The Fillmore East show captured on this
Authorized Bootleg occurred on November 7, 1970, not long after
Gram Parsons and
Chris Ethridge left
the Flying Burrito Brothers and were replaced by
Rick Roberts and
Bernie Leadon. Head
Burrito Brother Chris Hillman rounded out this lineup with
Byrds drummer
Michael Clarke and legendary steel guitarist
Sneaky Pete Kleinow, all of which means that while this lineup lacked the star power of
Parsons, it nevertheless packs considerable musical punch, the band sounding assured, in no way suggesting it's a group whose lineup is in flux. Apart from a few covers -- the storming closer “Six Days on the Road,” the instrumental “Dixie Breakdown,” and a nicely grooving “Willie and the Hand Jive” -- and the
Roberts original “Feel Good Music,” the set list is culled entirely from the first two
Burrito albums, slightly emphasizing faster material that suits a band whose playing is as propulsive as a motorcycle. And that’s the truly distinctive thing about this performance: its sheer velocity.
The Burrito Brothers play like they have something to prove, hitting the chords harder on the rockers and never mellowing on the ballads. For those who love the 1972 live LP
Last of the Red Hot Burritos, this is arguably a bit better; for anybody who tends to write off the post-
Parsons Burritos, it’s a revelation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine