Doug Sahm and His Band

Supported by the venerable Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, Sahm got to make this album his way — from song selection, to choice in musicians, and even cover art (the cartoon drawing of Sahm and his pals is classic, and highly accurate). The idea was to more or less replicate Sahm’s celebratory concerts, which involved an ever-evolving cast of longtime friends, and usually included freewheeling detours through Sahm’s musical history, including stops in R&B, country, blues, funk and even jazz. The result is an ambitious but amazingly earthy affair. Nothing here feels forced, and it never sounds like the musicians are having anything less than the time of their lives. Sahm had an exceptional ability to keep things loose while also tying it all together. His reading of “(Is Anybody Going To) San Antone” became the definitive version, while “It’s Gonna Be Easy” epitomizes Sahm’s patented songwriting style. At the same time, his personality shone through on cover versions—especially Bob Dylan’s “Wallflower” (co-sung with Dylan), T-Bone Walker’s “Papa Ain’t Salty” and Willie Nelson’s “Me and Paul.”