Songs From The Road is a live album by Coco Montoya.

It was recorded live at two concerts in at the Trap Door in Seattle on August 17, 2012 and August 18, 2013.

While Montoya is known as a blues guitarist, this is a more soulful version of blues rock than you might expect. He helped the Cate Brothers with their Radioland studio album and you can see why they were such a good match.

While the songs are extended, he allows his band plenty of time to improvise so it doesn’t have as much guitar shredding as you’ll find on albums by fellow Bluesbreaker Walter Trout’s live albums.

Songs On Coco Montoya Songs From The Road

1. I Got a Mind to Travel – 5:21 (originally on the studio album Gotta Mind to Travel)
2. Hey Senorita – 5:45 (I Want It All Back)
3. Too Much Water – 6:09 (Gotta Mind to Travel)
4. The One Who Really Loves You – 8:43 (I Want It All Back)
5. Love Jail – 10:34 (Gotta Mind to Travel)
6. Don’t Go Makin’ Plans – 11:13 (I Want It All Back)
7. I Wish I Could Be That Strong – 7:09 (Can’t Look Back)
8. Fannie Mae – 7:45 (I Want It All Back)
9. I Need Your Love in My Life – 6:00 (Suspicion)
10. Good Days, Bad Days – 15:39 (Suspicion)
11. I Want It All Back – 10:35 (I Want It All Back)
12. I Won’t Beg – 5:52 (Can’t Look Back)
13. You’d Think I’d Know Better by Now – 8:32 (Ya Think I’d Know Better)
14. My Side of the Fence – 8:23 (Just Let Go)

This is a varied selection from Montoya’s studio albums going back to 1994 to the 2010 release of I Want It All Back but there’s nothing from Dirty Deal.

Montoya’s got a fine voice for singing smooth blues than reminds me of Robert Cray.

Keyboards often carry the tunes which allows Montoya to relax into his singing until he cuts loose with the guitar.

Playing on the album are:

Coco Montoya – lead vocals and lead guitar
Brant Leeper – keyboards and backing vocals
Nathan Brown – bass
Rena Beavers – drums and backing vocals

I like the contrast provided between guitar and keyboards and I appreciate the fact that it’s different from the normal blues rock live album dominated by frenzied guitar playing. There’s a time and a place for each.

In some ways it reminds me of Warren Haynes solo live album Live At The Moody Theater that disappointed some of the Gov’t Mule fans who didn’t like the female backing singer and so much saxophone. or people who didn’t like the Eric Clapton albums of the mid to late 1970s because they wanted more Cream and Derek and the Dominos.

Too Much Water live in 2013

I Want It All Back again from 2013

I recommend the Songs From The Road album highly to anyone who wants a mellow bluesy album with a soulful feel to it.

What Other People Say

The reviews from Amazon are quite diverse and I can understand that. I think it’s a Coco Montoya album that will create very differing opinions based on the assumptions that are made going into buying it.

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Buying Songs From The Road

It is available from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – iTunes – eBay

These links will help you get to the albums quickly and easily but I recommend that you still search for the best deal.

What Do You Think?

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If You Like This…

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You can see the complete list of readers polls at Live Album Polls