Nothing can beat this live!
Miss Kitty | Wilmington, DE USA | 02/02/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What can I say about this live album besides great? It is just awesome! I found this album at the borders, and I was thinking it was a bootleg, and it seems not... whatever... anyway, if you like Johnny, you can't miss it! Again, this is such a great live from the late 60s when Johnny was at his peak! I've never listened to such a great version of "Mother Earth" "Mean Town Blues" and "Mean Mistreater." I also love this live albums, but this is as great, if not, greater than the rest of his live albums! You won't be sorry to take my review, satisfaction is 120% guaranteed! ;) http://communities.msn.com/60s70sRocknRollCommunity"
Disappointing
Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 03/13/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This live album should have been really great, especially for fans who prefer Johnny Winter's bluesiest material. The track list is pure blues, from Robert Johnson to Memphis Slim, and there are some fine moments here, but "The Best Of...Live" ultimately winds up being a disappointment.
The sound is mediocre at best, and there is no seperation of the instruments. The drums, especially on some of the older tracks, sound like somebody is hitting a plastic bucket. And while Johnny Winter's slide playing on the ten-minute "Come On In My Kitchen" is really good, his extended soloing on the twelve-minute "Mean Mistreater" is repetitive and, well, boring.
"Somethin' Goin' On Wrong" is sort of a "Dust My Broom"-cover with lyrics from other early blues songs thrown in. It's okay, but it could have been a lot better with a tighter arrangement. Memphis Slim's classic "Mother Earth" doesn't work tremendously well is this slow and not particularly melodic arrangement, but Winter's playing is pretty good. "Messin' With The Kid" is too good to ruin, and a rough rendition of Winter's own "Black Cat Bone" is nice, except for the lousy sound.
The sound on "Mean Town Blues" is even worse; Johnny Winter's voice sounds "fuzzy", like a old, scratchy LP, and is way too low in the mix. Too bad, because the song itself is okay.
"The Best Of Johnny Winter...Live" has its moments, particularly "Come On In My Kitchen", but it is mostly for Johnny Winter-fanatics who will probably want to hear these performances in spite of the sound, which goes from "so-so" (the first two tracks from 1978) to "unacceptable" (the last three from 1968).
They aren't exceptional enough for casual fans to sit through, however.
2 1/2 stars."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1