For those readers too young to remember, the first US Festival took place over Labor Day weekend in September 1982. Held in San Bernardino, California the event was sponsored by Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, with the music end of things handled by veteran promoter Bill Graham. Ever the visionary, Wozniak felt that if the 1970s was the “Me Generation” then the decade of the 1980s could be the “US Generation,” and the festival was conceived to combine music and technology and to encourage people to be more community-oriented.
Wozniak paid for the bulldozing and construction of a state-of-the-art venue for the event, which was held during some terribly hot weather and resulted in a loss of around $12 million. Graham lined up some heavy hitters for the festival, and the diverse group of artists performing included punks and new wavers like the Ramones, the Cars, the Talking Heads, and the Police as well as classic rockers like the Kinks, Santana, Fleetwood Mac, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
A second US Festival was held over the Memorial Day weekend in May 1983, with promoter Barry Fey taking the reins and Wozniak again paying the bills. The second festival featured some repeat performers from the first, including the English Beat, Oingo Boingo, and Stevie Nicks, performing solo. The Memorial Day event eventually conceived as a three-day festival, with performers on each day slotted under “New Wave Day,” “Heavy Metal Day,” and “Rock Day” but a fourth “Country Day” was added. Performers at US2 included the Pretenders, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, U2, Van Halen, David Bowie, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings, among others.
The second festival also lost a reported $12 million but, taken together, the two events proved to be enormously influential on a generation of rock fans. The festivals have been sliced and diced and released on home video in various formats, with individual performances by Triumph, Quiet Riot, the English Beat, and Willie Nelson released. The festivals evidently had a profound effect on award-winning filmmaker and rock ‘n’ roll documentarian Glenn Aveni, who had previously made An Ox’s Tale: The John Entwistle Story. Working with co-director Jay Cedarholm and producers Bruce Gibb and Rich Schmig, Aveni has created The Us Generation: The Making of the 1982 US Festival, an in-depth look behind the scenes at the influential rock festival.
Scheduled for August 10th, 2018 release on DVD and Blu-ray disc by MVD Entertainment, The Us Generation is the authorized (by ‘Woz’) story of the 1982 festival. The film features re-mastered live performances by artists like Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, the Cars, the Police, Fleetwood Mac, the B-52s and others, and if that’s not enough to convince you to add check it out, the film also includes interview footage with Steve Wozniak, Mick Fleetwood, Eddie Money, Marky Ramone, Stewart Copeland (The Police), and Mickey Hart (The Grateful Dead), among others. The two-disc Blu-ray is going for less than $20 on Amazon so what are you waiting on – this is an essential addition to any fan’s collection of rock ‘n’ roll documentaries.
The notorious punk rock documentary D.O.A. A Rite of Passage will receive its first stateside release on December 8th, 2017 when our friends at MVD Entertainment issue the film on standard DVD and high-definition Blu-ray disc. The set includes a 12-page booklet with liner notes by John Holmstrom, founding editor of PUNK Magazine, as well as a bonus feature – Dead On Arrival: The Punk Documentary That Almost Never Was – a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the movie by award-winning filmmaker Richard Schenlman.
D.O.A. is, ostensibly, a documentary of the Sex Pistols’ 1978 tour, filmed by director Lech Kowalski with handheld cameras as the band performed dingy clubs across the South and Southwest United States. By the time of the film’s 1980 release, however, Kowalski had expanded the scope of his documentary to include footage of other contemporary punk bands like the Dead Boys, the Clash, X-Ray Spex, the Rich Kids (with former Pistols guitarist Glen Matlock), Sham 69, and Generation X (with Billy Idol), among others. The film also features interview footage with the Pistols’ Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen shortly before their deaths as well as interviews with audience members at various Pistols shows.
An essential slab of rock ‘n’ roll history, D.O.A. offers up the behind-the-scenes early history of punk rock, documenting the genre’s growing pains with footage from on and off stage, capturing the zeitgeist of the short-lived punk era on film for posterity. A number of theater screenings of D.O.A. are scheduled to promote the film; you’ll find a list of those shows below as well as a trailer for the movie.
D.O.A. A Rite of Passage film screenings:
11/29 @ FilmScene, Iowa City IA
12/01 @ Brattle Theatre, Cambridge MA
12/03 @ Brattle Theatre, Cambridge MA
12/04 @ Carolina Theater, Durham NC
12/11 @ Belcourt Theatre, Nashville TN
12/18 @ Enzian Theater, Maitland FL
01/03/2018 @ Alamo Drafthouse, Yonkers NY
01/12 @ Circle Cinema, Tulsa OK
01/12-1/14 @ Northwest Film Forum, Seattle WA
01/15 @ Alamo Drafthouse, San Francisco CA
01/15 @ Alamo Sloan's Lake, Denver CO
01/18 @ Speed Museum, Louisville KY
During the summer of 1982, rock ‘n’ roll legend Frank Zappa and band were to conclude their European tour in Palermo, Sicily – home of Zappa’s paternal family. In an interview, Zappa once remembered, “I wanted to see the town that my father was born in and I went there and I saw it and then we played the concert and the next thing you know, you have the army and the police; each with their own general telling them what to do; an audience that had brought their own guns; and they're shooting tear gas and tearing up this stadium that we were playing in. We played for an hour and a half in this riot with tear gas in our face and everything else, and when it was all over we went off the stage and we were trapped inside this place. The audience was circling around outside shooting at the police and the police were shooting back.”
Italian filmmaker and Zappa fan Salvo Cuccia had a ticket to that concert, but never made it to the show due to the rioting. Instead, Cuccia decided to make a movie commemorating the event. Thirty years after the ill-fated performance, Cuccia looks back with Summer 82 - When Zappa Came to Sicily, a documentary film that recreates the event through a combination of rare concert and backstage footage, photographs, stories from Zappa’s family, band members, and concert-goers, with Zappa biographer and friend Massimo Bassoli providing insight into the event.
Cuccia personalizes the film with his own memories of the summer of ’82, and the film includes footage of the return of the late rocker’s family – wife Gail and children Dweezil, Moon Unit, and Diva – to Sicily to meet their relatives there for the first time. On December 8th, 2017 our friends at MVD Entertainment Group will release a Blu-ray edition of Summer 82 - When Zappa Came to Sicily, and the film will also receive screenings in Los Angeles (November 5th), Philadelphia (November 17th), and Boston (November 20th). The L.A. screening will include a Q&A session with Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa and guitarist Steve Vai while the Philly and Boston screenings will include a Q&A with Dweezil. Check out the movie’s trailer, below and use the Amazon.com link to grab a copy!
Hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains were formed in 1977 by members of the Washington, D.C. based jazz-rock fusion outfit Mind Power after the bandmates became enamored of the first wave of punk rock. Fronted by charismatic, albeit troubled frontman Paul “H.R.” Hudson, the earliest incarnation of Bad Brains was comprised of guitarist Dr. Know (a/k/a Gary Miller), bassist Darryl Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson (H.R.’s brother). The band members were also followers of Rastafarian spirituality, so they mixed energetic reggae rhythms into their groundbreaking blend of punk, funk, heavy metal, and soul music.
Bad Brains would become one of the most influential bands of the decade of the 1980s, inspiring a generation of hardcore punk bands to follow as well as stylistically-diverse outfits like the Beastie Boys, Sublime, Living Colour, Fishbone, and Faith No More, among many others. On November 3rd, 2017 MVD Visual will release Finding Joseph I: The HR From Bad Brains Documentary on DVD. Representing filmmaker James Lathos’ debut movie, Finding Joseph I chronicles the turbulent life of Bad Brains frontman H.R., offering the in-depth story of the singer’s career with never before seen archival footage and exclusive interviews. Finding Joseph I provides a complex portrait of a unique artist, interviews with H.R. featuring the singer discussing his life, career, and spiritual philosophy. Exclusive interviews with Earl Hudson, Ras Michael, and Ian MacKaye (Fugazi) as well as members of Sublime, the Deftones, Fishbone, the Wailers, Living Colour, and others round out the story; the film also features original music from Miguel Happoldt (Long Beach Dub All Stars), and Aaron Owens (Hepcat). The film itself was inspired by the 2016 book Finding Joseph I: An Oral History of HR From Bad Brains, which was written by Lathos and Howie Abrams. Check out the trailer below and use the Amazon.com link to order the DVD.
Rock ‘n’ roll was still in its infancy as an art form in the late ‘50s, which led to the creation of a number of films (the predominant form of pop culture at the time) targeting the red-hot teenage market. Although today we look back in embarrassment at a lot of these movies, they helped create a youthful rock ‘n’ roll demographic that would carry the music better than five decades until the present day.
Directed by Paul Landres – who made movies like Destiny and Johnny Rocco and directed episodes of Maverick, Flipper, and other TV shows – Go Johnny Go! was released in 1959 and starred celebrity DJ Alan Freed, rocker Chuck Berry, and singers Johnny Clanton and Sandy Stewart as the romantic couple at the heart of the film. Clanton was a respected talent, part of the New Orleans music scene, working with legends like Dr. John (nee Mac Rebennack) and Allen Toussaint. Clanton’s best-known hit was 1958’s “Just A Dream,” the singer placing seven singles in the Top 40 during the 1950s and early ‘60s.
On October 17th, 2017 VCI Entertainment – the oldest surviving home video company in the USA – will reissue Go Johnny Go! on DVD, to be distributed by our friends at MVD Entertainment Group. Previously released under titles like Johnny Melody, The Swinging Story, and The Swinging Story of Johnny Melody, the film has become a cult favorite for its engaging story and rockin’ soundtrack. The film offers the only cinematic appearance of singer Ritchie Valens before his untimely death, and features Eddie Cochran’s third and final appearance on film.
Featuring a based-in-reality story of DJ Freed searching for the next rock star, the soundtrack to the 75-minute film features performances by Clanton, co-star Chuck Berry, and such luminaries as Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Jackie Wilson, Harvey Fuqua, the Cadillacs, the Flamingos, and others. Go Johnny Go! is an interesting and entertaining artifact of the early rock ‘n’ roll era.
Blackhearts is a fascinating documentary film on a seldom-covered sub-genre of heavy metal – black metal. The shaggy, unloved dog of the rock ‘n’ roll world, heavy metal gets little love from critics, but over the decades the genre has built up a dedicated following of loyal fans. Birthed in Europe during the early ‘80s by bands like England’s Venom, Sweden’s Bathory, and Denmark’s Mercyful Fate, the aggressive sound of black metal found sympathetic ears with Norwegian fans, and the northern tundra soon became home to its very own brand of influential dark-hued heavy metal.
Differing from most music documentaries, Blackhearts tells the tale of three hardcore black metal fans from three very different parts of the world – Sina, Hector, and Kaiadas. The three young men journey to Norway, the home of their fascination; the film captures the three fans’ personal stories as they risk death or imprisonment to follow their dream. Sina is the only active black metal artist in the Moslem country of Iran, which carries severe risks, while Hector…a practicing Satanist…puts together a satanic ritual to help his cause. Kaiadas represents the far-right Golden Dawn political party in the Greek Parliament and fronts black metal band Naer Mataron; he is also facing a lengthy prison term after being arrested for association with a criminal organization.
Blackhearts still features a lot of black metal, including music by bands like Burzum, Gorgoroth, Naer Mataron, Luciferian, and others. The film’s unique perspective on the music has earned it widespread critical acclaim, including the “Best International Documentary” award at the 2016 Sound On Screen Film Festival. Blackhearts will be released on DVD, digitally, and on VOD on April 11th, 2017 by our friends at MVD Entertainment. Aside from the film itself, the DVD also includes bonus material like White Metal Ministry, a short documentary on Christian black metal, and interviews with Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone and Obsidian C of Keep of Kalessin.
Legendary British blues-rock guitarist Peter Green first came to prominence as Eric Clapton’s replacement in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, a high-profile gig if there ever was one. After a short but storied tenure with Mayall’s groundbreaking outfit that included the classic 1967 album A Hard Road, the guitarist left Mayall’s employment to form Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac with bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. A far different band than that which would light up the U.S. sales charts during the ‘70s, Green’s Fleetwood Mac delivered such timeless ’60s-era albums as English Rose and Then Play On which featured Green’s bluesy, sublime fretwork.
Fleetwood Mac’s initial success messed with Green’s mind, and he left the band in 1970, lending his talents to sporadic recordings by friends before almost entirely disappearing from the world of music altogether. Green resurfaced in the early ‘90s with the Peter Green Splinter Group and has since cemented his musical legacy with a string of acclaimed albums like 1999’s Destiny Road and 2001’s Time Traders. Green’s playing has influenced a generation of guitarists, talents as diverse as Gary Moore, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, and Wishbone Ash’s Andy Powell citing Green as an inspiration. Green’s songs have been recorded by artists like Status Quo, Judas Priest, the Black Crowes, and Santana, among others, and Moore even recorded an entire album of Green songs, Blues For Greeny.
In 2009, Green was the subject of the BBC Four documentary film Peter Green: Man of the World, which was produced by Henry Hadaway. On November 18th, 2016 MVD Entertainment Group will release this film on DVD as Man of the World: The Peter Green Story. The film covers Green’s early success, his drug use and spiral into schizophrenia, and his artistic recovery and return to the recording studio and live performing. Featuring rare archive video of live and studio performances as well as still photos, Man of the World includes in-depth interviews with Green and bandmates McVie, Fleetwood, and guitarist Jeremy Spencer; producer Mike Vernon (who worked with the band on their early albums); Green’s official biographer Martin Celmins; and admirers like John Mayall, Carlos Santana, and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
An amazing talent who has yet to earn his due, Man of the World presents an in-depth look into the life and career of the incredible Peter Green.
They never broke through to a mainstream rock ‘n’ roll audience, but Southern rockers Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ have made a hell of a lot of great music since forming in Atlanta, Georgia in 1986. Led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kevn Kinney, the band has released over a dozen studio and live albums and EPs over the past 30 years – critically acclaimed discs like Fly Me Courageous and Wrapped In Sky – earning the band a well-deserved reputation as an entertaining, electrifying live band. Projected for great things in the wake of R.E.M.’s enormous success in the 1990s, Dn’C nevertheless has remained a cult band known and appreciated only by a relative few fans.
On September 23, 2016 MVD Entertainment will release Scarred But Smarter - Life N Times of Drivin’ n’ Cryin’, a documentary film that delves into the history of the legendary Southern rock band, on DVD and digitally. Director Eric Von Haessler spent several years making the film, trying to discover why the otherwise engaging band hadn’t been more successful. The film uses album tracks and videos, never-before-seen performances, archival video, and interviews with Dn’C fans like R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Darius Rucker, Jason Isbell, David Lowery, Ed Roland, Michelle Malone, and Ty Pennington as well as band leader Kevn Kinney to tell the story of this amazing, influential band.
The MVD Entertainment release of Scarred But Smarter on DVD includes extras like new music videos and full-length live performances by the band. If you’re not already hip to Drivin’ n’ Cryin’, you owe it to yourself to check out Scarred But Smarter as an introduction to the best band that you’ve never heard.
At 1976’s opening bell, Detroit’s favorite son – Bob Seger – was just another blue-collar rocker who’d been treading the boards for better than a decade in search of the fabled brass ring of success. By the year’s end, he’d be a shooting star on his way to legend status, and all because of one little ol’ album that, if it hadn’t have sold the copies it did, might have consigned Seger to history’s teetering stack o’ cult rock obscurities.
Released in the spring of ’76, ‘Live’ Bullet captured Seger and his road-tested band’s electrifying stage show in front of a frenzied hometown crowd at Detroit’s Cobo Hall on wax. The double-LP set earned the singer his first Top 40 album, ‘Live’ Bullet eventually certified as five-times Platinum™. Seger ended the year with a studio album, Night Moves providing a fine bookend to an explosive year, the album cementing his success with a Top Ten showing, three hit singles (including the title track’s #4 chart showing), and over six million copies sold.
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band’s Radio Chicago 1976
Even as stardom loomed over the horizon, Seger’s popularity was entirely regional, his hard-charging rock ‘n’ roll style – peppered with soul and blues and former Third Power guitarist Drew Abbott’s underrated, impressive fretwork – was perfectly suited to his fans’ Rust Belt mentality. Even while he was beginning to break through to mainstream audiences, the dichotomy of his appeal was obvious to band and critical observers alike. In June 1976, Seger played to a sold-out crowd of nearly 80,000 fans at the Pontiac Superdome outside of Detroit; the next night, Seger and the Silver Bullet Band performed for a few hundred fans at the B’Ginnings club in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois.
The show was originally broadcast live on WXRT-FM radio in Chicago, and has recently been released for the first time on compact disc as Radio Chicago 1976 for long-suffering Seger fans. Although released underground as a vinyl bootleg incorrectly titled as Live In Montreal 1978, this proper CD release features a superb live recording of the band kicking out the jams with a performance as vital and exciting as the previous night’s party at the Silverdome. Offering up twelve songs (“Lookin’ Back” and “Mary Lou,” split by a DJ announcement, are two separate performances), the set list reaches back to Seger’s early career, Radio Chicago 1976 showcasing a band about to burn down the world with talent and ambition.
Radio Chicago 1976 opens, seemingly with the concert already underway, the band cranking out a raw-boned performance of “Bo Diddley/Who Do You Love?” from Seger’s excellent 1972 Smokin’ O.P.’s album. With Drew Abbott’s stinging guitar licks and Robyn Robins’ fleet-fingered keyboard runs leading the way, the band establishes a raucous foundation for the remainder of the show. Chris Campbell’s funky bass solo, embellished by Robins’ keys, keeps the party rolling for nearly eight minutes. Seger’s originals “Travelin’ Man” and “Beautiful Loser” hail from his fan favorite 1975 LP Beautiful Loser, which flirted with Top 40 status upon its release. The former song is a rollicking, mid-tempo “rocker’s life on the road” style song that features Abbott’s wiry guitar and some fine percussion from drummer Charlie Martin while the latter is a rockin’ ballad fueled by Robins’ chiming keyboards, with Seger’s earnest vocals augmented by Abbott’s sly, nuanced guitarplay.
Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
The blazing “Katmandu” is, hands down, one of Seger’s most all-time popular tunes, delivered here as a rapid-paced, soul-flavored rocker that features the singer’s vocal gymnastics, Abbott’s Chuck Berry-styled git-pickin’, and Alto Reed’s raging saxophone dancing atop a pile-driving rhythmic groove. The R&B standard “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” offers up some of Abbott’s tastiest Southern-fried fretwork with Seger acquitting himself nicely as a soul shouter while “Lookin’ Back,” released only as a single, revisits the late ‘60s incarnation of the Bob Seger System, the gospel-tinged performance featuring reverent vocal harmonies and Robins’ inspired keyboard riffs. A cover of the Ronnie Hawkins’ ‘50s-era jam “Mary Lou” would become a favorite track from Night Moves; performed here, the song is provided a wired, imaginative arrangement that pivots on Abbott’s distorted rattletrap guitar and a swinging, ramshackle rhythmic backdrop.
“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” was actually Seger’s first Top 20 charting single (#17) in 1968, the song breaking out nationally but doing little to improve the singer’s fortunes (the subsequent album only made it as high as #68 on the charts); during the ensuing years, it has become a bona fide classic rock treasure. With Seger’s voice accompanied by a heavy keyboard riff and a dense, fluid rhythm, the band’s backing harmonies fit hand in glove with Seger’s livewire vox and Abbott’s buzzsaw guitar. A cover of Chuck Berry’s classic “Let It Rock” is a revved-up, redlined, runaway locomotive of a performance. Seger’s machine-gun reading of the master’s lyrics is bolstered by the band’s well-oiled, turbo-charged instrumentation, led by Robins’ tortured keyboards, Abbott’s gritty guitar, and Reed’s soaring saxophone. The extended jam given the song provides an excuse for Seger to get the audience involved in the performance.
Seger’s “Rosalie” is an underrated gem in the singer/songwriter’s back catalog that was originally recorded for Seger’s Back In ’72 album (which has never been reissued on CD…c’mon Bob, what are you waiting for?!). A tribute to Windsor, Ontario’s CKLW-AM music director Rosalie Trombley, an early Seger supporter, the song would later be nicely covered by U.K. rockers Thin Lizzy. This night in the Chicago suburbs, “Rosalie” is provided a raucous performance with gang vocals, rattling fretwork, high-flying keyboards, and explosive percussion. Just for the hell of it, the band covers Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Seger introducing the song with a lengthy spiel that unrolls above Abbott’s John Lee Hooker-inspired booger-rock guitar licks. While Seger doesn’t possess the high register of Zep’s Robert Plant, his more soulful vocals are assisted by Abbott’s amazing guitar playing while the band rocks the house with reckless abandon. Radio Chicago 1976 closes with the wicked rocker “Lucifer,” from Seger’s 1970s album Mongrel. Featuring one of Seger’s best leather-lunged vocal performances, the band evinces a complex, slightly-funky groove with Abbott’s roaring fretwork at the forefront.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
Radio Chicago 1976 is an unexpected, early Christmas present for Bob Seger fans. Hailing from the period that the hardcore faithful consider the Motor City legend’s best era (1972 through 1979), this performance captures Seger and the talented Silver Bullet Band near the peak of their abilities, stalking the stage each night like the hungry predators they were. Better yet, the twelve tracks on Radio Chicago 1976 only duplicate seven songs from ‘Live’ Bullet, with “Rosalie” and “Lucifer” both live rarities and the Zep cover never repeated on tape to my knowledge. Sound quality here is very good, with only slight echo and distortion, the CD faithfully replicating the sound of the band’s incredible performance. Got it? Get it! Grade: A+ (All Access/MVD Audio, released July 8, 2016)
The reputation of beloved blues-rock guitarist Johnny Winter has only grown since his death in July 2014. Perhaps the most-bootlegged of blues artists (the classic bluesmen enjoyed the prime of their careers years before taping became prevalent), everything from Winter’s earliest demo recordings to an abundance of live performances has found its way to fans, traders, and collectors, authorized or no.
Winter’s legit back catalog is nothing to sneeze at – a dozen and a half studio LPs, another ten or so live discs, and then there’s the dozen Live Bootleg Series albums the guitarist compiled for Friday Music – over 40 albums featuring the legendary bluesman. Include an equal number of obscure releases of ill repute, and there’s certainly a wealth of Winter available for young blues fans to discover.
Johnny Winter & Dr. John’s Live In Sweden 1987
Toss Live In Sweden 1987 on top of the teetering stack o’ Winter wax, not only because it’s historically important, but because it’s just a hell of a lot of fun! Documenting a performance on Swedish television with his ol’ buddy Dr. John (a/k/a Mac Rebennack), Live In Sweden 1987 features Winter fronting a classic power trio comprised of bassist Jon Paris and drummer Tom Compton, the line-up that would subsequently record The Winter of ’88 for MCA Records. The performance is relevant as it showcases Winter in-between contracts, having just left Alligator Records, for whom he recorded a trio of acclaimed and dynamic albums, and before he returned to the majors (albeit briefly...).
Winter comes roaring out of the gate like a prize thoroughbred with “Sound The Bell,” from his middle Alligator release, 1985’s Serious Business. Mangling his fretboard like nobody’s business, Winter chomps up the track at a fast pace as his rhythm section tries to keep up, his wiry solos coiled like concertina wire as he turns a three-minute romp into a seven-plus minute manic jam. Things cool off a bit for “Don’t Take Advantage Of Me,” a funky rocker taken from 1984’s Guitar Slinger album. Atop a heavy fatback groove, Winter lays down some wicked licks while Paris nicks a classic bass riff from Cream’s Jack Bruce to play with, and Compton just beats the tar out of his kit, crashing and banging through the performance.
Love Life & Money
Winter digs into his blues songbook for a raucous cover of the legendary J.B. Lenoir’s “Mojo Boogie,” from 1986’s Third Degree. Winter’s fiery playing cleverly mixes Lenoir’s Chicago-style boogie-woogie groove with a little Texas roadhouse flavor while Paris hits a high note with his Little Walter-inspired harpwork. Dr. John jumps into the fray with his classic “You Lie To Much,” a slice of New Orleans blues with Rebennack’s rollicking pianoplay contrasting with Winter’s scorching guitar licks as the rhythm section establishes a boogie-flavored, Professor Longhair-approved swinging groove. Dr. John’s take on Muddy Water’s “Sugar Sweet” is a rolling, rocking tune with plenty o’ Winter’s greasy slide guitar, Rebennack’s jaunty piano-pounding, raging harpwork by Paris, and a steady, stomping beat from Compton.
The Willie Dixon-penned gem “Love Life & Money,” from Third Degree, is a bluesy duet between Winter and Dr. John, the two swapping off gruff, groaning vocals on a lyrical tale of woe, the song’s noisy instrumentation punctuated by Winter’s mourning guitar playing and Rebennack’s tearful, honky-tonk keys. Winter closes out the show with his traditional performance of the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” a song tailor-made for Winter’s trademark style of guitar raunch. Winter and the gang don’t disappoint, ripping through the riff-heavy tune like a pride of hungry lions, with cascading rhythms, screaming guitar, and tidal waves of piano accompanying Winter’s best growling, Howlin’ Wolf vocals.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
Running a mere seven songs and around an hour in length, Live In Sweden 1987 will leave the listener satisfied, but wanting much more. Winter’s performance throughout the album is stunning, his guitar solos sharp and joyful – his high-flying romp during “Love Life & Money” is particularly moving, full of emotion and imagination. Dr. John’s contributions to the show can’t be understated, his immense talents and particular style of jazz-flecked Cajun blues offering a fine counterpoint to Winter’s soulful, Texas-bred strain of the music.
Performance aside, Live In Sweden 1987 is important for Johnny Winter fans because there’s just not a lot of late ‘80s era live Winter recordings available. Aside from an antique VHS videotape, I couldn’t find any previous release of this material, either semi-legit or bootleg, which means that the good folks at MVD Audio have rescued a true JW treasure from obscurity. Better yet, the performance has been released on CD, DVD, and vinyl, covering all the bases for the rapid faithful. On any given night, Winter could be the best bluesman on the planet, and Live In Sweden 1987 captures an electrifying night that explains what all the hype surrounding Winter was about to begin with. Grade: A- (MVD Audio, released April 22, 2016)
Alligator Records has arguably done more to advance the cause of the blues than any other company. Formed in 1971 by blues fan Bruce Iglauer, who was working as a shipping clerk for the legendary Delmark Records label at the time, the first album released by Alligator Records was the debut by Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers. Alligator subsequently released ground-breaking and career-making albums by legends like Koko Taylor, Albert Collins, Lonnie Brooks, Son Seals, and others throughout the 1970s and ‘80s. More recently, Alligator has discovered and developed young blues talents like Selwyn Birchwood, Jarekus Singleton, and Michael “Iron Man” Burks.
Originally released in 1992, Pride and Joy: The Story of Alligator Records is part documentary and part concert film. Pride and Joy was created by respected filmmaker Robert Mugge, who collaborated with music writer Robert Palmer the year before on the influential and essential documentary Deep Blues, which introduced fans to talented artists like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. The film offers musical highlights from one of the four-hour-plus concerts along the Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Tour, including performances by Lonnie Brooks, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Koko Taylor, Elvin Bishop, and others. The film also includes profiles of key performers and label staff members as well as a look behind the scene at Alligator’s Chicago offices.
On April 22nd, 2016 MVD Entertainment Group will release Pride and Joy: The Story of Alligator Records on Blu-ray DVD for the first time. The movie has been newly transferred to HD from the original 16mm film and stereo audio masters and carefully restored by the director Mugge. Also included on the Blu-ray are ten bonus songs taken from Alligator’s original 1992 tour and soundtrack CD, as well as Mugge’s new ‘making of’ video, Alligator Tales. Altogether, Pride and Joy provides an in-depth look at one of longest-running independent labels in America and the artists who contributed to Alligator’s success and legacy.
