There’s a long list of ways in which John Dawson Winter III—Johnny to you—has challenged the conventional wisdom of the record-buying public. Skinny, snowy white albinos were not known for being blues-guitar gods in the late ’60s when he emerged from his native Texas to shock the world. But what’s perhaps most gratifying about Johnny is his refusal to sell out. In fact, as disco approached in the late ’70s and his record sales dried up, Winter became more, not less, rootsy. He may have titled an early album The
Progressive Blues Experiment, but despite the billing, the blues have always come first for Johnny Winter.
Fuel 2000 continues its impressive list of recent blues reissues and comps with Lone Star Shootout, a collection of “several performances in Houston and Austin” that captures the craziest Winter brother at his absolute peak, melding blues and blues-based rock forms with just the slightest jazz and prog-rock embroidery. His guitar playing is, simply, without peer: he may indeed be the finest blues axe slinger of the immediate post-Hendrix period. But we can’t pin anything down for sure, and that’s because Fuel 2000 hasn’t put any identifying data with these tracks at all. Winter assembled and disassembled bands about as often as you edge your yard, which leaves us all scratching our heads as to the date and personnel listing on these performances. (My best guess: This is the 1978 band heard on the studio album White, Hot, and Blue, minus brother Edgar.) It’s certain, however, that Jimmy Reed guests on vocals during his “Big Boss Man,” and that Willie Dixon himself sits in on his own “Spoonful.”
The sound quality on these rare performances is of varying quality, as the liner notes readily admit. But that doesn’t detract from glories like the apocalyptic chord changes Winter works in to his epic version of Memphis Slim’s “Mother Earth” or the Hendrix-at-Monterey detailing Johnny gives to the Stones’ warhorse “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” And following the guitarist backstage to capture the last song, an original entitled “Low Down Gal Of Mine,” is a wonderful grace note. Fuel 2000 may need to pay a little more attention to the packaging, but the content itself is astounding.
