David Lindley w/Wally Ingram – Live In Europe

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Live In Europe

The logical followup to the Lindley/Ingram Twango Bango studio CDs, this live counterpart features even better sound quality – with more definition, hotter drums, and fuller bass without sounding muddy. As for the playing, it hardly needs to be restated that David Lindley is the master of all things stringed, and Wally Ingram is the one of the few drummers who can match him bang for twang. Lamar Sorrento’s cover painting, depicting the pair with about six arms each, plucking and beating various instruments, is fitting because that’s what these two sound like. And if you ever thought studio trickery was involved in their efforts, this puts such suspicions to rest.

All of the songs here have been featured on previous discs, but since Lindley has as much music in his head as he has instruments in his arsenal, he seems to approach the material fresh every time. The repertoire ranges from Professor Longhair, New Orleans rumba (“Her Mind Is Gone”) to up-the-road zydeco (“Bon Ton Roulet”) – both played on Weissenborn slide – to Hookeresque boogie (“When a Guy Gets Boobs”), played on electric oud.

“Meti’s Reel” is the kind of amalgam of Celtic and Middle Eastern influences only Mr. Dave can conjure up – going beyond Sandy Bull’s groundbreaking excursions of the early ’60s (which is saying something). Similarly, the Appalachian/Middle Eastern “Little Sadie” is like falafel with a side of grits – resulting in an unexpectedly tasty delicacy.

But David and Wally wouldn’t merit their moniker of “The Beavis & Butthead of World Music” if they didn’t serve up a few songs as cheesy as their polyester garb, like “Catfood Sandwiches,” an ode/warning about backstage cuisine. I’m sure we can all relate to lines like, “We got the catfood sandwiches waiting for me backstage/And the woman who made ’em looks just like Jimmy Page.”

To get this, go to davidlindley.com or one of Lindley’s gigs. But don’t let the DIY aspect fool you; this is world-class stuff in every respect.



This article originally appeared in VG‘s March ’05 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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