Customer Reviews

Live at the Continental Club: Austin Experience

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

 

 

What can you say to a CD like this? I have seen Junior Brown at the Continental Club many, many times over the years and each time I do, his outrageously spirited play reignites my enthusiasm for his music. But never more so than now with the issue of Live at the Continental Club.
Old-time Junior Brown fans have been dismayed over the past several years as Brown seemed to lose his knack for originality, authenticity, and wry humor that had brought him legions of fans. Instead, it seemed almost as if he was settling into a formulaic routine: a dash of country here, a shot of rock and roll there, and a dollop of cornpone and blues to finish it off. Oh, yeah, he was still good, but the old magic seemed to be fading and his recordings became almost predictable. But then along came this live CD and it seemed like just the shot of musical viagra that Brown needed to make his music exciting again!
You have never really experienced Junior Brown until you've seen him live, and this CD is about as close to a live show as possible. Most of the songs on the CD are old hat to long-time fans but they really come alive here. Brown seems inspired as he launches a guit-steel attack that will leave the listener wanting to hear the CD over and over again.
My favorites are: Broke Down South Of Dallas, the humorous Party Lights, the Tex-Mex burner Juan Charasquado featuring accordion legend Flaco Jimenez, the hilarious Highway Patrol, the equally funny debut of Lifeguard Larry, a spellbinding rendition of Long Walk Back to San Antone, and portions of the Rock and Roll Guitar Medley, particularly Brown's take on Apache. His fretwork is often spectacular. Only occasional musical muddiness which can probably be attributed to the engineer or the recording equipment, and some missed lyrics knock a star off the rating.
If you are one of those who had kind of given up on Brown recently, its time to come back and hear this. This is an Austin Experience you won't soon forget.

This CD didn't disappoint me - it's great music and it's a lot of fun to listen to. I've only had it a few days, but I think this is going to become my favorite Junior CD.

The sound quality is stellar too. It was recorded directly to DSD at the Continental Club, and I must say that it's the best live recording I've ever heard. Just what you'd expect from the folks at Telarc.

I have seen Junior Brown live a few times and I am always amazed at his guitar prowess, however I am very disappointed in this particular release:

1-First of all its only 52 min. long. A cd has about approximately 79 minutes of available space, and with Junior's songs being relatively short, there could have been 25 minutes more music on here.

2-The set list isn't the best.....there are MANY definitive Junior tracks which don't show up here at all.

3-Aside from the last track (Rock and Roll Guitar Medley) the performance here is rather lifeless, the singing sounds tired and strictly by the numbers....no flash, electricity or energy Junior usually provides in his LIVE shows...on this, he tends to simply 'phone it in'.

I really love Junior Brown and his music/guitar abilities, but this disc doesn't not reflect his ability as a performer, just that of a guitar picker.

For those of you who have not been blessed with the opprotunity to experience the Semi-Crazy Junior live, this as close as you can get to it. Just put this CD on and plunk yourself down in a nice comfy chair. If you want realism turn down the lights and have a few ciggies burnin somewhere in an ashtray, an brotha you are there. Juniors live performances are nothing short of electric, licks that are timed with the precision of a brain surgeon and quips ala his guit fiddle "Big Red" that will get you in a chucklin mood. Junior seems to "channel" into some twangy funk river that flows nearby and with the aid of his band serves it up with humor and an ambiance that we thought was lost with the 60s. Every track on this CD takes me back to the last time I saw Junior live. All his best are here, enjoy!!

This CD smokes and is an absolute joy to listen to--a virtual eargasam! Junior's guit-steel playing is a cross between Dick Dale, Stevie Ray Vaughn and a roto-tiller on steroids. The recording is crystal clear and makes it seem as though you are at the Continental Club with the other Junior music addicts.

Everytime I listen to Junior Brown, my teeth go buck! I picked up this release for the collection and have already listened to it several times over the last few days. Right now I swear I would be able to eat corn on the cob through a picket fence. A true must for the Junior Brown listener. Most of all get out and see him when he comes to play in your town. I don't know about the record release business, but why couldn't this have been as long as one of Junior's concerts?

The Man of 'Guit-Steel' does it again. I saw him once
in Virginia Beahc, VA at the Naval Base in an outdoor
free show! I would have paid hundreds, though. He and
his band are excellent and he is very funny and enter-
taining as well, "Get that hippie off stage". No way!

I was there the night he recorded this album, I was walking down South Congress when I heard that guitar and a super deep voice. I'm a long time Junior Brown fan, so needless to say I freaked out when I walked up to the Continental Club to see the man himself was on stage. The price at the door was about $25, so this album is a bargain.

This is a tough review for me to write as I am a total Junior Brown fanatic. I've seen him play many, many times and I've been waiting for a live album forever. Unfortunately, this wasn't his best night. You have to understand Junior is constantly touring - how he is able to get up on stage night after night after night playing the same songs is beyond me, but I'm still happy to hear him in whatever town I'm lucky to catch him in. For the most part Junior sounds tired on these tracks (he sounds great on "Juan Charasquado" though). Maybe he ought to take a few months off and let his batteries recharge or something. I wish he'd included "Freeborn Man" on this cd - the difference between the studio version and live is huge; I've heard him play what can only be described as an incredibly intense, blistering version of it live that had me shaking in ECSTACY - but it is not here. It's GREAT to hear "I Want To Live and Love Always" live, but it just isn't as good without Steve Layne playing and singing along. The "Rock and Roll Guitar Medley" is always a treat but it would have been SO MUCH BETTER if "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and Sergio Leone western themes were included again in the mix (hint, hint Jr. for future road dates).