Viva Terlingua

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¡Viva Terlingua!
MCA Nashville
Producer	Michael Brovsky
Jerry Jeff Walker chronology
Jerry Jeff Walker (1972) ¡Viva Terlingua! (1973) Walker's Collectibles (1974)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

¡Viva Terlingua! is a

The Lost Gonzo Band as featured on the album included

.

The album captures the band early in their life, and their simultaneously laid-back and tight style contributes heavily to the album's enduring popularity. The Lost Gonzo Band in several forms and with myriad varying members continued as Walker's backing until his death. Notable tracks on the album include a now-famous and rollicking version of

" stations alike. The song's ribald lyrics, uptempo rock beat and firmly country-rooted instrumentation make it a prime example of the "outlaw" phenomenon.

Other covers include a somber cut of Guy Clark's "Desperados Waiting for a Train", the Michael Martin Murphey-penned drunkard's lament "Backslider's Wine", and Gary P. Nunn's own "London Homesick Blues", another "life of a country singer" song which endures on radio, well known for its chorus of "I wanna go home with the armadillo." It was played during the closing credits for the "Austin City Limits" TV show for years.

The remaining songs were all Walker originals, and except for "Little Bird," which appeared on Walker's debut album Mr. Bojangles, all make their recorded debut. The opener, "Gettin' By," is a semi-

reflection on Walker's haphazard recording and writing style as he describes how "I can see (then-MCA Records president) Mike Maitland pacin' the floor," but assures him, "Mike, don't you worry, something's bound to come out."

A bit of Texas tradition is captured in "

, and the titular potent potable. "Get It Out" and "Wheel", which both make their lone showings in Walker's recorded output here, are twin sides of the same coin: the first a declaration of defiant living, the second a meditation on the fragile and transitory nature of life.

The album inspired a

. However, Jerry Jeff Walker took legal issue with the album. After a name change to "Viva Terlingua! Compadres!" the album was released in March 2007.

Track listing

All songs by Jerry Jeff Walker except as noted.

1. "Gettin' By" – 4:01
2. "Desperados Waiting for a Train" (Guy Clark) – 5:47
3. "Sangria Wine" – 4:25
4. "Little Bird" – 4:10
5. "Get It Out" – 3:37
6. "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" (Live) (Ray Wylie Hubbard) – 4:32
7. "Backslider's Wine" (Michael Martin Murphey) – 3:34
8. "Wheel" – 6:00
9. "London Homesick Blues" (Live) (Gary P. Nunn) – 7:43

Personnel

• Jerry Jeff Walker - acoustic guitar, vocals
• Craig Hillis - electric guitar
• Bob Livingston - bass, backing vocals
• Herb Steiner - pedal steel
• Mickey Raipheld - blues harp
• Gary P. Nunn - piano, electric piano, backing vocals, organ on "Wheel", lead vocals on "London Homesick Blues"
• Kelly Dunn - organ, electric organ on "Wheel"
• Michael McGeary - drums, percussion
• Mary Egan - violin
• Joanne Vent - backing vocals

References