Sunday Rewind: Martin Sexton – Live Wide Open
Sunday Rewind is a weekly series dedicated to highlighting records that you probably don’t have in your collection, but definitely should.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the Sunday Rewind series will feature a good share of live records. One of the finest live records that I’ve ever heard is Martin Sexton’s Live Wide Open.
If you’ve never listened to Martin Sexton, you are missing out on one of the greatest virtuosi of our time, as he is not only an extremely unique and talented vocalist, but he is also a top tier guitarist. The album was recorded in 2000 and features all-time classics from the up-til-then Sexton catalog. Of particular note are scintillating takes on ‘Beast in Me’ and ‘Gypsy Woman’, both veering far from their studio versions in the best of ways. The album is a perfect picture of just how difficult it is to classify Sexton’s music – at times rooted in rock, other times in folk, funk, soul, or the blues.
Throughout the double LP, the listener is witness to Sexton’s bear-it-all style singing and storytelling. A man who has dealt with some personal demons head on, Live Wide Open documents his rebuke of those demons, and we are all the benefactors. This is one that you don’t think twice about.
Once you get done giving this record a spin, you’ll tell yourself that you need to see the man live, stat. Well lucky for you, Martin Sexton hits the road to support his latest album Sugarcoating on March 16th. The dates are here.
5 Stars – Mick
Buy the Live Wide Open CD from Sexton’s store here.
Buy it from iTunes here.
There was no video or audio available from the Live Wide Open record to insert into the post, but this video still shows Marty live in action, accompanied by some great solo work from John Mayer (don’t care how you feel about Mayer – this ain’t about him right now, dig?)
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