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 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.
Songs on the 1 hour, seven minute project include: 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
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)
