Rating:
Genre:
Folk
Release Date: 09/12/2006
Steve Goodman, more than two decades after his death from leukemia, still retains a strong following among devotees of
folk-derived
singer/songwriters who also play a wicked acoustic guitar and happen to worship the Chicago Cubs. Posthumous
Goodman CD releases don't trickle out very often, but when they do, those fans grab them up quickly.
Live at the Earl of Old Town provides plenty of reasons for them to rejoice. Recorded in August 1978 at the Chicago club where
Goodman got his start (and not a reissue of his similarly titled debut album,
Gathering at the Earl of Old Town), the tape surfaced after decades stashed away. The recording boasts excellent sound quality, but more importantly it captures
Goodman at the peak of his artistry. His cleverness is in high gear in
"Men Who Love Women Who Love Men," the final word on sexuality-identity/open-mindedness tunes, and he's got the crowd in stitches with
Shel Silverstein's hysterical
"Three Legged Man." A tribute to
Goodman's wife,
"I Gotta Hand It to You," gives credit where it's due in a love song that's purely romantic while remaining devoid of sap.
Goodman's cover choices are never less than intriguing, either, while
country standards such as
Terry Fell's
"Truck Drivin' Man" and
Leon Payne's
"Lost Highway" (made famous by
Hank Williams) had already been covered by dozens of artists before
Goodman got to them, he managed to bring a fresh sparkle to them. Ditto the offbeat choice of
Bobby Day's '50s hit
"Rockin' Robin," to which he applies just enough
rock grit to assure that it's not the
Michael Jackson version he's aping.
Goodman's take on the
Harry Woods oldie
"Red Red Robin" (the evening's other robin-themed tune)is a welcomed excuse to indulge in some fancy fretwork of the
Doc Watson school (with a touch of
Django), and his bottleneck work on
Albert E. Brumley's oft-recorded
gospel classic
"I'll Fly Away," dueling it out with guest
Corky Siegel's harmonica, is stunning, renovating the song completely. Another special guest,
Jethro Burns (of
Homer & Jethro fame), lends his mandolin to
Goodman's
"Family Tree." And yes, of course, there's
"City of New Orleans," the song for which
Goodman is best remembered, via
Arlo Guthrie's 1972 hit cover.
Goodman treats it like any other number in his set, no special fanfare, yet it is, unsurprisingly, well-received by the faithful. He's saving his real enthusiasm for the show's penultimate performance, though:
"When the Cubs Go Marching In." Had he lived, he'd undoubtedly still be waiting for them to be in that number.
~Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
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