Washington, D.C.

In October of 2002, Tommy Womack and his band went into the XM Satellite radio studios and "accidentally" recorded an album. Accidentally, because there was no intention of releasing this session, that is, until they listened back to the tapes. This is rock & roll as worshipped at the Temple of Exile on Main St. These guys have attained the perfect Zen-like balance of loose and tight that only comes through years of playing together. How tight is this band? They recorded an album 50 minutes and 30 seconds long in 54 minutes, and the only thing missing is any between-song banter that may have taken place. No overdubs, no edits, no nothin'. This is a well-oiled rock & roll machine, with its twin guitars making a joyful racket and complementing each other nicely. Womack is a literate, occasionally brilliant songwriter who hasn't lost sight of what the best rock & roll is all about — three chords and a lot of attitude — and his band knows it too. No big pretense, no big hair, just four guys who would probably be doing the same thing in their garage if they weren't doing it on-stage (or in a radio station). This session presents Womack in a tougher, leaner setting than his studio albums, and he's well up to the task. This is what real rock & roll is all about. Highly recommended. [For further information, visit www.tommywomack.com]