Live At Gilley's

It is only fitting that the troubled and troublesome honky-tonker begins this 1985 set with George Jones's classic "I'm Ragged But I'm Right." This riveting document captures Johnny Paycheck at the cliff's edge: only two months later, following years of drug and alcohol abuse, his personal demons finally took over in an Ohio bar when Paycheck shot an argumentative stranger in the head. What this all means in terms of the crude, coarse music heard here is simple: his voice is shot to hell, his band is rough in spots, and yet the overall performance becomes all the more compelling because of it. It would be difficult to find music that is more unpretentious, genuine, and emotionally intense, especially on the heart-wrenching ballads. The show, originally broadcast for the Gilley's radio show, mixes Paycheck's own stark compositions, his biggest hits, and a number of select covers. --Marc Greilsamer