Nothin' But the Truth
Newcomers to journeyman rockabilly and honky-tonk crossbreed Sleepy LaBeef should check out Peter Guralnick's loving essay inLost Highway. Guralnick's piece makes it clear why LaBeef still matters decades after his heyday. This live set from 1985, recorded at Harper's Ferry Club in Boston, evidences the titanic force of his vocals and band leadership and his ability to reorganize classic country material. Beginning with a tumultuous "Tore Up over You" and closing with a breakneck medley of "Jambalaya," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Let's Turn Back the Years," "Hey Good Looking," and "Folsom Prison Blues," LaBeef comes across like a timeless and unstoppable force of nature.--Roy Kasten