David Allan Coe - Live at Billy Bob's Texas
David Allan Coe's annual performances at Billy Bob's Texas draw fans of all ages, and this enjoyable concert finds the singer-songwriter acknowledging his diverse audience with frequent references to old pals (Waylon Jennings) and new (Kid Rock). Coe's set even includes Jennings's concert staple, "Storms Never Last," and a pair of simple boogie shuffles that Coe (with apparent pride) co-wrote with Rock. Memory, and overbearing self-lionizing, are key to Coe's show. That strategy has a downside: There's a suite of six or seven songs (including "Nothin' to Lose" and "When I Was a Young Man") that amounts to a bluesman's bragging rights. Much better are the shattering "Heaven Only Knows" and "Lay My Money Down," which breaks Coe's lean, country-rock monotony with welcome bluegrass textures. Coe's "Take This Job and Shove It," a massive hit for Johnny Paycheck, becomes more than a novelty song in its composer's hands.--Tom Keogh