The Flying Burrito Brothers
"The Red Album"
Burrito Deluxe
"The Whole Enchilada"
by Johanna J. Bodde
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To avoid misunderstandings: this is an album by The Flying Burrito Brothers after the 1974 resurrection, with only the original members Sneaky Pete Kleinow (pedal steel) and Chris Ethridge (bass). Floyd "Gib" Guilbeau and ex-Byrd Gene Parsons were involved and Joel Scott Hill was asked to be the singer and lead-guitarist. There were rehearsals, performances and recordings, until 1976, when the line-up changed again and really became confusing. For the fans a story with all possible names and musical backgrounds is featured in the CD-booklet, written by the Dutch gentleman, who compiled the legendary "Hot Burrito" LP with that red sleeve! Old pictures of the longhaired musicians with mustaches and beards, aren't missing either. The seventeen neatly polished tracks were recorded during a "1976 Hollywood studio party", in all likelihood the live-album "From Another Time" was already a kind of incomplete version. Well-known songs by Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the founders of the band, are being performed, together with covers from the albums of the first generation Burritos, like "White Line Fever". But the little prize animal is definitely "Building Fires", a Dan Penn-song. The input by Cajun Gib Guilbeau makes the CD extra interesting, he sings his own fine composition "Bon Soir Blues" and that cheerful "Diggy Liggy Li". Also Gene and Sneaky venture upon singing leadvocals during the concert, one piece each. Well, Sneaky really couldn't sing! Small remark: track 14 is simply "Hot Burrito # 2", although that number three (written by this line-up) did exist and was recorded on the LP "Flying Again". Chris Hillman still gets very angry about the recycling of the bandname, which has probably more to do with "money" than with "music"... This is just a nice enthusiastically played concert, what's wrong with that? --- Written by Johanna J. Bodde, Dutch original of this review previously published on Real Roots Cafe, The Netherlands. ===== 
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Sneaky Pete Kleinow played with the legendary Flying Burrito Brothers, in the first line-up with Gram Parsons and the second -definitely just as good- with Rick Roberts. During the late sixties his pedal steelguitar bridged the gap between country and rock. He still sounded great later, but it was impossible for his group Burrito DeLuxe to revive the magic from those golden days. Anyway, "The Whole Enchilada" -arriving in luxury digipack- is certainly worth listening and listening again, not only for the indestructible countryrock fans! Carlton Moody sings leadvocals and doesn't have any problems with variety in the approach of a song. Bassist Jeff "Stick" Davis (The Amazing Rhythm Aces) forms the rhythm tandem together with Rick Lonow. The other important man in Burrito DeLuxe is Garth Hudson on a lot of keys, inclusing the accordion, indeed: THE Garth Hudson from The Band! So there's absolutely nothing wrong with the music, the songs are a bit inconstant though. We're really not waiting for the umptiest cover of "The Letter" and the gospel "Good Night" as the European bonustrack seems also a bit unneccessary. But there's a lot of very good stuff too: Sneaky Pete wrote the instrumental "Sister", where his pedal steel excels, "Zydeco Ball" with delicious intro was born during a collaboration between Carlton Moody and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. "Everywhere I Go" lingers in the mind too, it makes me think of The Band and Tim McGraw. "Baton Rouge", cool simple melody with accordion, was written by Guy Clark, while "Memphis Money" paints the bluesy portrait of an optimistic criminal. And when "Rex Bob Lowenstein" arrives, Mark Germino's self-willed DJ, nothing can go wrong with this album anymore! --- Written by Johanna J. Bodde, Dutch original of this review previously published on Real Roots Cafe, The Netherlands. =====  |
