Goose Creek Symphony
The Goose is Loose
Myyyy
Recorded in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the Market Street Performance Hall over the course of a three night stand in 1994, this recording was originally released in 1995, as a limited-edition pressing of 5000 signed and numbered copies that were snapped up very quickly by the Gooseheads. A somewhat abbreviated single CD version has been available since then, but this is the whole deal. This is the Goose in all their feathered glory. All-in-all, this is absolutely one of the best live albums in its genre. The production and musicianship is excellent by anyone’s standards.
The Goose Creek Symphony is – in my opinion – THE definitive “hillbilly rock and roll” band. They’ve been around for over 30 years, and have shared the stage with many of the legends of rock and roll. They even shared a bill with Jimi Hendrix at The Atlanta Pop Festival.
If you went to a show to hear Goose Music in the early 1970s, and caught them live next week, you’d find that not a lot has changed, set-wise. Their shows draw heavily from the old catalog, with a few new gems added in here and there. These old songs never sound tired, though, and Goose shows are as much an event as a concert. Charlie Gearheart’s son Travis has grown up to be one of the best soundmen in the business and he is a fixture at the shows – as is the Atmospheric Technician that I mentioned in a live review here in InK19 a couple of years ago.
Goose Creek still tours today, and their live shows are as good as or better than their recordings, but their touring as of late has generally been limited to about three-dozen shows a year within a rather small regional circuit in the Southeast. If you live in Kentucky, Tennessee, or the Carolinas, you’ll get regular opportunities to experience the Goose, but if you don’t, this CD this is the next best thing to being there. Distribution of this CD – like their touring – is limited, so you’d probably have better luck ordering online from the Web site.
Goose Creek Symphony: http://www.goosecreeksymphony.com
