Billy's Live Bait

Gear Daddies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 23, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fontana Polydor
• ASIN: B000001FZF
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,151 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lifetime Ago....., April 14, 2001

By 

Jeffrey R. Logan (Ottumwa, IA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Billy's Live Bait (Audio CD)

It seems like only yesterday I was trying to get into Kirby's in Moorhead, MN, to listen to the Gear Daddies. I was 19 years old, a college student who thought beer and girls were the end-all and be-all. Who knew there was a soundtrack to that life? The honest feeling that comes out of every track never fails to stir up a little something inside me from that time. If a song or songs can do that to me, it's a beautiful thing.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic "country-rock" album, April 22, 2000

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Billy's Live Bait (Audio CD)

This album is one of the all time great overlooked classics. Rural rock'n'roll simply does not come any better. From the first song "Stupid Boy," to the closing lament "I Wanna Drive a Zamboni," there is an unfulfilled sadness permeating through the lyrics. The production and sound are first rate. Fans of such artists as Son Volt, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Blue Mountain and Cracker in particular should love it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Minnesota bands, January 24, 2004

By 

Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Billy's Live Bait (Audio CD)

I was listening to the radio the other day (on a rare occasion) and heard one of my personal favorite songs from my high school days, not to mention from one of the few local bands I was into..."Stupid Boy" by Gear Daddies. I am not really into the local music scene here in Minneapolis but the few I did like (The Replacements, Husker Du/Sugar, Babes in Toyland, Zu Zu's Petals) actually broke out into mainstream music with major record labels. One of them were Gear Daddies. So after hearing "Stupid Boy" on the radio, I busted out my copy of "Billy's Live Bait" (a collection of Gear Daddies' songs). I almost forgot how much I loved this band. I guess if you were to label the Gear Daddies' music, they would be right up there on the alt-country scene with Wilco and Lucinda Williams. The music is ridiculously catchy and so bloody hummable. Martin Zellar is one of the best songwriters to come out of the frozen tundra I call Minnesota. A lot of the songs on the cd is filled with lament and regret. Martin's raw vocals also lends to each song a wave of emotion that the listener can hear. Why the Gear Daddies didn't achieve the same notoriety as Wilco is beyond me. Their music was very radio-friendly and hook-driven. How can you not love songs like "Stupid Boy" and "Color of Her Eyes" (my two personal favorite Gear Daddies songs)? "Billy's Live Bait" is a testament to Gear Daddies' legacy. Martin Zellar still performs around the Twin Cities on the weekends despite having moved to Texas a few years ago and releasing the same infectious music with his band The Hardways.