Nrbq - In Frequencies

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 22 / 12 / 2020

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Review

A quintet for a short while, the New Rhythm & Blues Quartet (NRBQ) have released over thirty albums, many of them on the Rounder label. and have stayed healthy and cheerful since they formed in 1965. 1969 saw the release of their first single and album and this compilation begins with a soundcheck from October 1968. But then after that doesn't continue in chronological order. 'In Frequencies' hops, skips and jumps through five decades and some of the finest ever recorded American bar music. Playing blues, country pop and bopping bar jazz, NRBQ abstained from psychedelics so, for example. their alternate version of 'Everybody's Smokin' - originally on their 'Message for the Mess Age' album - is a warning rather than a propagation, although some NRBQ members lit one when no one was watching. Four tracks have appeared on record before, yet were extremely hard to find. On one of these - 'Sourpuss' from 1974 - the 'R' in NRBQ now actually stands for Ragtime, and it features this immortal line in the lyrics: "You've got the personality of an onion ring." This album is essential to devoted fans but a very good introduction to this prolific band, which is an American institution in its own right.

Track Listing:-

1 Dogwood Winter (Soundcheck Recording)
2 Get Real
3 Sho Need Love
4 Orioles
5 It’s A Wild Weekend (Soundcheck Recording)
6 Let Me Tell You ‘Bout My Girl
7 Love Came To Me (Live At WDET-FM)
8 We’ll Make Love (Live At Trinity College)
9 April Showers
10 That’s All
11 Everybody’s Smokin’ (Alternate Version)
12 Blues Stay Away From Me
13 My Dearest One
14 Sourpuss
15 Too Much (Live At The Pyramid Arena)
16 Chapel Of Love