Albert Collins

Have you ever wondered what the attraction was that people had to the blues? I mean, come on, it’s just some retro boomer bong hit that your parents and grandparents went "whoo, yeah” and shook their asses to, right? Well, be prepared to have your shoegazing emo ass kicked by one of the greatest exponents of blood and fire, no bullshit, music making in history: the late Albert Collins. This beautifully produced DVD features a full concert performance from the Montreux Jazz festival of ’92 and a few choice cuts from ’79. The juxtaposition of a slick, clean ’90s show and a distortion drenched, James Brown-inflected ’70s throwdown is itself worth the price. Collins’ passion and love of performance are unbridled, his guitar lines slice the air like iced razors, the backing bands burn and the audience goes crazy, especially when Collins wanders deep into their midst, still playing like a man possessed. And you’d never even guess that the man was dying from cancer, which would take him the very next year. I can’t recommend this DVD highly enough.