Recordings made available

Charleston is a typical example for a pretty good 1990 show although I miss the guitar of the magnificent G.B. Smith was no more a member of the group. John Staehly and Ceasar Diaz play solid but they cannot compete with this great musician.
We have the neck-breaking speed of the early Never-Ending-Tour-Years in most of the electric songs and a charming acoustic set. Some of his classics are played as must-be-on-the-set-list-obligatory-acts like “Highway 61”, some are very likeable like “Memphis Blues” or “It Ain’t Me, Babe”. We have one song totally botched. “Everything Is Broken” is not really a great song. Both, basic musical concept and lyrics, are rather one-dimensional. But even this weakest of the “Oh Mercy”-Songs deserves more than this trashy sloppy performance here.
And – most important – we have glorious highlights too. “Under The Red Sky” is very good and “Man In The Long Black Coat” is just stunning. The seldom played “Wagoner’s Lad” is the absolute summit of the acoustic songs and of the whole show, a perfect atmospheric folky performance.
The sound quality could be better.

Andreas 11.1.2010