Viva Luckenbach

Amazon.com
Luckenbach was virtually a ghost town in the Texas hill country when local rancher John R. "Hondo" Crouch bought it up in the early '70s and turned it into a laid-back small town, in the process building an anything-goes dance hall of his dreams. Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his breakthrough progressive-country album Viva Terlingua in Luckenbach in 1973, and he celebrated its 20th anniversary by cutting another live album in the same dance hall. The more sensibly titled Viva Luckenbach is just what we've come to expect from Walker: the sloppy but exuberant combination of raise-a-glass party songs and sentimental ballads that have made Walker the Jimmy Buffett of Texas. --Geoffrey Himes

Viva Luckenbach,Jerry Jeff Walker,Rykodisc,Country,Country & Western,Pop

Average customer rating: A generous set of Texas hill country music in the spirit of Luckenbach

Viva! Terlingua! Nuevo!: Songs of Luckenbach Texas Various Artists Manufacturer: Palo Duro Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Country | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Workbench Songs Bonfire of Roadmaps (Brad and Michele Moore Roots Music Series) Soldiers of Love Cimarron Manifesto Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch ASIN: B000IFRQSQ Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

1. Intro - Viva! Terlinqua! Nuevo! Songs Of Luckenbach Texas
2. Gettin' By - The (Original) Lost Gonzo Band
3. What I Like About Texas - Morrison-Williams
4. Backsliders Wine - Tommy Alverson
5. Little Bird - Walt Wilkins
6. Get It Out! - Ed Burleson
7. Viva! Luckenbach! - John Arthur Martinez
8. Luckenbach Daylight - Kent Finlay
9. I'll Be Here In The Mornin' - Jimmy Lafave
10. Desperados Waiting For The Train - Brian Burns
11. Wheel - The McKay Brothers
12. Sangria Wine - Two Tons Of Steel
13. London Homesick Blues - The Derailers
14. Red Neck Mother - Cory Morrow
15. Gonzos Compadres - Gonzos de Casa

Customer Reviews:

A generous set of Texas hill country music in the spirit of Luckenbach.......2006-12-28

Playing Time - 1:07:23 -- Featuring live music seven nights a week, the 120-yer-old Luckenbach dancehall in Fredericksburg, Texas hosted this January 19-20, 2006 live recording session with stalwarts of the Palo Duro record label. The place specializes in parties, and a 70ish admission price of $1 was set for the 400 attendees who were lucky enough to win tickets in a lottery (then proceeds went to Health Alliance for Austin Musicians). This guaranteed a large, jovial, and friendly crowd for this big event in the venue that gets its moniker and inspiration from an old hill country town where everybody is somebody according to Jerry Jeff Walker song "Viva! Luckenbach!"

Continuing the gonzo spirit of the Texas Outlaw music movement, this album covers a total of seven of Walker's songs, as well as ones from Guy Clark, Gary P. Nunn, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Michael Murphy. This album is a tribute to Jerry Jeff's landmark 1973 album Viva! Terlingua! that is recognized as a seminal contribution to the then blossoming Texas outlaw music scene. All nine of the songs that appeared on Walker's original 1973 album have been redone on this "nuevo" project. More generically, this lone star twang and gonzo attitude today are referred to as alt-country, insurgent country, or simply Americana. Interestingly, Jerry Jeff had not been initially consulted about this album project, and he got lawyers involved and filed a lawsuit claiming copyright infringement. Walker also claimed false advertising and misappropriation of his identity.

Musicians participating included Jimmy LaFave, Cory Morrow, John Arthur Martinez, Two Tons of Steel, Ed Burleson, Brian Burns, Gary P. Nunn, McKay Brothers, Morrison-Williams, Walt Wilkins, Tommy and Justin Alverson, The Derailers, and past and present members of Gonzos de Casa. At track 8, Kent Finlay even recites a 5-minute Hondo Crouch poem entitled "Luckenbach Daylight." Consistent with their business plan and marketing strategy, the record label previewed the album at the 2006 Americana Music Conference in a special Luckenbach replica booth. Also, this is just the first in Palo Duro's Luckenbach Texas music series that will presumably offer more hour-long live samplers from the dancehall, the objective being to honor the historical significance of the tiny town west of Austin where many a musical career was launched.

If you're looking for some "Nuevo!" Texas country music in the spirit of Luckenbach, this album is worth checking out even though it's a tad loose in spots. It's still a fun ride! As a result of the pending litigation, all commercial distribution of the album was suspended. However, the Palo Duro record label intends to aggressively pursue its right to distribute the album. Let's hope the lawsuit is resolved in a timely manner so that this and future albums in the series can reach our CD players soon. Especially if your mind keeps roamin', and your heart keeps longin' to be home in a Texas bar. (Joe Ross)

Average customer rating: One of Jerry Jeff's best!!! Jerry Jeff grows up but not quite old

Viva Luckenbach! Jerry Jeff Walker Manufacturer: Rykodisc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Too Old to Change/Jerry Jeff Viva Terlingua Great Gonzos Night After Night Driftin' Way of Life ASIN: B0000009OS Release Date: 1994-03-28

Tracks:

1. Gettin' By
2. Viva Luckenbach
3. What I Like About Texas
4. Learning To P'like And Luckenbach Women's Lib
5. Some Phone Numbers
6. I'll Be Here In The Morning
7. I Makes Money (Money Don't Make Me)
8. Keep Texas Beautiful
9. The Gift
10. Little Man
11. Gonzo Compadres
12. Movin' On

Amazon.com

Luckenbach was virtually a ghost town in the Texas hill country when local rancher John R. "Hondo" Crouch bought it up in the early '70s and turned it into a laid-back small town, in the process building an anything-goes dance hall of his dreams. Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his breakthrough progressive-country album Viva Terlingua in Luckenbach in 1973, and he celebrated its 20th anniversary by cutting another live album in the same dance hall. The more sensibly titled Viva Luckenbach is just what we've come to expect from Walker: the sloppy but exuberant combination of raise-a-glass party songs and sentimental ballads that have made Walker the Jimmy Buffett of Texas. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

One of Jerry Jeff's best!!!.......1999-07-21

I truly enjoyed "Viva Luckenbach." I found it to be one of JJW's best efforts. Tying in the reunion at Luckenbach was a stroke of genius that helped provide the magic that was produced in the 70's. The title song was brilliant, as was "What I Like about Texas" and "I'll Be Here By Morning." I thought the best song on the cd was "Keep Texas Beautiful". As with nearly all of JJW's best work, he includes some poignant autobiographical tunes. "Little Man" and "The Gift" were excellent. And also true to form, JJW has a "just for fun song" like "Gonzo Compadres." Before I die I hope to get to Luckenbach and Belize and take in JJW live and kickin'. Until then, cd's like this one will keep me "gettin by."

Jerry Jeff grows up but not quite old.......1998-11-07

There is a common story shared by Jerry Jeff, Jimmy Buffett, and Hank Williams Jr.; youth and wildness, plus talent, will make you wealthy enough to settle back and rest on your laurels. The old fans will be there for you and still identify as they settle into their own new, peaceful lives. Viva Lukenbach is a 360 from the drunken beer joint jam of the electrifying Viva Terlingua; the ballads ring with wisdom rather than despair, and the uptempo numbers chug along like a freight train but never threaten to derail. It would be false to say that this record is exciting, but hey ... comforting is not such a bad thing to be. And when there are tunes as strong as "Some Phone Numbers" and "I'll Be Here In the Morning," why quibble about a slower pace?

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