Customer Reviews

Live From Deep in the Heart of Texas

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Commander Cody And The Lost Planet Airmen were a well known progresive art-rock ensemble notable for their brilliant usage of synthesizers and theremins on such masterpieces as Shostakovich's Concerto in B-flat minor. Ha! Just seein' if you were paying attention. Although, now that I think of it, fiddle player Andy Stein could play any kind of music you put in front of him. The Commander and company were merely the toughest, funniest, countrybilly rockingest band in the Bay Area in the early seventies. No other local country rock group would dare get on the stage after them (with the possible exception of Asleep At The Wheel who wisely kept things on the country side of the equation). Everybody else packed up their dobros and headed for the purple sage from whence they came. Anyway the Commander was best heard live and this is their best live album ergo it is their best album period. Nutty originals go hand in hand with inspired covers in this timeless concert in front of rabid Texas hippies and rednecks. My only complaint ; why oh why in the early seventies, the time of bloated, boring triple and quadruple overdubbed 'live' albums, was this racous masterpiece a single LP? Cody played generous, exciting sets and there must be more live stuff somewhere. But this will do just fine for starters.Crank it up! And I hope your neighbors have a sense of humor!

Think of this album as an acid test of your stereo. Wick that sucker up to just below the distortion level, find the sweet spot and hog it, and get ready to readjust your definition of "Country Rock"! After I heard it the first time and rallyed enough to drive, I headed straight for the music store and bought 3 copies. I still have have the first one I opened, and the other two got stolen, hopefully by good friends. At that time, I had a stereo that loafed along at 300 watts per channel, and all you had to do was close your eyes, and you were THERE!! The recording is excellent, and along with "Waiting For Columbus" from Little Feat is my test record for any new addition to my system. The musicanship is absolutely first class, and it comes through with plenty of punch. Did you hear the three part whistle harmony in "Sunset on the Sage"? Do you know how hard that is to do live? Can you resist the urge to Two Step when you hear "Oh, Momma Momma"? Do you start looking for a beer to cry in when you hear the worlds saddest song "Down To Seeds And Stems Again Blues"? Can you resist the urge to testify when you hear "Mean Woman Blues"? This is the perfect snapshot of Texas music in 1973. At a casual listen, the album is pure fun. After you listen to it more and more, you will hear new things with each listen. One thing is unmistakable-this album catches the Commander and the Lost Planet Airmen at the top of their game. I personaly prefer the wax version, but they are hard to find. The CD version seems to sell out immediately wherever it hits the retail racks, so my recommendation is buy at least three copies so your friends will have something great to steal from you!

Following a third album that didn't shine as inventively as their first two, the Airmen returned with an absolutely brilliant document of all that their music meant. Recorded live at Austin, Texas' "World Armadillo Headquarters," the Airmen sound like the Buckaroos in their prime: relaxed, confident, and deadly across a wide variety of inter-related musical genres. They even cover Owens' "Crying Time," much to the crowd's delight.

The band swings effortlessly from the opening fiddle-driven instrumental into a rousing take of Elvis' "Good Rockin' Tonight." They cruise along with Johnny Horton's trucker themed "I'm Coming Home" only to plow headlong into the misery of the band's signature "Seeds and Stems (Again)." They harmonize with equal beauty for the cowboy tune, "Sunset on the Sage," and the doo-wop "Git It."

The Commander gets his boogie-woogie slot on the band-penned "Oh Momma," and his spoken-vocal leads a guitar-and-sax heavy take of Leiber & Stoller's "Riot in Cell Block #9. The Cajun-influenced "Diggy Liggy Lo" bursts with incredible, manic energy, and the band's "Too Much Fun" shows what a fine dance-combo they were, as does the rousing closer, "Mean Woman Blues."

This would be the last record the band would make before jumping to Warner Brothers, and it's a pitch-perfect document of all they created in their time at Paramount. All that's missing from this album is the dancer's sweat and a cold Shiner Bock -- the good times are preserved here for all to hear.

When I first got a taste of Commander Cody and the LOst PLanet Airmen it was back in high school circa 1976 with the recently released ""We've Got a Live One Here!". A girlfriend had the 8-track and after one listen I borrowed it for the next month or two. At the time , my idea of country rock was basically the Eagles, the later Byrds (Sweet Heart of the Rodeo, etc.), Charlie Daniels and to a certain extent, The Band. This was decidely different, definitely fun, and addicting!. Over the years I've picked up several of their albums and one thing is clear--the best stuff was recorded live. These guys are a true road band and feed off the energy of an audience. And they don't dissappoint. "Live From Deep in the Heart of Texas" opens with the fiddle/pedal steel driven instrumental "Armadillo Stomp" and in true Airmen style they slide into "Good Rockin' Tonight" (remember Elvis?) before gear-jamming in to the truck driving burner "I'm Coming Home". They slow it down with the Country Western cowboy tale "Sunset on the Sage", only to roar back with more rock& roll boogie with "Little Sally Walker " and the a cappella flavored "Git It". As always with the Airmen, the musicianship is superb. Bill Kirchen is a master of the Telecaster and his country flavored baritone vocals are a joy. Andy Stein's fiddle and Bobby Black's pedal steel are a exhilirating combination. The Commander, with his ragged vocals, pumping piano and over-the-top wit and style keeps things shaking and smiling along. The rhythm section is sharp and tight thanks to "Bruce and Lance-- the Sons of the Rednecks!", and the guitar of John Tichy. Last but not least are the vocals of Billy C. Farlow who also contributes his raucous songwriting skills to many of the band's original tunes. Although I still prefer "Live One Here" to this disc, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" is great and has some incomparable moments of its own. Cody and the Airmen are perhaps the best honky tonk/bar band ever. Don't miss the fun!!

There were a lot of groups that I enjoyed in my wilder 20's and 30's. Asleep at the Wheel was my favorite until I discovered Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. These guys could really rock and roll. Their early albums showed them finding their style and they kept getting better. Unfortunately, when they had really hit their stride, the real talent of the group went elsewhere and we were left with the Commander and a new group. He may have put the group together and his name at the front but Commander Cody was not the heart and soul of this group.

"Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas" is one of those great later albums when the group had found their sound and wasn't afraid to show it. My favorite cuts are "Sunset on the Sage", "Git It", "Diggy Liggy Lo", "Mean Woman Blues", and "Too Much Fun". They show that they can do ballads, rock and roll, and out of control rockabilly. I thing what gives them their special sound is the liberal use of the pedal steel guitar and the fiddle. It gives their sound a sort of "take off" to a higher level.

I saw Asleep at the Wheel live on several occassions (including the original cast) but I never had an opportunity to see Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. There's nothing I can do to fill the void except continue to listen to their live albums. If you can't get excited about this album, you're on too much medication.

The Commander and the boys put on a hell of a show.Cody does his "talking songs" just right with the band doing great "effects"--like the car fender clicking the guard rail on "Hot Rod Lincoln".Bill Kirchen is a great guitar player--love the sounds he gets outta that ol' Telly.Billy C. sounds great too.Buffalo Bruce and Lance-- what a rhythm section!John Tichy provides great rhythm guitar (and has a Ph.D. in engineering!).Can't forget Andy Stein on the fiddle and saxophone.Last but not least, Bobby "Blue" Black plays super pedal steel.A great fun album from begining to end!!!

...And it almost was a double live...the commander wanted it that way, record company said no...what do record companies know? Not much, sadly, becuase there WAS a WHOLE LOT more music from this concert at the world-famous Armadillo World Headquarters...the rest of this concert can be found on one of three albums...Sleazy Roadside Stories, Bar Room Classics, or Texas Roadhouse Favorites...the third mentioned is hard to find, apperantly a UK only release. Sleazy Roadside Stories has two tracks missing from the other two, but any of those are good if you want the rest of the concert. This is a great album, it has, arguably, the BEST version of "Riot In Cell Block #9" ever recorded...was that July 27 1973 or 1963? Hmmmm Anyway, crank this one up, crack open a lone star, and drift away to 525 and 1/2 Barton Springs Road in Austin, TX...in 1973, was there a better place to see the greatest progressive country band in history?

I first heard this record when I was a freshman in highschool in 1973. Everyone else was listening to Led Zepplin and Yes. We were in a garage band and the drummer's older brother left the album out for us to discover. We were engaged immediately by the opening strains of the "Armadillo Stomp" and we particularly loved "Oh Momma Momma" and "Too Much Fun". Upon further listening, we were continually amazed by the musicianship of this hear-to-fore unknown group. Our first discovery was the virtuosity of Bobby Black on the pedal steel, not just in soloing but his comps and harmony lines. Then there are the vocals and telecaster twang of Billy Kirchen. As a drummer I always wanted to sound like Lance Dickerson. Andy Stein's fiddle alongside Billy C. Farlow's saxophone and rhythm guitar lent perfect accents to the melody. In every song there was so much to hear, so much to discover. The original "Down to Seeds and Stems Again" remains a cult favorite. The vocal precision in country classics such as, "Crying Time" and "Sunset on the Sage", pay tribute to the originals without lampooning them. It was with this appreciation that we went out and bought all the Commander Cody records we could find. None of them disappointed and all of them provided hours of music pleasure whether in private or amidst the wildest party.

You've heard about the Seven Wonders of the World - well, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen are the Eighth Wonder of the World. It is virtually impossible to be in a bad mood after listening to this album. Not only are the songs and musicianship great, but the recording quality is excellent - especially considering this album was recorded live in 1973.

Guitarist Bill Kirchen continues to dazzle us on guitar with his band Too Much Fun. Kirchen has released a number of excellent albums with this band. The Commander can be seen on tour as well. Vocalist John Tichy became head of the Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and hooks up with Kirchen or Cody when they pass through his area. John's son Graham is a guitar player whose playing has been compared to James Burton and Bill Kirchen. Fiddle player/saxophonist Andy Stein is currently a member of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion house band.

This is one of America's greatest bands and this album captures them perfectly.

This album has been digitally remastered from the original tapes and "may have some tape hiss". I heard no disturbing hiss, just an incredibly "warm" analog sound. The recording quality is magnificent - who said "live" recordings never match studio ones? The engineering and stereo placement puts the listener right in the center of the band. The atmosphere is electric, through the entire concert and the (live) audience appreciate every minute of it. The enthusiasm of the band and their obvious enjoyment at performing come thru in every track. It displays superb musicianship and covers many genres - you don't have to be a Country nut to enjoy it. If you've never listened to Commander Cody before this is the album to start with. All our family, aged from 70 to 14 love it.
Kirk & Vicki Page