While their debut album seemed intent on showcasing how
seriously The Flying Burrito Brothers took American roots music, they allowed
themselves to loosen up and rock a lot more on their second disc. If there is a
defining sound of Burrito Deluxe, it
is the rumble of Chris Hillman and (especially) new-recruit Michael Clarke’s
rhythm section. They deliver the same hard-driving boogie that made The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo a true country-rock record. In fact, the guys even
resurrect “Lazy Day”, a tough Sweetheart
of the Rodeo outtake. They also overdrive Dylan’s “If You Gotta Go, Go Now”
into something approaching country-punk and have the distinction of being the
first band to release a version of “Wild Horses”. You know you have a tough
album on your hands when a Rolling Stones cover is its most delicate track.
Because of its unflagging chutzpah, Burrito Deluxe is a more immediately likable album than the subtler
and more elegant The Gilded Palace of Sin
and Intervention Records’ new vinyl reissue really highlights the bottom that
makes the album move. The throbbing bass on “older Guys” will knock you off
your hay bale. The 180-gram disc was
mastered from a half-inch safety copy of the original master tapes using an
all-analog process. Attention to detail inside and outside the sleeve is strong…dig
the slick foil lettering on the cover.
