Son Volt

With last year’s Okemah & The Melody Of Riot, Jay Farrar proved that the completely reconstituted Son Volt could still faithfully deliver the original band’s moody country-rock sound. This show, filmed last September in Asheville, North Carolina, showed that they could cut it live also. A hefty 31-song set list goes even further than the original band could, dipping into material from Farrar’s solo albums, as well as a fair sampling from every other phase of his career. Sonically, the band is in top form, with lead guitarist Chris Frame looking like Mick Taylor from Exile-era Stones and laying out solos with equally effortless virtuosity. Visually, however, there’s not much to hold one’s attention. The stoic Farrar could never be accused of being a "performer” and the uninspired camerawork does little to add any excitement to the presentation. Fans will have to be satisfied with excellent renditions of nearly every great song Farrar has written since Uncle Tupelo’s demise. (Transmit Sound/Sony Legacy)