Johnny Winter - Live Bootleg Series Vol. 5 (2009)

Johnny Winter's fifth installment of his bootleg series brings together a host of his best cuts from the late seventies and into the eighties. With poor liner notes, it is hard to place when Live Bootleg Series Volume 5 was recorded or even if the recording is from one concert. The inclusion of "Third Degree" suggests at least the 1986 Third Degree time frame, but "New York New York" suggests the 1980 release of Raisin' Cain. Whatever the case may be, it is probably safe to say the tracks were all recorded sometime during the eighties, the decade which saw Johnny in peak guitar form, playing for large audiences, and nursing a drug addiction that would bring about his decline a decade later. The time frame and song selection are nearly ideal which is why Bootleg 5 has a lot to offer Winter fans.
I have heard Johnny saw in recent years that throughout his career, he hated playing with musicians that were not excellent. Bootleg 5 features the two best musicians to play routinely with Winter: Jon Paris on bass and Tom Compton on drums. This being a live show, both men are able to stretch their musical talents that are somewhat constrained on Winter's studio albums. Paris is a bass beast and the fact that he plays a mean blues harp while playing bass is incredible and Compton wails on the drums. The recording itself suffers from weak sound quality as listeners are graced with a light buzz sound that sticks throughout the album. A few of the other bootleg albums also suffer from this. Despite this, Winter is a performer. His albums are often spectacular but it is his live performances that showcase his full power. I have found few musicians that are better live then they are in the engineer enhanced studio. Winter is such a musician and he does not disappoint. Even the introduction, where Winter says "damn it's nice to be back here again" (Beaumont, TX???) and then launches into a finger warm-up session is entertaining. Only "Third Degree" mars Bootleg 5. I don't know if he was not well for this particular performance, but his guitar playing sounds labored throughout the track.
"Talk is Cheap" is strongest track featuring wonderful harp playing by Paris to back a full-throttle Winter on guitar. Solos are abundant and long. The inclusion of the 'bonus track,' "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo," is a nice throwback to his rock and roll days (that he has said he wants to leave in the past), and "You Keep Sayin' That You're Leaving" is a long, smokey-bar blues number that showcases just how effective Winter was as a blues musician in the eighties. Not the best bootleg series that he has produced, but it is strong and well worth the time and money for any Winter fan.~rateyourmusic

Track listing
01. Introduction (2:21)
02. Third Degree (13:44)
03. Talk Is Cheap (6:20)
04. You're Humbuggin' Me (5:56)
05. Light's Out (3:59)
06. You Keep Sayin' That You're Leaving (7:18)
07. New York New York (9:54)
08. Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo (Bonus Track) (5:06)



Thx to Houitsilopochtli