Live at Montreux

Hearing Albert Collins' icy guitar sound on disc is exciting, but watching the "master of the Telecaster" burn through a typically blistering set adds a whole other level of appreciation to the experience. He was a consummate showman whose crowd-roaming with a 150-foot guitar cord -- before the advent of wireless gear -- made him as famous for his live sets as his studio ones. This generous DVD delivers a two-for-one bargain, as it features Collins' first 40-minute show at Montreux in 1979 in addition to the hourlong titular set, the latter also available as a companion audio CD. He is on fire for both shows, although perhaps moving a bit more slowly in 1992, which preceded his untimely death by just a year. As was his norm, Collins stretched songs to their breaking point on-stage, and three of the seven tunes he performed in 1992 break the ten-minute mark. But his playing was so inventive and his stage presence so rousing that nothing seems overly extended or drawn out. A two-man horn section provides brass that bolsters the dynamics and his band, featuring longtime bassist Johnny B. Gayden, is tightly rehearsed -- but this is all Collins' show. He's clearly in his element on the 11-plus-minute slow blues of "Lights Are On (But Nobody's Home)," taking his time while laying out the edgy, brittle leads that were his trademark. Collins was touring behind his 1991 Iceman album, and two tracks from that disc are included in the seven-tune set, including a rollicking 15-minute take on the funky/humorous "Put the Shoe on the Other Foot," which features Gayden's popping bass solo. The camera work on the 1992 show is typical of others in the Montreux series, i.e., smooth and professional but far from slick. It's a lot better than the 1979 performance filming that, while somewhat clunky, adequately captures the action. Both sets boast an excellent Surround Sound mix (in DTS and Dolby 5.1) and end with Collins' signature tune, "Frosty." The earlier version, all 12 minutes of it with a guest appearance from Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, is the real keeper, and perhaps the hottest playing of either concert. With nearly two hours of Collins seemingly having a ball while tearing it up in front of appreciative audiences, this is required viewing for existing fans and a perfect introduction to those unfamiliar with the great bluesman's dynamic, crowd-pleasing concerts.