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Albert Collins - Live at Montreux 1992 Review

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The Master of the Telecaster kicks this performance off with the song from which he gets his other nickname: "Iceman." I never got to see Albert Collins perform, but it's hard to imagine anyone cooler, or better with the Telecaster. Michael Heatley wrote in the liner notes that Albert Collins had a 150-foot guitar cable so he could walk into the crowd. No doubt that is c-o-o-l.

This album has not only the wicked guitar licks you'd expect from the Iceman, but also some fat, funky bass lines, hot horns and awesome keyboards. In "Lights Are On (but Nobody's Home)", Albert Collins vocally mimics the sound he produces on his Telecaster. The crowd is fully responds with wild applause and whistling after the marathon version (ten-plus minutes) of this tune.

Collins slows it down with "Too Many Dirty Dishes," which features a heavy dose of Jon Smith on sax and finishes with wicked solos from both Peter Thoennes and the Iceman himself. The band brings the energy back up for "Put the Show on the Other Foot," which features some rumbling bass lines from Johnny Gayden. The album closes with a high-energy version of "Frosty," with trumpet and organ solos.

This album was recorded live at Montreux only sixteen months before Albert Collins died. I can assure you, the man showed no signs of slowing down in this performance. I doubt very sincerely that anyone in the audience felt cheated, especially since three of the songs are longer than ten minutes. I know I don't feel cheated. This is an all-out, blues to the bone performance from one of the giants.


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Albert Collins - Live at Montreux 1992
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