Album Review: Lonnie Mack – Live from Louisville 1992

Some would consider it a claim to fame while others would describe it as malpractice, but there’s no denying the Lonnie Mack was a pioneer in the hybrid musical form of blues rock. A guitar hero from a time when that role was a new one, Mack cut a distinctive figure with his signature instrument, a Gibson Flying V.

After early successes, the ‘60s rock era eclipsed his work, and he toiled in relative obscurity for several years. It wouldn’t be until the mid 1980s that Mack returned to a higher profile with his Alligator release, Strike Like Lightning. Co-produced with Stevie Ray Vaughan, that record introduced Mack to a new audience and connected the dots to remind everyone of his place as an influential innovator. Mack’s studio output counted only two more albums of new material after that: 1986’s Second Sight and Roadhouses & Dance Halls from 1988. But he continued gigging, and until now, 1990’s live release Attack of the Killer V has been the only official document of his late-period live work.

That has changed with the release of Live from Louisville 1992. Playing in front of an enthusiastic Kentucky audience, Mack was performing in support of Attack of the Killer V. But this new release is in no way a retread of that album; while the guitarist does play four songs from Attack, the Louisville versions are longer, filled with more guitar fireworks. Originally a radio broadcast, Live from Louisville 1992 is in some ways a superior document, showcasing not only Mack’s then-new material but taking the audience back in time to appreciate his earlier music.

Mack opens in fiery form with lightning fast guitar runs, introducing a medley of “Camp Washington Chili” and “If You Have to Know.” Pianist Denzil “Dumpy” Rice and bassist Bucky Lindsey both get opportunities to solo on this take that runs nearly three minutes longer than its Attack counterpart; not a moment is wasted. Mack coaches the audience ahead of playing “Satisfy Suzy,” and when he launches into the rousing tune, they shout out on cue; it’s a spirited performance with lively give-and-take.

While he was renowned for his blinding speed, Lonnie Mack’s prowess with sustained-note playing is showcased on the searing slow blues of “Got to Stop Hurting Me.” The album’s second medley serves up two of Mack’s early classics, a bluesy take on Chick Berry’s “Memphis” and Mack’s original “Wham!” Slowing things way down, Mack next delivers a pair of subtle yet powerful solo guitar-and-vocal performances, “Oreo Cookie Blues” and Second Sight’s “Tough on Me, Tough on You.” The latter’s descending melody is more than a little reminiscent of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” but with his rich and sonorous vocals, Mack makes it his own. The band returns as Mack wraps up the winning set with “Cincinnati Jail,” presented in lively extended form with plenty of guitar sizzle.

While the audio fidelity of Live from Louisville 1992 is a notch or two below that of Attack of the Killer V, listeners who appreciate Lonnie Mack’s spectacular gifts will most assuredly want to hear this newly-released archival recording.