy Mayfield’s "Memory Pain," earlier he surrenders the spotlight to Edgar’s nimble keys on the self-penned "I’m Not Sure." It wraps amongst a strangling of his Gibson Firebird’s cervix on Dennis Collins’ "The Good Love."
Side two, somewhat surprisingly, turns into an old-time ‘50s stone 'n' curlicue trip the lite fantastic toe party, every bit Winter wails his agency across classics similar "Slippin’ as well as Slidin"’ as well as "Miss Ann" (both made famous past times Little Richard), as well as Chuck Berry’s ripping "Johnny B. Goode."
But the biggest surprise was saved for last: a reinvention of Bob Dylan’s "Highway 61 Revisited" featuring a slide-guitar tour-de-force that would become downward every bit a highlight of Winter's career.
Side iii shifts the focus dorsum to Winter's songwriting, including the amusingly contradictory "I Love Everybody" (another slide-swathed standout) as well as "I Hate Everybody" (a jazz-based departure) sandwiching the tongue-in-cheek "Hustled Down inwards Texas," as well as the experimental "Fast Life Rider."
Second Winter may live the slowly Winter's masterpiece. It made it to exclusively No. 55 on the chart (both The Progressive Blues Experiment as well as 1969's self-titled debut charted higher). But he never sounded to a greater extent than assured as well as seasoned than he does here.
Johnny's minute Columbia album shows an artist inwards transition. He's even as well as then plainly a Texas bluesman, recording inwards the same trio format that he left Dallas with. But his music is moving toward the to a greater extent than stone & curlicue sounds he would become on to create. The opener, "Memory Pain," moves him into psychedelic blues-rock territory, piece old-time rockers similar "Johnny B. Goode," "Miss Ann," as well as "Slippin' as well as Slidin'" furnish him amongst familiar landscapes on which to spray his patented licks. His reworking of Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" is the high location of the record, a career-defining runway that's even as well as then a major element of his modern-day fix list. This was originally released dorsum inwards the hateful solar daytime every bit a three-sided vinyl double album, past times the way.
Track listing:
01 Memory Pain
02 I'm Not Sure
03 The Good Love
04 Slippin' as well as Slidin'
05 Miss Ann
06 Johnny B. Goode
07 Highway 61 Revisited
08 I Love Everybody
09 Hustled Down inwards Texas
10 I Hate Everybody
eleven Fast Life Rider
Personnel:
Johnny Winter - guitar, mandolin, vocals
Edgar Winter - keyboards, alto saxophone, vocals
Uncle John Turner - percussion
Tommy Shannon - bass
Dennis Collins - bass
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