''Nothin' but the Blues'' is a 1977 album by

Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...

. The album has the following dedication: "I'd like to dedicate this album to all the people who enjoy my kind of blues and especially to

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago ...

for giving me the inspiration to do it and for giving the world a lifetime of great blues." - Johnny Winter. On this album Winter moved away from the rock and blues blend of previous albums to a more blues-oriented album. It also saw a marked change in source of material, being almost exclusively written by Winter with no cover versions other than one by

with whom Winter had recently collaborated and who featured on the album along with his band.

Critical reception

On ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

'', William Ruhlmann said, "After a long period making rock records, Winter fronts the Muddy Waters band on the aptly titled ''Nothin' but the Blues''.... Winter sounds happier than ever before on this

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of the first half of the twentieth cent ...

workout." ''Parallel Forces'' wrote, "Released in the wake of [the

album] ''Hard Again'', ''Nothin' but the Blues'' has the distinction of being recorded with the same musicians. These two albums mark the return to grace of [Johnny Winter] in the world of blues that he had somewhat neglected in previous years, devoted more to rock."

Track listing

All songs written by Johnny Winter, except "Walkin' thru the Park" by

. #"Tired of Tryin'" - 3:40 #"TV Mama" - 3:11 #"Sweet Love and Evil Women" - 2:50 #"Everybody's Blues" - 5:03 #"Drinkin' Blues" - 3:40 #"Mad Blues" - 4:17 #"It Was Rainin'" - 5:53 #"Bladie Mae" - 3:30 #"Walkin' thru the Park" - 4:07

Personnel

– vocals, electric guitar, metal body acoustic guitar, slide guitar, bass guitar, drums *

– vocals *

James Cotton James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career. ...

– harmonica *

Pinetop Perkins Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Life ...

– piano *

Bob Margolin Bob Margolin (born May 9, 1949) is an American electric blues guitarist. His nickname is Steady Rollin'. Biography Margolin started playing guitar in 1964, and his first appearance on record was with Boston psychedelic band The Freeborne, and t ...

– electric guitar * Charles Calmese – electric bass *

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith Willie Lee "Big Eyes" Smith (January 19, 1936 – September 16, 2011) was an American electric blues vocalist, harmonica player, and drummer. He was best known for several stints with the Muddy Waters band beginning in the early 1960s. Biograp ...

– drums

References

{{Authority control 1977 albums Johnny Winter albums Albums produced by Johnny Winter Blue Sky Records albums