Danny Gatton & Robert Gordon: Humbler- Live

See the look on Robert Gordon's face?
Kinda says it all!



Here'a couple of 3 reviews found on line mashed together:
This is a legendary performance; the bootleg recording was a prized possession among guitar players for many years. And now I'm thankful it has been made available on CD and I was able to obtain a copy of it. This is just incredibly fun to listen to!
As some other reviewers have pointed out, the quality of the recording is very good but might not quite be up to modern standards. But it is plenty good enough, and we're lucky to have a recording at all. How did it come about? That's part of the legend: When Gatton showed up a few hours before the show that night for a sound check, the technicians working at the club couldn't believe what they were hearing and quickly scrambled to record everything as best they could. And it's a good thing they did!!

The title gives only a clue to the talent Danny Gatton posesses. Here we here the late legendary guitarist absolutely blister a set of rockabilly standards and lesser knowns. Gatton was unknown to many in the crowd. He remains such to far too many people today. But for those in attendance in this small venue, a legendary performance unfolded. Nearly everyone came to hear Robert Gordon belt out his usual fare and were treated to Gatton's simple undescribable fret work. On track after track Gatton pushes himself and the band over the top. The set is cut short as the fire department puts a halt to the fireworks due to overcrowdedness in the tiny bar which was home to the white hot performance. This albumn was bootlegged for years but is now thankfully available to the masses. This is even more appreciated since Danny is gone from us and there ain't no more like him that's for sure.

If you are interested in rockabilly guitar playing, this is an important album to own. Gatton runs through his bag of rockabilly tricks with humbling speed and accuracy.
As far as being enjoyable listening, it is fair. Vocals, drums and bass are adequate, but fairly uninspired. Gatton's playing is marvelous but sometimes so over the top it detracts from the song - like he is on 11 all the time.

The quality of the recording is good, although it lacks some of the high frequency content of a modern recording. It is 48 minutes long with 15 songs. It is a mono recording bootlegged off a mixing board during a 1981 club show on the band's fourth gig together.

Since this album is mostly rockabilly, you won't hear the full range of Gatton's musical abilities (but you still get a lot in 48 minutes!). You get an appreciation of his technical proficiency. The soloing, while technically astounding, sometimes comes off as gimmickry as Danny wedges so much material into 3 chord rock(-abilly) songs. Of course gimmickry is permissible, encouraged, and perhaps even a hallmark of rockabilly, so if his soloing comes off as gimmickry maybe that is a neutral or positive comment. More specifically, some of the soloing is sped up and fancied up riffs from Rockabilly standards such as "Hello Mary-Lou" or "Rock-Around-the-Clock" - songs which he ain't playin' when he borrows the riffs. Some of his later recordings, like Redneck Jazz, feature more complex arrangements as Danny is not limited, as he was on this gig, to mostly 3 or 4 chord standards.

Another CD from my collection ripped to my hard drive a couple of years ago. Enjoy!

1. Ubangi Stomp
2. The Way I Walk
3. Good Rockin' Tonight
4. There Stands The Glass
5. Drivin' Wheel
6. Fire
7. Loverboy
8. You Got A Heart Like A Rock
9. Cruisin'
10. Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache
11. Love My Baby
12. Twenty Flight Rock
13. Black Slacks
14. Red Hot
15. Fingers On Fire


38MB, WMA, 42 Minutes

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PXMGVJK2

Go here for more D.G.
http://incaroads-wvkayaker.blogspot.com/2007/08/danny-gatton-featured-on-these-vinyl.html