Live At The Continental & Esplanade

Paul Kelly's seventh U.S. release is his first domestic live album, and it provides a good sampler of his work, accompanied by a full band rather than the acoustic sets he was playing in America recently. The basic approach, like many singer-songwriters, is melodic folk-rock with electric guitar for bite and often caustic lyrics. Thus, "God's Hotel" is a twangy reflection on bigotry, and "To Her Door" is a catchy tune about marital discord. Kelly turns to country music, complete with pedal steel, on "Somebody's Forgetting Somebody, Somebody's Letting Somebody Down," but with a punk edge. "Dumb Things," one of his best songs from the Messengers days, retains the feel of a Dire Straits shuffle. One might have wished that, in the live context, Kelly might have displayed more of his personality and not just performed one song after another. But his show is a true representation of his work, and as such, though not his best album, this is one that will give the listener an idea of what to expect on his other ones. ~ William Ruhlmann