Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 02/06/2007
For their second album,
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers didn't provide another studio effort -- they came out with this engaging live album, which was recorded at shows in Denver in 1999 and Tempe, AZ, in 2000. That was an interesting and unexpected move; many bands won't even think about providing live albums until they have several studio albums under their belts. Most of the twangy songs on
Real to Reel appeared on the Arizona
roots rockers' debut album,
Honky Tonk Union, including
"Tell Yer Mama," "West Texas Moon," and
"Jack Vs. Jose" (a humorous number that finds an Arizona man telling a Memphis barmaid that, while Jack Daniels whiskey might be the hard liquor of choice in the Deep South, Jose Cuervo tequila reigns supreme in his home state).
Clyne and his colleagues also perform a few
Refreshments songs (
"Horses," "Una Soda") and an inspired version of
Steve Earle's
"Feel Alright." Anyone who appreciated the earthy, down-home, southwestern ambience that defined
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers' first album will find that
Real to Reel is quite faithful to the spirit of its predecessor. The main difference between
Honky Tonk Union and
Real to Reel is the fact that the band has a harder, tougher edge on-stage than it does in the studio.
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers bring a lot of enthusiasm to these performances, and
Real to Reel is not only a consistently appealing document of their live show -- it is arguably their best release.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide