Robert Cray Band, Live From Across The Pond (Nozzel/Vanguard)


It seems young Bob has found himself another record label again. Recorded at Royal Albert Hall in London, England, (I’m guessing some time in the last year), Cray and band hopscotch through an amazingly creative repertoire that dates back over two decades, and 16 albums by my count. (Jeez, where do the years go?) Appropriately, the set opens with “Phone Booth,” the title of the CD that launched Cray’s career back in the early 1980s. Other early recreations include “Right Next Door (Because Of Me)” and “I Guess I Showed Her,” both from the Strong Persuader album. Cray nails some blues to the wall on “12 Year Old Boy,” gets introspective on, “I Was Warned,” and gets down right pissed off on, “I’m Walking.” Being that he was touring behind his previous CD, “Poor Johnny” is in the mix, as is the title track, “Twenty” which addresses the mess Bush/Cheney/Rumsfield and company created in Iraq. Quite surprisingly, Cray’s huge hit, “Smoking Gun,” isn’t heard here. I’d have hoped at least one new original tune or a quirky cover might have been included, but none was forthcoming. Also, Cray and band occasionally sound tight—as in nervous. The reason being the lack of response from the English audience. Cray tries to fire up the blokes, but there’s often awkward dead silence between some of the songs. This won’t remind you of BB’s Live At the Regal, or Muddy’s At Newport, but from beginning to end, it’s a solid release.