Johnny Winter returns to major-label distribution for the first time in eight years with The Winter of '88, released by Voyager Records via MCA.
This is a project produced and engineered by Terry Manning, who also contributed some keyboards, and Manning's intent seems to have been to move Winter in a more commercial direction, specifically toward the synth-enhanced boogie of ZZ Top.
That effect is particularly notable on the lead-off track, "Close to Me," and on "Show Me"; otherwise, Manning is more subtle.
Still, after three straight blues albums for the independent Alligator Records label, Winter had established a pure blues pedigree, and a move back toward the mainstream may not sit well with his more purist fans.
It isn't really that overt, for the most part, but this is clearly a more highly produced, more commercially intended record than any Winter has made since he left the CBS Records subsidiary Blue Sky after Raisin' Cain in 1980.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Close to Me | Johnny Winter | Play | 04:35 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 2 | Rain | Johnny Winter | Play | 05:31 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 3 | Stranger BluesElmore James, Clarence Lewis, Bob Robinson | Johnny Winter | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 4 | Ain't That Just Like a WomanClaude Demetrius, Fleecie Moore | Johnny Winter | Play | 03:00 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | World of ContradictionsJohnny Winter | Johnny Winter | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 6 | Lightning | Johnny Winter | Play | 05:43 | 13 MB | 34 MB |
| 7 | Looking for TroubleTom Larsen | Johnny Winter | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 8 | Show Me | Johnny Winter | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 9 | Anything for Your LoveJerry Lynn Williams | Johnny Winter | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | Mother Earth | Johnny Winter | Play | 05:51 | 13 MB | 32 MB |
| 11 | It'll Be MeJack Clement | Johnny Winter | Play | 02:30 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 48 mins | 111 MB | |||||
| 48 mins | 288 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Clement | Composer |
| 2 | Claude Demetrius | Composer |
| 3 | Elmore James | Composer |
| 4 | Tom Larsen | Composer |
| 5 | Clarence Lewis | Composer |
| 6 | Carol Manning | Composer |
| 7 | Terry Manning | Composer, Producer |
| 8 | Fleecie Moore | Composer |
| 9 | Bob Robinson | Composer |
| 10 | Jerry Lynn Williams | Composer |
| 11 | Johnny Winter | Composer, Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |