John Anderson - lead vocals, guitar
Mike Jordan - piano
Ax Lincoln - tack bass
Larry Emmons - bass
Jim Wolf - drums
Tom Morley - fiddle
Vern Pildren - lead guitar
Bucks Reed - pedal steel
Country music's John Anderson never became a household name outside of the country music scene, but he should have. He is credited with starting the "New Traditionalists" country movement, and he wrote some of best country songs to come out of the 1980s, including "Honky Tonk Angel" and "Chicken Truck," an up-tempo country rocker about a hot rodder stuck behind a slow moving farm truck on a two lane highway.
This show, captured for the Silver Eagle Cross Country radio broadcast series as part of New York's WHN 'Sundance' Radio series, features a myriad of Anderson tracks, bluegrass romps, and classic country covers. There's even a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" that would make Keith Richards proud. Anderson achieved a good balance of traditional country and the more modern country-rock sound that has now become the dominate style in that genre.
This, the first of two shows recorded on August 27, 1982, features a variety of originals from his first three studio albums. Anderson may not be the most charismatic live performer, but the man sure can sing old fashioned country blues. His remake of the Merle Haggard classic "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" is reminiscent of something Hank Williams Sr. would have done in his heyday. He also takes time to include some foot stompin' bluegrass music in this show, including a version of "Orange Blossom Special" and his own "Fox On The Run."
Other highlights include Anderson's take on the old Bob Willis classic "San Antonio Rose," and his country-blues version of the old Willie Dixon standard "You Can't Judge A Book (By The Cover.)" He also offers a great cover of "I Love You A Thousand Ways," which he dedicates to the late Lefty Frizzell.
