It is absolutely wild that it has taken until 2022 for an official live album documenting Kris Kristofferson at his peak. While there are a couple from late in his career (in 2003 and 2013), the only other release to this point was the fantastic Live at the Philharmonic, recorded in 1972 during his first bout of success as a songwriter-turned-performer. With the release of this 1981 set, we get a chance to hear the bookend for what was a tumultuous decade for Kristofferson. Recorded at the original "urban cowboy" honky-tonk, Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas, this set finds Kristofferson to be brimming with breezy musical confidence, at ease with his audience, and leading a tight and swinging band through fifteen of his best songs. Despite the era's fascination with all things shit-kicking and catchy, Kristofferson was at an absolute commercial nadir at the time, having released a series of albums that—although still stocked with his preternaturally incredible songwriting—never caught on with audiences. (It probably didn't help that it seemed like he was more interested in being a movie star than a country musician.) He was also at the end of his marriage to Rita Coolidge and his longtime record company (Monument) was on the verge of bankruptcy. Kristofferson could have easily phoned it in with the barest minimum of effort for a concert during this time, but here, he’s moving from strength to strength. Kicking off with his most iconic song, "Me and Bobby McGee," the 15-song set is focused and lean, with a nice assortment of classics ("Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "The Silver Tongued Devil and I") as well as then-newer numbers ("Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore," "Here Comes That Rainbow Again"). Throughout, Kristofferson and his band keep the energy high and vibes positive (in keeping with the atmosphere of the club) and the crowd responds with equal intensity (the squeals and screams from some more affectionate audience members are absolutely electric). The sound quality throughout is top-notch, but what really carries this set is the rock-solid performance of some of the best country music written in the 1970s. © Jason Ferguson/Qobuz