Betty's Self-Rising Southern Blends, Vol. 3

Ravens Reels Almanac Cinco De Betty!! When you're blessed with the most brilliant ears in the business and two previous volumes of her magical mixes of bliss, every time you play one of her releases should be considered a holiday. This date has been on every true freakers calendar for quite some time now and it's finally here! Volume 3 (Betty's Self-Rising Southern Blends) is available everywhere today and oh what a collection it is. I could hardly contain myself on the eve of this release and, like everyone else, I'll be listening to this glorious compilation on repeat all day. All WEEKEND!! To have someone with such historic knowledge of cool, cosmic California music as Betty on our side is something for which we should all give thanks. Her Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band captures have shaped our musical landscapes for decades and someday, when they are probing this planet for signs of previous civilizations, we will all be proud to have her name attached to these archival releases from a band who's music will live on through space and time. So today the Almanac takes our own look at "Betty's Blends Volume 3"thru these custom Freak Flag colored glasses. The album opens with our synth-lord Adam following the bass line into "I Ain't Hiding" and right away BCJ's three dimensional vision is projecting the funk and ferocity of this live take deep into your skull. "Got Love If You Want It" strolls in next and CR leads us through an unchaperoned sock hop until the band eventually explodes into a kaleidoscopic rave up fitting of any down South Union Hall on a Saturday Night. The rails we ride are fueled by love and light as we crisscross the country via "Clear Blue Sky/Good Doctor" which finds the band skipping through various time changes with grace and ease until we come to the songs closing movement which I've long singled out as not only one of my favorite four minutes of CRB, but also one of their most beautifully stunning and cinematic. This one doesn't disappoint as Neal glides in, breathing life into every note of this gorgeous guitar passage that is THE sound of a "blood red sunrise". Slim Harpo is all over this record and the Brotherhoods magical incarnation of "The Music's Hot" allows us to bop and step right into a sun-soaked "Roan County Banjo" where our Wizard is again busy in his lab helping the band take flight powered by his various potions and powders. The mix once again stands out here as every instrument finds its place in the soundscape and you can honestly see yourself walking between band members and examining the sound from every angle. "I'm A Hog For You" taps back deep into the get down and once CR pulls his harp we are sailing the freak friendly skies once again, lost in the moment and the magic of Betty's world. We then turn our star gaze to the bright and blissful "Oak Apple Day" where the keys woozy warble is accompanied by Neal's masterful guitar reflections and eventually Adam's laser burns and blows the core to pieces. It's a tremendous version that is flawless in feeling and tone and tumbles seamlessly into Tony's tight and potent intro to "Get Out My Life Woman". CR bleeds some southern soul all over this cover of Lee Dorsey's classic done with all the grace and style of Toussaint's timeless Dixieland take. "Honeysuckle Interlude" sets up a vicious blaze through "Ride" which contains this live compilations first major jam sequence. It also has a really cool traveling section that takes us into CR's wicked call and the razor like riff that gets wrapped in harmony and closes the song. This opens up into "Tales Of Thunder Teeth" which is the albums biggest exploratory piece and a jam that most of you diehards will recognize right away. The bands style of cosmic soul is again out front in the sway of "Girl I love You" and only momentarily slows things down before the tempo quickens for a closing dance with Dylan's "She Belongs To Me". I dare you to find someone who does Dylan better than this band and with everyone getting off and back on together one last time it's a fitting way to end this batch of Betty's boogie. In Betty we trust! Freak On!!

Another absolutely wonderful live release by this super talented band. Have all CRB releases and they just keep getting better and better. Betty is a freakin' genius.

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