Search - Ronnie Lane :: Live in Austin

Brave Face Forward

Ed Mayberry | Texas | 01/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I produced many of the radio recordings used in making up this CD, so my prejudice may show. But this is a fine collecton of music by the heart and soul of the Faces and Small Faces, who died in 1997 after years of living with multiple sclerosis. Ronnie always wanted to record another album, and this collection of songs--many unavailable in any other form--represents the music he had been working on during the last years of his life. The tracks are from various broadcasts on two different Austin, Texas radio stations, featuring different bands Ronnie played with while living in Austin. Some songs feature the great sax of Rolling Stones sideman Bobby Keys, like the Faces classic "You're So Rude" and "Chicken," which he originally recorded with the late Steve Marriott. There are interview bits with fellow Faces and Small Faces member Ian McLagan from an historic Valentine's Day broadcast (in which Ronnie also had Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Ron Wood, Bill Wyman, Pete Townshend and other friends contributing by making song requests). "Annie" and "Ooh La La" were especially recorded for that radio special. Another live radio show yields a great new live version of "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" a song which Lane once contributed to a Disney movie soundtrack. Ronnie is one of the greatest souls I've ever known. My wife Terry and I named our new son after him. I hope the musical Ronnie Lane is looking down, and likes what we've done."

Ronnie's Last Stand

Carlo Matthews | Been Moving Around | 11/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ronnie Lane's last recordings while living in Texas -- nearly all radio appearances -- include some of the greatest renditions of some of his best-loved songs. Despite struggling with MS, we find Ronnie in fine humor, chatting away hilariously with the radio hosts, his band, and none other than Ian MacLagan, who phones in to reminisce about some of the tracks. The bulk of the album, a good 60 minutes of it, consists of the songs themselves, sung by Ronnie and played by various bands. To begin, Ronnie's voice is only slightly affected by MS on a couple of tracks where, if one really strains and pays close attention, he begins to warble a word here and there ("Nowhere To Run" comes to mind). Besides that, no problem whatsoever. Ronnie is not only in tune and highly expressive throughout, but he is also a little huskier and warmer in his singing, qualities that mix well with his band arrangements.Although Ronnie's bands change (no more than thrice, if that) throughout the album, the empathy, sensitivity, and capability of each musician is indisputable. Mostly armed with fiddle, accordion, bass, and acoustic guitar plus drums, the bands do a briliant job in couching Lane's songs in earthy yet tasteful backdrops that highlight the emotional dimension of the music. Among the true gems here, we have "Kustchy Rye," "Roll On Babe," "Rio Grande," and absolutely knock-out versions of the brilliant "The Poacher" and a country-ish "Ooh La La" with Lane signing to acoustic guitar and fiddle.Of all albums released by Ronnie Lane, "Live In Austin" is his most intimate, intense, and authentic in reflecting a one-of-a-kind personality in all its charm."

A labour of love

Steve Vrana | 07/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Musically this is not one of the great Ronnie Lane albums, the sound quality is not too bad, but to be honest by the 1980s Ronnie's voice had coarsened a bit and he had lost the fragility and vulnerability that characterized his singing with the Faces and with Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance. However, if you are already a fan this is definitely worth buying -- the record company have done a fantastic job in selecting songs and interview clips and the CD is beautifully packaged with an informative booklet. It is a real labour of love. Ronnie comes across as an extremely nice guy and utterly without self-pity. It is very hard to listen to this without shedding a tear."