Still Alive & Well - JOHNNY WINTER****

Rock Me Baby/Can't You Feel It/Cheap Tequila/All Tore Down/Rock & Roll/Silver Train/Ain't Nothing To Me/Still Alive & Well/Too Much Seconal/Let It Bleed

Still Alive & Well from the acclaimed blues-rock guitarist Johnny Winter finds him branching out more into rock & roll territory. Always something of a cult figure he would never enjoy this level of commercial success again. (US:22)

“A monster from start to finish. Winter is ablaze with rock 'n’ roll guitars and riffs. Not a bad cut anywhere, the guitars cut and snarl, and the whole slab sounds great.”

“Introducing new elements to his well known and beloved pure blues style. The country-flavoured Ain't Nothing To Me and the west coast rock influenced Cheap Tequila demonstrated his new versatility.”

“Winter branches out a little here with west coast Eagles type rock with Cheap Tequila and straight up country on Ain't Nothing To Me. Then we get some flat out hard rock, like on the killer title track. But don't worry the blues aren't gone just give the opener or the acoustic Too Much Seconal a listen.”

“Well it's hard to go wrong with Johnny Winter, although here he strays a little too far from the blues that he's best at, and ends up doing more rock 'n' roll type stuff. Still he knows how to rock, and his guitar playing is always great to listen to. The best song here is the one that sounds the most like his old stuff, Rock Me Baby.”

“Johnny is one of the most underrated guitar players that ever picked up a six-string. While deeply rooted in the blues, he delivers some rippin' stripped-down rock and roll on this album. Production is held to a very minimum of overdubs, and it's basically Johnny with his bass player and drummer. No effects, no slick production tricks, just good old rock and roll. He's one of those rare guys that can just plug the guitar into and amp and rip it up. In addition to his masterful playing, Johnny serves up some of his patented gritty, soulful vocals.”

“On Still Alive & Well, not only does Johnny play the blues in an authentically rugged way, but he plays high energy rock ‘n' roll and hippie barstool country the same way. Blistering guitar licks and screaming vocals abound. Winter does two Rolling Stones covers, Let It Bleed and Silver Train, and they're both just as good as the originals. Too Much Seconal is down and dirty acoustic blues, with acoustic slide, mandolin, flute and lyrics from life on the wrong side.”