Shooter Jennings

The Other Live

BCR Nashville, 2014

Shooter Jennings, who has been just as ignored by country music radio as his famous daddy was, decided to get on with a music career anyway and wear the tread off of some tires, and earn himself an audience the old fashioned way.

This is his second live release and there is very little about this disc which seems calculated or commercial. With some rock, country, blues, pastiched with psychedelia and even some grunge he’s

not merely cruising on auto-pilot of his families name and reputation. He culls songs from his six studio albums, and a few choice covers as well, most interestingly, an extended workout of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.” The band attacks the piece with a free jazz sense of abandon, with squalling guitars and thrashing drums that comes apart before putting itself back together.

“Mama, It’s Just My Medicine,” is a tongue in cheek reflection on self-medication, and “Old Friend,” is a bit of Americana, reminiscent of daddy Waylon. As is the decision to include “Isis,” by Bob Dylan. When Waylon came to Nashville, he was considered to be Country music’s answer to Dylan.

The Other Live is testament to Shooter Jennings and a live band who’ve been working it double time for a long time, undaunted by what lies ahead.

-BR-