Wanted Dead or Alive (David Bromberg album)

Wanted Dead or Alive is an album by

The title Wanted Dead or Alive is a play on words, referring to how the record was created. Side one of the LP was recorded in the studio with various musicians, including four members of the Grateful Dead − Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Keith Godchaux and Bill Kreutzmann. Side two was recorded live.^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[6]

Writing in Driftwood Magazine in 2011, Craig Harris said: "With their masterfully executed mix of America’s musical roots, the albums released by David Bromberg in the mid-1970s remain as much fun as they were more than a third of a century ago.... Reaching into what he does best, Bromberg came up with an album full of spirit, high energy and musical diversity. Opening with a galloping reprisal of "The Holdup", his collaboration with George Harrison, Bromberg and cohorts... rarely let up. While his vocals were anything but luscious, Bromberg's deep, growl-like singing made every word heartfelt. Showing the depths of his songwriting with four self-composed tunes... Bromberg uses the guitar picking styles that he had learned as a student and protégé of bluesman Reverend Gary Davis as springboards for discovery."^[4]

According to AllMusic, "Some of Bromberg's strongest and best-loved material can be found here, including "The Holdup", "Danger Man", "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair", "The New Lee Highway Blues" and Bob Dylan's "Wallflower"."^[1]

Track listing

Side one:

1. "The Holdup" (David Bromberg, George Harrison) – 3:03
2. "Someone Else's Blues" (Bromberg) – 8:00
3. "Danger Man" (Bromberg) – 3:05
4. "The Main Street Moan" (Bromberg) – 5:13

Side two:

5. "Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" (George Brooks) – 4:52
6. "Statesboro Blues" / "Church Bell Blues" (Blind Willie McTell / Luke Jordan, arranged by Bromberg) – 5:08
7. "Wallflower" (Bob Dylan) – 2:57
8. "
   Kansas City" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
   ) – 3:57
9. "The New Lee Highway Blues" (Bromberg) – 5:40

• David Bromberg – acoustic and electric guitar, lead vocals
• Steve Burgh – bass
• Peter Ecklund – trumpet, mellophone
• Joe Ferguson – alto and baritone saxophone
• Hungria Garcia – timbales
• Jerry Garcia – acoustic and electric guitar
• Keith Godchaux – piano
• Jeff Gutcheon – piano
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass
• Tony Markellis – bass
• Steve Mosley – bass
• John Payne – alto flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone
• Neil Rossi – fiddle
• Andy Statman – mandolin, tenor saxophone
• Jay Ungar – fiddle
• Winnie Winston – banjo
• Jack Lee – background vocals
• Andy McMahon – background vocals
• Tracy Nelson – background vocals
• The Sweet Inspirations
  – background vocals

Production

• Produced by: David Bromberg
• Production coordinator: George Eichen
• Horn arrangements on "Danger Man" and "Kansas City": Peter Ecklund
• Engineer, side 1: David Brown
• Engineers, side 2: Buddy Graham, Jerry Smith, Pete Weiss, Frank Laico
• Tape recordists: Louis Waxman, Lehman Yates
• Remix engineer: Tim Geelan
• Mastered by: Jack Ashkinazy
• Photography: Jim McGuire
• Album design: Karen Lee Grant
• Cover concept: Tony Markellis

References