Customer Reviews

Live Austin, TX 6/13/75

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is actually a pretty good representation of the 75-6 edition of the band, featuring Skip Battin on bass & vocals. While he is and isn't, quite the songwriter Torbert was, he brings some material to this disk that well makes up for the somewhat weak contributions he made to the final 2 Byrds albums. The Kufala company has seemingly learned its lessons following the disastrous first release they pumped out, in that all the songs feature well balanced mix of instruments and voices- though you do notice as each singer's mic is tweaked for their first featured song.
The band though are in excellent form- "Strangers on a Train" and "Portland Woman" stand out on the first disk, which is to say that the preceding tracks are not so bad- just that these two are where they catch fire.
Side two features several country tunes (Merle Haggard's Im Bring in' Home Good News" as well as their set staple La Bamba & acouple more), and an extended "Crooked Judge" with a drum-bass solo workout. Nelson and Cage are in great form on this and anyone who wants an education in country picking should at least take on the intro to Henry...
I like this CD better than the other Kufala Cd's, which is regrettable because I happen to really love Torbert's performing but as it is, this is as good a picture of the Battin band as you are going to find.

When I first saw the songs on this disc, I couldn't understand why a concert CD from this time period did not include Panama Red. I went to their web site and discovered the songs listed on Amazon are for the second disc only. Here are the songs on the first disc:

Disc One

I Don't Know You
Panama Red
Lonesome L.A. Cowboy
Austin, Texas
Instant Armadillo Blues
Teardrops In My Eyes
Dirty Business
Henry
Sutter's Mill
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
Louisiana Lady
Strangers On A Train
Portland Woman

Also included is a third disc that is a sampler. KUFALA Recordings sampler #9. "The finest in authorized bootlegs and select studio recordings". There are 13 recordings on the disc, but the only group I ever heard of is New Riders.

I really enjoy concert CDs. The sound is a little uneven on this one, but I enjoyed the show.

pk

I came across this, and a few more early '70s soundboards of live recordings, in a local Borders, of all places. I beg to differ as to the sound quality. I'm from Dallas and caught many shows down at the 'dillo in Austin. The sound on this is as good as anything else that's been released from the 1970s. It wasn't archival recording, but as soundboards go, it's definitely "A" material.

I'd forgotten that Skip Battin played with NRPS! He was a strong influence on the late-generation Byrds' double album "Untitled."

All in all, this captures what a night at the Armadillo World Headquarters was like! Hey, it was tough growing up as a longhair in early 1970s Texas. Austin was like an oasis in the midst of redneck territory. (Willie and friends had recently moved to town, so this show captures Austin on the verge of becoming the music mecca that it is.)

This is nice NRPS and it's worth owning, if only for nostalgia's sake. (Although David Nelson has put the band back together now -- it's April 2009 -- and they'll be playing here in Tucson on Saturday, April 25. Damn right I'll be there!)

Enjoy the memories...

a great-great band-but not a good recording-get the studio records-they are just far better all around.