Johnny Winter - Electric Blues Man (1997) [CD Rip]

These two discs are also available separately as SUICIDE WON'T SATISFY and BLACK CAT BONE, both with variations on this set's ultra-creepy prismatic death mask cover photo. The two discs themselves are far more appealing, collecting rarities and outtakes from throughout the Texas blues man's long and varied career. The 30 tracks are a mixed bag stylistically--and unfortunately, in sound quality--but they're uniformly excellent performances.

ELECTRIC BLUES MAN combines Johnny Winter originals like the rave-up "Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" and the tender though brief "My Baby," with killer renditions of blues standards like Mose Allison's "Parchman Farm" and J.B. Lenoir's "Mama Talk to Your Daughter." There are also some terrific blues obscurities like "Sloppy Drunk Blues," which sounds like it's appropriately titled. ELECTRIC BLUES MAN is such a tribute to Winter's skills, that, with the exception of a ragged-but-right Delta-style take on Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," it's nearly impossible to tell the originals from the covers. ~AMG