GREATEST HITS LIVE

When you think of great guitar players Clapton, Blackmore, Beck, and Page come to mind, but how often do you hear the name Steve Morse? I would be willing to bet not nearly enough. He is in my top ten all time great rock guitarists and his band, the DIXIE DREGS, is one of my favorites, they always have been. I do have an affinity for entertaining instrumental music performed by excellent musicians, and that is what the DREGS clearly define in my estimation. "King Biscuit Flower" consistently puts out quality performances and the DIXIE DREGS "Greatest Hits Live" just adds another to their long list.

In 1979, the band had three years into their recording career yet they had built up a head of steam and were playing at their optimum best. As the liner notes indicate, they were heady at that point but could back it up with incredible performances (200 per year) that matched and at times outdid their studio efforts.

After hearing an outstanding live recording such as this it came as no surprise to me they were able to duplicate and enhance their catalog of songs in front of an audience so brilliantly. They were indeed superb musicians that knew exactly how to present their unique brand of instrumental fire. They played a little bit of this and a little bit of that, to come up with one of the most unusual sounds available for the discerning ear yet not too complex and advanced for the average listener.

This CD is 12 tracks of prime and uncut DIXIE DREGS featuring a young guitarist that would soon become a legend in the eyes of his peers and fans alike. They were not a million selling blockbuster band, but one thing you could count on was innovative ground breaking instrumental fusion that nobody else was creating. I knew I discovered something special back in the early '80s when someone turned me on to their album "What If". This CD further validates my convictions that Steve Morse and the DIXIE DREGS continue to be an important cog in the ever-turning musical wheel.

Just a little warning : this album is EXACTLY THE SAME "Dixie Dregs - King Biscuit Flower Hour" Live 1977 (actually recorded in Philadelphia June 17th,1979) that is already well reviewed in your site. This new print has DIFFERENT COVER AND TITLE, but is the same recording of the same concert with exactly the same track listing and no further remastering. Two years ago I almost was deceived by the new package and was going to buy again this music thinking it was from a different concert, but then discovered I already owned that album in the previous format. Nonetheless it's a great performance with a pretty good (but not perfect) quality of mixing. Buy it in either of both covers, it's a great CD for any jazz-rock lover and especially for fans of this huge band. But the King Biscuit Flower Hour label changing cover and title certainly has some responsability in eventual mystakes by the aficionados.