Johnny Winter- Step Back (ALBUM REVIEW)

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Based on its selection of elemental blues and rock material, Johnny Winter’s Step Back is a logical extension of his previous record, the more literally conceived and executed Roots. The late Texan’s final studio album lives up to the broad perspective at which its title hints with diverse arrangements that illustrate his versatility.

Step Back also offers a litany of guests, not the least of whom is Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, which serves as ample marketing fodder, but more importantly reaffirms the high level of inspiration Winter himself generates as he pays further homage to seminal influences that shaped his career. The baker’s dozen tracks begins in rousing fashion with the horn-laden “Unchain My Heart,” during which Winter and his regular accompanists—Scott Spray on bass, Tommy Curiale on drums, and Paul Nelson on guitar— mix with Hammond B3 organ, trumpet, trombone and sax plus background singers. A similar arrangement in which Dr. John appears on vocals and piano, bookends the album, investing as much logic in the track sequencing as the home stretch placement of the Winter solo track “Death Letter.”

Here the Texan-born albino not only reminds his skill on acoustic instruments (here a National steel) equaled that on electric, but also that, while he was not gifted with a great voice, his has deepened with age so that his singing on this record sounds naturally emotive, especially on this Son House tune where his phrasing is so insinuating. Sounding every bit as comfortable (but not too much so) as he did with blues harp master Charlie Musselwhite, Ben Harper appears to sing and play slide on “Can’t Hold Out (Talk to Me Baby),” his role purely complementary with Winter’s, as is Eric Clapton’s own on guitar on “Don’t Want No Woman.” The slightly more melodious tone Slowhand proffers makes for effective contrast to the edge emanating from Winter’s instrument.

As cleverly designed as it is handsome, the packaging of Step Back includes all the necessary credits of the musicians’ contributions on each track, and this attention to detail extends to the Paul Nelson production where the sound, as clear as it is, nevertheless maintains an earthy sheen. And as familiar as are some of the song choices, such as “Killing Floor” and “Long Tall Sally,” there’s no denying the lively interaction among the players: Frank “KingBee” Latorre sounds as inspired on his harp on the former as Leslie West does with his electric guitar on the latter.
Along those same lines, “Who Do You Love” never descends into rote recitation, but rather takes a noticeably self-referential turn as the lyrics unfold prior to the smoldering rideout Winter offers as the track fades. “Okie Dokie Stomp” turns absolutely uproarious with the entry of the Blues Brothers Horns again, their appearance set up largely through the guitar work of Stray Cat Brian Setzer that imbues the instrumental cut with a lively spontaneity for its duration.

The molten sounds ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons adds to “Where Can You Be” illustrates the care with which such high profile collaborators, like Joe Bonamassa on the slow twelve-bar “Sweet Sixteen,” were chosen to match the material. Just as Johnny Winter’s live performances in recent years reaffirmed the legitimacy of his influence on generations of musicians, so does Step Back add final punctuation to a life-long statement of musical purpose.