This recording is of a live performance from country-music gal Alison Moorer. Her vocals are strong, gutsy and gritty, and perhaps occassionally pretty. She is joined on stage by her sister Shelby Lynne and friend Bob Ritchie (a.k.a. Kid Rock).
It's a nice album with good songs and a mighty fine performance, but---unfortunately---this opportunity for another great example of surround sound was mucked up in the mixing room. It's still good---and I think the recording is fine---but "Show" comes nowhere near the sonic recreation of a live atmosphere that do Alison Krauss & Union Station's or Sam Cooke's respective live albums in surround sound.
Instead, what we get is an energetic performance that sounds more like a studio creation than does it a live performance. Percussion hits unrealistically heavy in the surrounds. And Moorer's voice is anchored slightly more to the center channel than I'd have liked. It's not done to the extreme that is James Taylor's voice on the Hourglass SACD, but I'm not convinced the result I'm hearing is how it sounded at 12th & Porter in Nashville when it was performed.
So do I recommend "Show"? Yes, I do---but it's definitely not a must have. Allison Moorer has given us a pleasant album to listen to. I've certainly heard much worse. I guess I just had much higher expectations for this one.
