Search - Live Through the 70's on DVD

The first great Johnny Winter DVD is a must-have

Michael | Hamburg, Germany | 05/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At last some great video of Johnny has come out, I don't know where they found all this stuff, but it is a quantum leap in quality from what has previously been available. Here's a brief synopsis:



The opening three tracks from Danish TV (1970) surprise especially by the bright, sharp video. You can even see the zits on Edgar's face. Good stuff, especially 'Be Careful With A Fool', although the best is still to come.



Next we break into part of an informal interview from 1970, someone says its 4 in the morning, joints are going round and both interviewer and interviewee, plus band and hangers-on, seem pretty wasted. After a few minutes, we go back to the music, but we'll be returning to this free-form interview a few more times on the DVD.



The roughest quality film comes next with the 3 Royal Albert Hall songs, starting with Johnny B Goode. Both film and sound are of a lower quality than the rest of the DVD, but seeing as there's space on the DVD for it, I'd rather it be included than not. However, the music itself is great.



We rejoin the previous interview scene next. In a long stoned rap that Johnny just manages to hold together, he says he believes he is able to levitate if he puts his mind to it, by tuning into the gravitational force on another planet. A great jam follows with just Randy Hobbs on bass, and Johnny pulls off an amazing impromptu version of 'Key To The Highway', without drums or rhythm of any sort other than Randy's basslines. Johnny seems so out of it, but it certainly doesn't affect his playing, which is crisp and tight.



Next we have a single clip of 'Mean Town Blues' from Germany in 1970, one of the highlights for me with some fantastic slide playing. Incredible track.



We return again to the previous interview scene, where there's a criticism of contemporary rock (1970), Johnny complaining that it's become too unstructured. Johnny says he and his band never rehearse, and try new things every night.



We jump now to 1973, but it looks like Johnny's aged 40 years. However, we soon realise that it's just his longish albino beard that makes him look like Willie Nelson from a distance, plus his black leather top hat. Glam has affected their stage clothes, but thankfully not the music, which is as great and sharp as ever. Johnny shows amazing dexterity in moving around in his massive platform shoes.



An interesting version of Muddy Waters' 'Walking Through The Park' from the Blues Summit in Chicago in 1974 follows, which features Michael Bloomfield, Buddy Miles and Dr John, amongst others. Sadly, little if any of Bloomfield's playing is audible.



We return again to the previous scene, where Johnny surprises all by telling the assembled group, stoned out of their minds, that people shouldn't let their lives revolve around dope. They've got to have something to live for. In true 'Do what I say, not what I do' fashion, Johnny insists on moderation(!), assumingly in their drug-taking.



We return next to Germany in 1974 for a great 'Boney Maroney'. The audio is a little muddy in comparison to other tracks, but still good enough to enjoy some great playing. Weirdly, for 30 seconds we break to a German pop presenter who explains in German that callers can only choose to see videos which are on a previously given playlist, as they were getting callers asking for the Beatles and the Stones, and others not on the list.



Finally, we jump to Essen's Rockpalast in 1979. An older maturer Winter is playing in a leather cap, and although by this point his liver must have already processed vast amounts of toxins, this doesn't seem to have affected his playing. 'Walkin' By Myself', 'Mississippi Blues' and 'Susie Q' round off one of the greatest classic rock DVDs I've seen in years.



(I saw Johnny last year in Berlin, and feared the worst when he had to be helped by two people onto his stool centre stage (he doesn't play standing anymore, and his back is a bit arched). He was pretty immobile throughout, but the moment he starts playing you realise that you've underestimated the man - he can still play, even if only at three-quarters strength. A true living legend, he still wowed the crowd despite his lack of audience interaction.)"