5 Live Hits By Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen (with His Lost Planet Airmen)

This was their first recording for Warner Bros. after leaving Paramount. With songs by Hoyt Axton, Lowell George, as well as plenty of contributions from Farlow, Tichy, Barlow, and all the rest, this is another good outing for the wild boys. The Tower of Power horn section lends a hand, making their big sound even bigger. Their cover of "Don't Let Go" is outstanding and "House of Blue Lights" never rocked or shuffled and twanged the way the Airmen do it. With plenty of hillbilly stuff to go around, "California Okie" stands proud. A tip of the hat to the South is found on "That's What I Like About the South." "Keep on Lovin' Her," "Hawaii Blues," and "Four or Five Times" are also wonders to behold. "Willin'," done up right here, fits the band perfectly. This Lowell George tune is a standard, and when the Airmen did it their way they gave a whole new meaning to the song. One more time, this band holds all the aces and plays every hand with a poker face that just won't quit. Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen knew exactly what they were doing.