Search - Ruthie & the Wranglers, Ruthie & Wranglers, Ruthic & Wranglers :: Live at Chick Hall's Surf Club

Great Music from Rising Stars

Ray | G'Burg Maryland | 02/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This live album (sorry, showing my age)has captured better than any other what an evening at the honky tonks is like. From the rockin' swings to the "buckle polishing" slow dance ballads, it is as if you walked in, ordered a round of long necks and stayed till closing. The tracks are just wonderful. I don't know how Phil makes that guitar sound like a pedal steel but I am sure glad he does. Ruth's vocals rival the best in the biz and when Mark hits those low notes on "Folsom Prison Blues", you can feel your bones vibrate. It is all anchored by a rock-solid drum beat from Joel that never waivers, and never overpowers. The songs range from old (made fresh by Phil's licks)to the new ones Ruth has written, showing that there is a wonderful poetic brain behind that set of pipes. Buy this CD, grab your sweetie, and dim the lights. You can go out without going out (and no pesky troopers to worry about on the way home)."