Always ahead of his time, groundbreaking guitarist Johnny "Guitar" Watson pushed his instrument to the limit by incorporating feedback into his sound in a way no one had done before. Watson's futuristic guitar style would not be emulated until nearly 15 years down the road by acts of the progressive rock genre. Watson's revolutionary approach to the instrument even influenced later musicians such as Frank Zappa (who would include Watson on his popular 1975 album ONE SIZE FITS ALL). Filmed on July 2nd, 1990, this episode of OHNE FILTER features Watson performing many of his most experimental songs, including: "Strike On Computers," "Superman Lover," "I Wanna Ta Ta You Baby," and several others. In addition, JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON IN CONCERT also contains a special, extended version of "Gangster Of Love."
3 stars out 4 -- "Watson combines a blaxploitation styled Superfly machismo with a seedy glamour and down-home grittiness..."
Johnny "Guitar" Watson was an innovative and trend-setting guitarist. He experimented with feedback and other techniques long before the guitar heroes of progressive rock began playing with electrically amplified sounds in a similar manner. He released his early masterpiece showcasing these sounds in 1954 with the scintillating instrumental "Space Guitar". He had a profound influence on many avant-garde guitarists, among them the "Freak Daddy" Frank Zappa, who later invited Watson to work on his brilliant hit album "One Size Fits All" in 1975. This episode of Ohne Filter was filmed on July 02, 1990.