''¡Viva Terlingua!'' is a

progressive country Progressive country is a subgenre of country music developed in the early 1970s.''Cosmic Cowboys and New Hicks: The Countercultural Sounds of Austin's Progressive Country Music Scene'', Stimeling, Travis David. History In the late 1960s and earl ...

album by

Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was best ...

and The Lost Gonzo Band. It was recorded in August 1973 at the Luckenbach Dancehall in

Luckenbach, Texas Luckenbach ( ) is an unincorporated community 13 miles (19 km) from Fredericksburg in southeastern Gillespie County, Texas. Named for German nobleman Jakob Luckenbach, who helped settle the Texas Hill Country in 1845, Luckenbach is known as ...

, and released three months later, in November 1973, on

MCA Nashville Records Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nashv ...

. The album captures Walker's strived-for "gonzo country" sound, a laid-back country base with notes of "outlaw" rock, blues, and traditional Mexican norteño and

Tejano Tejanos (, ; singular: ''Tejano/a''; Spanish for "Texan", originally borrowed from the Caddo ''tayshas'') are the residents of the state of Texas who are culturally descended from the Mexican population of Tejas and Coahuila that lived in the ...

styles. The album was mostly recorded live in the dancehall without an audience over several days, but two songs were recorded live with an audience. The Lost Gonzo Band as featured on the album included

Gary P. Nunn Gary P. Nunn (born December 4, 1945) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing "London Homesick Blues", which was the theme song for ''Austin City Limits'' from 1977 to 2004 (seasons 2–29). Nunn is also consi ...

and Kelly Dunn on keyboards (standard and electric

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and

Hammond B-3 The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

), Herb Steiner on

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

, Craig Hillis on electric and acoustic

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

Bob Livingston Robert Linlithgow Livingston Jr. (born April 30, 1943) is an American lobbyist and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Louisiana from 1977 to 1999. A Republican, he was chosen as Newt Gingrich's successor as Speaker of the U.S. H ...

on bass, Michael McGeary on

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

, country veteran

Mickey Raphael Michael Siegfried "Mickey" Raphael (born November 7, 1951) is an American harmonica player, music producer and actor best known for his work with Willie Nelson, with whom he has toured as part of The Family since 1973. He has performed or reco ...

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, and Mary Egan on

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, with Joanne Vent and many others contributing backup

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

. The album captures the band early in their life, and their simultaneously laid-back and tight style contributes heavily to the album's enduring popularity. The Lost Gonzo Band in several forms and with myriad varying members continues as Walker's backing to this day. Notable tracks on the album include a now-famous and rollicking version of

Ray Wylie Hubbard Ray Wylie Hubbard (born November 13, 1946) is an American singer and songwriter. Early life Hubbard was born in the town of Soper, Oklahoma. His family moved to Oak Cliff in southwest Dallas, Texas, in 1954. He attended W. H. Adamson High Schoo ...

's "Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother", a version which continues to receive airplay on free-form radio outlets today, both "

traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

" and "

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

" stations alike. The song's ribald lyrics, uptempo rock beat and firmly country-rooted instrumentation make it a prime example of the "outlaw" phenomenon. Other covers include a somber cut of

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet ...

's "

Desperados Waiting for a Train "Desperados Waiting for a Train" is a song written by Guy Clark and originally recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker for his 1973 album ''Viva Terlingua''. It subsequently appeared on Rita Coolidge's 1974 album '' Fall into Spring'', David Allan Coe's thir ...

", the

Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter best known for writing and performing Western music, country music and popular music. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including ''Cowboy Songs' ...

-penned drunkard's lament "Backslider's Wine", and Gary P. Nunn's own "London Homesick Blues", another "life of a country singer" song which endures on radio, well known for its chorus of "I wanna go home with the

armadillo Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along wi ...

." It was played during the closing credits for the "

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

" TV show for years. The remaining songs were all Walker originals, and except for "Little Bird," which appeared on Walker's debut album ''Mr. Bojangles'', all make their recorded debut. The opener, "Gettin' By," is a semi-

autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

reflection on Walker's haphazard recording and writing style as he describes how "I can see (then-MCA Records president) Mike Maitland pacin' the floor," but assures him, "Mike, don't you worry, something's bound to come out." A bit of Texas tradition is captured in "

Sangria Sangria (, es, sangría , pt, sangria ) is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. Under EU regulations only those two Iberian nations can label their product as Sangria; similar products from different regions are differ ...

Wine," a recollection of nights passed in the company of friends,

Mexican food Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and M ...

, and the titular potent potable. "Get It Out" and "Wheel", which both make their lone showings in Walker's recorded output here, are twin sides of the same coin: the first a declaration of defiant living, the second a meditation on the fragile and transitory nature of life. The album inspired a

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

of sorts, a nearly track-for-track remake called "Viva Terlingua! Nuevo!", recorded in the same location in January 2006. Many of the original Lost Gonzo Band members from the 1973 session appeared on the album, along with new artists who have become part of the " red dirt" or

Texas Country Texas country music (more popularly known just as Texas country or Texas music) is a rapidly growing subgenre of country music from Texas. Texas country is a unique style of Western music and is often associated with other distinct neighboring s ...

scene like

Cory Morrow Cory Morrow (born May 1, 1972 in Houston, Texas) is a Texas Country singer-songwriter who has gained popularity throughout the Southwest. Biography Morrow was born May 1, 1972 in Houston, Texas. He started playing guitar at Memorial High Sch ...

Jimmy LaFave Jimmy LaFave (July 12, 1955 – May 21, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. After moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaFave became a supporter of Woody Guthrie. He later became an Advisory Board member and regular performer ...

, and

The Derailers The Derailers are an American country music band based in Austin, Texas. They were founded by Portland, Oregon, natives Tony Villanueva and Brian Hofeldt in 1994. History The Derailers' first LP, ''Live Tracks'', was issued in 1995. It was the f ...

. However, Jerry Jeff Walker took legal issue with the album. After a name change to "Viva Terlingua! Compadres!" the album was released in March 2007.

Track listing

All songs by Jerry Jeff Walker except as noted. # "Gettin' By" – 4:01 # "

" (

) – 5:47 # "Sangria Wine" – 4:25 # "Little Bird" – 4:10 # "Get It Out" – 3:37 # "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" (Live) (

) – 4:32 # "Backslider's Wine" (

) – 3:34 # "Wheel" – 6:00 # "London Homesick Blues" (Live) (

) – 7:43

Personnel

*Jerry Jeff Walker - acoustic guitar, vocals *Craig Hillis - electric guitar *

- bass, backing vocals *Herb Steiner - pedal steel * Mickey Raipheld - blues harp *

- piano, electric piano, backing vocals, organ on "Wheel", lead vocals on "London Homesick Blues" *Kelly Dunn - organ, electric organ on "Wheel" *Michael McGeary - drums, percussion *Mary Egan - violin *Joanne Vent - backing vocals

References

{{Authority control Jerry Jeff Walker albums 1973 live albums MCA Records live albums