One of the great tragedies in blues and rock history is that Albert Collins, the famed “Master of the Telecaster,” whose wry songwriting and biting guitar attack inspired a legion of rock players in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, died just as his career was hitting its stride. Though he had been performing and recording since the late 50s, Collins’ commercial success didn’t start clicking until nearly 30 years later, and just as he was starting to reap the rewards of three decades worth of work, he succumbed to liver cancer in 1993 at the age of 61. For fans of the blues legend, it comes as a pleasant surprise that the German label Inakustik should be releasing In Concert, a DVD of Collins’ 1985 appearance on the German music show Ohne Filter. A chance to see the “Iceman” in his prime seems too good to be true. In spite of a rather rough presentation, it manages to avoid living up to this billing.
Continue reading ‘Albert Collins and the Icebreakers: In Concert’
