"This is a great intro to Johnny Winter's brand of rocking Texas blues. It's a collection of tunes from his first several albums starting with his 1969 debut. If you like blues guitar, this is a must have. From the very first track, a rowdy cover of B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby", you'll be blown away. Johnny is right up there with Stevie Ray Vaughan among the greatest white blues guitarists."
Winter is a gem
Pete | UK | 07/27/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I honestly don't undestand why Johnny doesn't get the credit he does. I stumbled on Johnny Winter a few yeats ago, after never before hearing a song by him. It's good that he is respected as much as he is in the guitar world, but I am surprised how little known he is. It may be over-the-top saying he's as good as Hendrix, but he definetly gets close, and his sound is one of the most Hendrixian I've heard. Now as far as the cd goes, I think this is both an excellent start to Winter as well as a kind entrance into the blues. If anyone were to ask me which blues artist to listen to first, I would say Winter. I can also strongly recommend this cd to any Johnny Winter fan. Enjoy!"
The man and his music
Andrew J. Bradford | Frederick, MD United States | 09/05/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not sure whether i'm reviewing this CD or Johnnny Winter himself. It's really impossible to separate the man and his music, as this compilation is truly the guts of Texas Rock-Blues, and Johnny IS Texas Rock-Blues, period. I'm a guitarist, and i've never lost the love for the TONE that Johnny captures from his Strat. Remember that these pieces come from the late '60's, back when this sort of over-the-top playing was new to much of the listening world (although not to the ones hanging out in these genres.) This music is as powerful a listening experience today as it was then .... and that's saying ALOT, considering how many gyrations this brand of music has evolved through, over the years. ANY player today should be absolutely awed with Johnny's style and playing dynamics. The man's One-Of-A-Kind. This CD exhibits his great picking style as well as his extradinary slind-guitar work too. His slide work is absolutely second to NONE, period. Slide-playing is extremely difficult to master ... some have said that it takes a lifetime of playing to achieve mastery. You'll be thrilled listening to these tracks. Personally, i love the first several tracks, as they capture his super, signature Stratocaster tone. Anyway, the CD is definitely worth a purchase. If you want to add to your Winter and/or rock/blues collection, don't hesitate to pick this baby up. If you're a player, particularly a younger player, and want to feed a gap in your repetoire, stick this baby in your CD changer, crank-up your axe, and try to keep up with the master....and HAVE FUN doing it !"
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Johnny Winter occupies a status place at the moment to take a look inside the Rock' s immortals.
The collective memory is fragile, and tend to overlook the particular achievements of this soloist, specially at those times in which the Rock as culture experienced a notable crossover as mass phenomena. The Sixties was the most explosive and creative decade in many senses: sine the Great Festivals the Rock Bands imposed a visible breakthrough.
The Rock itself experimented a crucial crossroad in the middle Sixties: new sounds, new approaches, new expressions but above all a sensible attitude change. Vietnam's disjunctive obligated many ensembles to define themselves, many of them opted by the easiest way and turned his vigorous sound to Pop (Chicago, Grand Funk railroad), but others remained loyal to the basic principle that maintained the Rock should be irreverent and rebel.
Johnny Winter followed his bliss and decided to remain experiencing and playing according his personal code, specially in a choice decision when the Vietnam affair was over and the Rock lost its primary wildness. The Disco Music movement practically constricted the movement of Great Rock Bands in USA. But nevertheless and against all the odds, Winter, Gallagher, Buchanan, Ray Vaughan remained as silent heroes surviving in those ages of evasion and light diversion. Those notable artists knew how to distribute his discography between the Rock and Blues captivating non conformed audiences with handled sounds.
Nowadays Johnny Winter' s profile is extremely low for very known reasons. And iot would be a very good advise to this new Rock generation to take a look around one of the most heralds of the Rock `s essence who, despite his personal attitudes, a bulletproof honesty in which the Rock as culture meant and still (with very counted exceptions) keeps meaning.
Winter: the blues man, the non restricted Rock guitarist, followed his bliss and deserved the coveted pearl.
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
Ivan P. from WICHITA, KS 
