Al Anderson – Pay Before You Pump
For a number of people, Al Anderson’s 1994 departure from the legendary NRBQ after 20 years was tragic. Just as Uncle Tupelo fans couldn’t imagine Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy in different bands, “Q”balls could never imagine that the parts would ever equal the sum of the whole. But just as Wilco and Son Volt have flourished independent of Uncle Tupelo, so have the new Q and the new Al Anderson survived on their own.
In the interim, Anderson has been extremely prolific writing songs in Nashville (including tunes for Hal Ketchum, the Mavericks, Shenandoah and Lari White), as well as touring in Carlene Carter’s band. But it’s this new album that will remind fans why they’ve cherished Big Al for over two decades. This is one fun rock ‘n’ roll album from start to finish.
Anderson’s trademark guitar sound dominates throughout. He’s got it tuned way down for a raunchy sound and has the volume turned way up loud. On tunes such as “Get Gone” and “That Thang”, his fingerpicking and guitar blasts are reminiscent of his most delirious NRBQ solos. Elvis Costello and Delbert McClinton sing backup on the danceable party number “Bang Bang Bang”. For a bit of variety, “Change Is Gonna Do Me Good” is a beautiful Muscle Shoals-esque ballad a la Clarence Carter, and “After The Mardi Gras” showcases Anderson’s love of New Orleans music, complete with zydeco accordion and boogie woogie piano. There’s also a couple of mid-tempo country-rockers on here.
All the songs on Pay Before You Pump were cowritten with some of Anderson’s favorite songwriters, among them Bill Lloyd, John Hiatt, Terry Anderson, Craig Wiseman and producer Scott Baggett. Lyrically simple, these songs are not out to change the world or inspire philosophical discussion; they’re just a little slice of life.
As a member of NRBQ, Big Al turned a lot of people onto country music, performing the songs of Johnny Cash, Skeeter Davis and George Jones, among others. As a Nashville songwriter, he’s proving his own talents with the country genre. But with Pay Before You Pump, Anderson proves he’s still one of the best rock ‘n’ rollers of our time.