Lindsay Planer's As The Disc Spins Volume1 No 6

11/03/04
Reviews by - Lindsay Planer

This week the discs we're spinning are the latest entries in the luminous Legacy Edition series -- Rock classics from the late '60s, as well as a more recent, but equally legendary entry from the '90s

Santana -- Santana: Legacy Edition (Columbia/Legacy)

Santana was born out of the fertile environs of the late '60s San Francisco Bay Area. At the point that the group had secured a record deal, the sextet -- led by guitarist Carlos Santana -- had already developed a sizable following among the locals. Their debut LP became a zenith release during the summer of 1969 and was fortuitously issued days after the band had turned-on a somewhat "captive" audience of over 400,000 at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. While unmistakably rock and roll, what separated Santana from their psychedelic contemporaries was their intelligent fusion with Afro-Cuban jazz and even World Music. The combination struck a definite chord with listeners as "Evil Ways" became their earliest Top Ten hit.

This double CD package includes not only a stunning remaster of the nine-track long player, but also two very distinctive bonus sets. Chronologically, Santana?s initial studio outing dates back to January of 1969 and until recently those tapes were thought to have been lost to the ages. None of the tracks worked up during those incipient sessions have ever been available before and boast embryonic versions of "Persuasion," "Treat," "Shades Of Time," "Jingo" and the show-stopping "Soul Sacrifice". The second aggregate features Santana's entire seven-song performance at Woodstock on August 16, 1969. Though several of the selections had previously made their way onto various releases, the entire 40+ minute mini-concert is here with "Waiting," "You Just Don't Care," "Jingo" and "Persuasion" all offered up for the first time. Producer Bob Irwin deserves kudos for breathing such vibrant life into these discs, especially the original album which has never sounded as rich and alive.

Jeff Buckley -- Grace: Legacy Edition (Columbia/Legacy)

There are but a handful of debuts that define an artist or are as ostensibly perfect as the late Jeff Buckley's Grace (1994). Remarkably, it has been a decade since the collection was first released and in its honour Legacy Recordings has compiled this extraordinary three-disc package. Comprising this edition is the original platter, remastered by knob-twiddler extraordinaire George Marino. Additionally, there is a CDs worth of hard-to-find rarities cut around the time of Grace. Among the dozen selections are live readings of "Eternal Life" and a cover of the MC5's "Kick Out The Jams," not to mention a host of previously unissued demos and tunes that were used on movie soundtracks and promotion-only EPs, most notably "I Want Someone Badly," from the film First Love, Last Rites (1997), a take of Alex Chilton's "Kanga-Roo," as well as the Nag Champa mix of "Dream Brother". Rounding out the presentation is a full-length DVD, highlighted by a mini-documentary chronicling the creation of Grace with footage shot at the 1994 Bearsville Studio sessions -- some of which has never been available before. There are interviews with Buckley, his bandmates, producers and other industry insiders affected by the performer and his music. There are also MTV-style videos for the songs "Grace," "Last Goodbye," "So Real," "Forget Her" and a concert clip of "Eternal Life".

Johnny Winter -- Second Winter: Legacy Edition (Columbia/Legacy)

For many enthusiasts, guitarist Johnny Winter's second release, the three-sided (side four was quite literally blank) Second Winter has become as significant as Led Zeppelin (1968) or Cream's Wheels Of Fire (1968). Following up Winter's eponymously debut was a feat in and of itself, as the artist had presented definitive covers of R&B classics. Yet along with a core of inspired instrumentalists that included brother Edgar Winter (keyboards/alto sax), "Uncle" John Turner (percussion) and Tommy Shannon (bass), Johnny Winter unleashed an equally impressive anthology of rock 'n' roll remakes and originals. A rousing reading of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited," and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," sit next to a double-shot salute to Little Richard on "Miss Ann," and "Slipin' And Slidin'". When coupled with Winter's own "I'm Not Sure," "Hustled Down In Texas" and the extended "Fast Life Rider," it is little wonder why the title is so highly thought of. There are also a pair of previously unavailable studio outtakes on Disc One, most notably "Early In The Morning" and "Tell The Truth".

The contents of Disc Two may well be considered a holy grail of sorts. Parties interested in hearing a full-length vintage concert by the Johnny Winter Band are in for a real treat as they take the stage of the Royal Albert Hall in London for over 70 minutes of simply brilliant and thoroughly incendiary rhythm, rock and blues. The sound quality is jaw-dropping in its crispness, as it if had been recorded in the year 2000, instead of thirty years earlier during Winters 1970 European excursion. Not to be missed are the 11+ minute respective renditions of "Tobacco Road," "It's My Own Fault" and Winter's "Mean Town Blues". Plus a show-stopping "Frankenstein," the same song that would become a hit three years later for the Edgar Winter Group. By all accounts, Second Winter: Legacy Edition is nothing short of an essential entry into the collection of every fan. Period.