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Museum pieces and old photos aren't supposed to be this fresh and alive.
They're supposed to be dusty, cobwebby, cracked, yellow and glum—something that reminds us of what was, not what is or can be.
But the second volume of classic covers from Calgary's The Co-Dependents, recorded during a June 2001 session at the since immolated Mecca Cafe, is as bright, vital and vibrant an album of roots music as you're likely to hear.
Like the first, this stunning 18-song set captures a group of musicians and a venue at the height of their powers.
The Co-Ds — Steve Pineo, Tim Leacock, Boss Watson and the legendary Billy Cowsill — rock and rollick their way through tracks each as Blue Bayou, Return to Sender, Only the Lonely and The Ballad of John & Yoko.
Cowsill, especially, sounds incredible and formidable — we forget his recent health and emotional setbacks and simply marvel in that timeless, twangy voice.
And the band?
If there's been a better, tighter collection of talent put together in this city, it's impossible to remember.
Add to that the setlist — itself a historical reference come to life — and a warm earthy charm to the production and you have, in this Volume 2, something more than worth remembering.
It's worth living again and again.
The Co-Dependents Live at the Mecca Cafe Volume 1 and 2 are available at Megatunes or by contacting Indelible Music via their website www.indeliblemusic.com.
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