live and then some [EXPLICIT LYRICS] [LIVE]

Chris Gaffney

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 12, 1999)
• Original Release Date: December 12, 1999
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Explicit Lyrics, Live
• Label: Tres Pescadores
• ASIN: B000046S25
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,803 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Fans of tough-to-peg Texans such as Joe Ely and Doug Sahm ought to give this singer and accordion player a good listen. A fixture on the Southern California country and roots-rock scene for the better part of the '80s and '90s, Gaffney stirs up an appealing blend of Bakersfield honky-tonk, soul, garage rock, and conjunto music. The "then some" part of this two-CD set is actually a straight reissue of his cult-classic 1986 debut, The Road to Indio. Gaffney's accordion bounces vibrantly off Gary Brandin's pedal steel while Gaffney's songwriting boasts a knack for clever country wordplay on honky-tonkers like "Don't Let Love Tear Apart (What Lust Has Brought Together)" and "Alcoholidays." Gaffney would actually release two acclaimed Hightone albums during the 1990s before he got to the "live" part of this two-CD set, recorded in March of 1999. The intervening 13 years made Gaffney's already gruff voice that much gruffer though his lighthearted spirit and tangy musical stew remain undiminished. Here he balances nifty originals with covers of Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Bill Anderson's defiant "The Lord Knows I'm Drinkin'," a country No. 1 hit for Cal Smith in 1973 and a perfect manifesto for this Tex-Mex twister. --Marc Greilsamer

Product Description
This is a two CD package. Disk 1 is Chris Gaffney and the Cold Hard Facts recorded live at The Swallows Inn in San Juan Capistrano, CA, at their honky-tonkin', road house best. Disk 2 is the re-release of their legendary 1986 vinyl only LP, "Road to Indio."

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Bar Band in the World Captured Live, August 24, 2000

By	John Standiford (Cypress, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Outside of Orange County, California most people don't know who Chris Gaffney is. Actually, there aren't all that many people in Orange County who know much about him either.

THAT'S THEIR LOSS. The Cold Hard Facts are the greatest bar band in the world, and Chris Gaffney is probably the most likeable and best sounding band leader you will ever listen to or see live.

This is a 2-disc set which inlcudes a re-release of a previous album and the other disc is a live recording of the band when it played the Swallow's Inn in San Juan Capistrano, California. The re-release disc is fine, the live disc is one of the best live recordings you will ever hear.

Gaffney plays country, zydeco, Joe Ely-style tex-mex, R&B, you name it. He understands how music can move people on an emotional level. Most of time, the emotion will include a smile on your face, although he can get the tears flowing with songs like 1968. Although you can't characterize the type of music he plays, you can characterize the quality of what he does, and it's impressive.

Buy this record and see him live, especially if he is playing with his close friend and sometimes songwriting partner Dave Alvin.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great 2 fer Release, May 3, 2008

By	Michael L. Schiller (Westland, Mi. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a two CD release. One is an excellent live disc, the other is his first release "Road to Indio". This is the only way to obtain this long out of print release. I think that it is not as strong as some of his later day work (Mi Vida Loca & Loser's Paradise) but an excellent release non the less (just a notch below those two classics). With the passing of Chris earlier this year there sadly will be no more tours. If you never saw him live pick this up and see what you missed. If you were fortunate enough to see him live then you'll want this as well because you already know what a fantastic live performer he was.