Listen y'all

Live Taking the Stage

Pure Prairie League RCA

Recorded in various locations around. New York, Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri, this double live album reflects the hold that country rock still has in America. This is hardly surprising when you consider how the music is rooted in their American traditions and is part of their continuing way of life. For a non-American, rock can only be something exotic; but for an American, blues, country and rock are that country's musical heritage, and this gives American music its feeling of ongoing continuity.

Pure Prairie League are directly descended from the Allman Brothers Band and the many others who fused blues and country elements to produce what has come to be known as Southern Rock.

They play a formula made up of country melody over a rock Base, mostly medium tempo, breaking things up with the occasional hard rocker or an interlude of frantic picking.

A lineup of two guitars, piano, steel guitar, bass and drums makes for a wide range of moods and sounds within the limitations of the genre.

There are no surprises with this kind of music. Either you like it or you don't.

Pure Prairie League play mainly original material — Buddy Holly's That'll Be The Day is an exception. Included is a humorous tribute to Merle Haggard, arch-redneck country star.

Throughout the album there is outstanding playing from lead guitarist Larry Goshorn and pedal steel guitarist John David Call, who plays banjo on Pickin' to Beat The Devil and dobro on Kentucky Moonshine.

Musically, Pure Prairie League are more successful than many at transferring the "high, lonesome sound" of country music to rock. As entertainers they are as fine a bunch of southern gentlemen as you could hope to hear on stage; aswering the enthusiastic yells of the crowd with "Thanks y'all!, Mighty fine!"

Four sides may be a bit too much for all but the truly dedicated country rock fan, however the album includes some quality picking and singing.

Mighty fine, y'all.

A. Delahunty