No other band has ever been subjected to the same kind of line-up flux as The Flying Burrito Bros and managed to produce such a fine body of work. Formed in Los Angeles in 1968, this country rock combo were in their seventh incarnation when they arrived in Holland less than four years later. In fact, by the time the band plugged in and played at the Concertgebouw in January 1972 the band contained no original members. Thankfully, the tapes were running that night and the resulting album Live In Amsterdam 1972 gets a loving, long overdue reissue for Record Store Day and on the strength of this recording, the line-up shifts haven’t hurt the band at all and this set remains a prime slice of Burrito Bros.

It’s hard to imagine the Experience without Jimi, or Van Halen without Eddie, so it’s a wonder that The Flying Burrito Bros continued minus legendary names such as Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon, Gram Parsons and “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow (amongst others). That they did is testament not only to some choice replacements but, more importantly, a stellar discography. Serving up 24 (29 on CD and download) Burrito classics and choice covers Live In Amsterdam 1972 perfectly illustrates why good songs will never go out of style. If proof were ever needed to the band’s vitality, then it is provided by the opening couplet of ‘Six Days On The Road’ and ‘The Image Of Me’, with the former being an explosive introduction that says all it has to in 45 succinct seconds, the latter a reflective number. It’s two sides of the same coin; the furious and the thoughtful, and it is the push and pull between the two that makes this album such an engaging listen.

What becomes most apparent when listening to these songs is their visionary nature; in cuts such as ‘I Already Know’, you can hear the genesis of what would become known as the “country rock” boom later in the decade. It’s as if the band were priming the public for the coming of the Eagles and their ilk, paving the way for them to become multimillionaires. Yet this music is visionary in a more cerebral way, too; these songs capture the very essence of their environment and should conjure images of golden sand beneath bruised-coloured skies as a highway stretches into the distance, and any of these cuts would make the perfect companion to a long road trip. In addition to The Flying Burrito Bros originals, this album shows both the band’s influence (The Rolling Stones’ ‘Wild Horses’) alongside their inspirations (Chuck Berry’s ‘Roll Over Beethoven’) giving the clearest indication yet of what constitutes a truly unique band.

Recorded on 14th January 1972 and released as a double live set the following year (in only a few territories) Live In Amsterdam gets the loving reissue it so thoroughly deserves and there’s never been a better time to rediscover this lost classic.

• Live In Amsterdam 1972 is released via Liberation Hall on 20th April 2024 (from here).

Track List:

Disc One:

1. Six Days On The Road
2. The Image Of Me
3. Four Days Of Rain
4. My Uncle
5. Bugle Call Rag
6. Shenandoah Valley Breakdown
7. Sing Me Back Home
8. I Already Know
9. White Line Fever
10. Why Are You Crying
11. Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms
12. The Salty Dog Blues

Disc Two:

1. Wild Horses
2. She Thinks I Still Care
3. The Wild Side Of Life
4. Reuben’s Train
5. Foggy Mountain Breakdown
6. Dixie Breakdown
7. Colorado
8. She Made Me Lose My Blues
9. Sin City
10. Christine’s Tune
11. Roll Over Beethoven
12. Six Days On The Road
13. Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down *
14. Oklahoma Breakdown *
15. Listen To The Mocking Bird *
16. Uncle Penn *
17. Orange Blossom Special *

* Bonus Tracks