Too Late to Turn Back Now

With a reputation as a crack live unit, it's perhaps surprising that the New Grass Revival only released two official concert albums (and on one of those they shared the bill with Leon Russell). Recorded at progressive bluegrass stronghold Telluride, CO, Too Late to Turn Back Now followed two fine mid-'70s studio efforts, Fly Through the Country and When the Storm Is Over. The set kicks off with an energetic take on "Lonesome and a Long Way From Home," a song that shows off the group's splendid harmony. There's a long instrumental intro to the album's highlight, "With Care From Someone," an eight-minute extravaganza of wild vocals and lively solos. John Cowan offers his characteristic rock & roll take on "Watermelon Man" before tackling Fly Through the Country's ten-minute title track. While versions of both tunes are vigorous enough, the first is a bit rough around the edges while the second is way, way too long. Perhaps concertgoers "got into it," but at home, Sam Bush's slide mandolin sounds like an out-of-tune dobro. The seventh and final cut, "Red Man Blues," gives the band a chance to kick out the jams on an extended instrumental. Bush offers some strong, progressive fiddle work, and sounds as though he's ready to do a duet with Jean-Luc Ponty, while Curtis Burch turns in a bit of fancy flatpicking. Alas, though the results are pretty good, Too Late to Turn Back Now is over in a short time. Fans of the New Grass Revival's '70s lineup, however, will definitely want to add this live recording to their collections. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., Rovi