Mary Gauthier
Album: Live At Blue Rock
Label: Proper
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.marygauthier.com

Mary Gauthier did not write her first song until she was thirty five years old; fifteen years and six studio records later she has released her first live album.

The official line is that it is "essentially a greatest hits" and it is true that many of her biggest songs are here; the autobiographical 'Drag Queens in Limousines', the compilation favourite 'I Drink' and the haunting 'Blood Is Blood' but, arguably her signature song, the title track from her 2005 album 'Mercy Now' is not listed.

There are two new tracks, both by Fred Eaglesmith (who also penned 'Your Sister Cried, the albums opener). 'The Rocket' is a sad song about an old man who knows all the names of the trains at the railway station including "number 29, the one they call The Rocket" which took his son to a war from which he didn't return. 'Cigarette Machine' is one of the albums standout tracks. Not only for the lyrics, which tell of someone calling the name of an ex-lover outside a mission, but also due to the ferocious fiddle solo by Tania Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and percussionist Mike Meadows do much to make this album. They do not try to overpower but at the same time are so much more than mere backing musicians and yet they cannot do anything about the one major flaw - there is not enough talking. The timing issues are obvious; 'Live At Blue Rock' is not far short of the maximum length of a CD and I guess that not many people would willingly sacrifice 'Kara Faye' or 'Sugar Cane' for an extended spoken intro but when I saw her play Bush Hall last week the explanation behind writing 'Last Of The Hobo Kings' was as compelling as the song itself.

After an hour it becomes apparent that there is either a printing error or one of those pesky hidden tracks lurking at the end of the album. The printing was fine and can you guess what snuck in as an encore? (You can't? really? allow me to refer you to paragraph 2). As befitting of the final track, 'Mercy Now' gets the full gospel choir treatment.

'Live At Blue Rock' is an album that will appeal to both the devout Mary Gauthier fan and the new listener looking for an introduction to her work.

John 'The Jacket' Hawes