Customer Reviews

Live Tracks

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This cd is a compilation of live radio broadcasts from the personal collection of frontman/guitarist Dru Lombar. Grinderswitch was a common opening band in the early seventies for other Southern rockers like The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, & the Charlie Daniels Band. Grinderswitch like Lynyrd Synyrd and the Allman Brothers Band also hailed from Florida. This set contains great extended versions of some of their better cuts along with a number of blues cover tunes. The band on this disk bolstered by the addition of Stephen Miller on keyboards and bears a striking resemblance to the Allman Brothers Band. Not surprising since bass player Joe Dan Petty was a former roadie for the Allman Brothers Band. The tracks are mostly on the longish side with ample time for guitarists Lombar and Larry Howard along with keyboardist Miller to spotlight their skills. My favorites include a wrenching cover of Albert King's "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" and the medley of "Pickin The Blues/I Ain't Got The Blues No More". The latter highlights Lombar's slide guitar prowess. The former illustrates Lombar's blues/soul singing style. This disk is an obscure blues/rock treasure. It is recommended for both fans of Southern rock and blues rock.

The best albums by Grinderswitch are Macon Tracks and Pullin' Together. Stick with the studio albums. This live CD is good, not great.

This is a true gem, especially track #3, How The West Was Won. After the first two minutes of this 11+ minute song, this simply cooks with one of the most amazing blues/jazz improvs you've ever heard. These guys were Allman Brothers roadies and learned well from their employers.

I haven't bought a Grinderswitch CD before, I have three of their LP's that I bought new when they came out. Which should give you an idea how long it has been since I heard anything new from them. I bought the CD based on the reviews that I read and I was glad that I bought it. The songs are long, just like going to an Allman Bros. concert, and there is a lot of guitar and organ. If those things appeal to you then this is a great CD to buy. My favorite is "Pickin the Blues Goodbye." It starts out slow and builds to the point if you are not tapping your foot then you should go have your pulse checked. Dru Lombar is an excellent guitarist and after listening to the CD you have to question why this band wasn't better known.

I wish more of Grinderswitch was available on cd. This compilation of live tracks, most clocking in at 14 minutes or so, is an enjoyable collection of inoffensive, good-time Southern Boogie, Allman Brothers-style. The band rocks, jams, and rolls, all with talent and style.

I wish there was a live cut of their labelmate Stillwater's classic "Mindbender" on this, but alas we'll have to wait for the groundswell demand to build.

This album showcases the unique talent that was Grinderswitch. I saw the band live at the Glasgow Apollo back in 1976 and they were awesome. This CD reminded me of just how good they sounded on a live stage. They were a great southern rock band but never got the media exposure their music deserved.