A Genuine live album full of sweat and hard-edge country

Even without a shred of evidence, having never heard a Grant Langston studio album, it’s hard to believe that they can come close to catching the untamed energy of this live album. There are bands that flourish in the studio and then there are those, which surely include Grant Langston and The Supermodels, who feed off the audience almost as a parasite hoes its host. Songs like Baby, It’s Raining were born to be played live, it’s not note on note or technically perfect - which is another way of saying it hasn’t had the life produced out of it - instead it fizzes and crackles with the promise of a night to remember.

This is also a true live recording, one night, one go, it’s not the “best” culled from a series of gigs, which seems to defeat the object of recreating, as near as possible, the gig experience, warts and all. And there lies the essence of Live in Bakersfield, hard living country music, with the sweat stains visible, played to an audience who have come to be entertained. There is a bright twinkle in the eye of Grant Langston and his Supermodels; Him or ME for one follows the grand tradition of country-rock songs, substituting hearts and flowers for something altogether eartheir and meatier.

It would also be an injustice to neglect the Supermodels. A most uncountry-like name hides a tight, aggressive collection of musicians. Langston hasn’t gathered together a rag tag band of sidemen, happy to stand in the shadows, drummer Troy Harkins, bass player Josh Fleeger, and guitarist Larry Marciano is a summit of equals. the challenge for all is to not be left behind.

The staple diet of Live in Bakersfield is unyielding, uncompromising country-rock, epitomised perfectly by Divorce Number One but as Koreatwon and Broken Clocks demonstrate, it’s also got as much heart as passion. Langston doesn’t appear to be a natural balladeer but what he lacks in silky smoothness, he more than compensates for with soul and intergrity.  He’s a singer it’s easy to believe in and one it’s even easier to live with. But this is an album built on crowd pleases like Burt Reynolds Movie Brawl  - one of three new songs and one which is pretty much what the title suggests it should be - Working Man Blues, the decidely un-PC Ugly Women and Walk of Shame, this is not an album you’re going to waste your time analysing.

what LIB does have is a real timeless quality but not the tired reheat variety, this is a band that loves playing country music and riding it as hard as it can. Songs like Prove Them Wrong are deep-rooted in tradition but when placed in the not so tender care of musicians like these, they find new vitality. There may be nothing new about the sawdust and spitoon country-rock of Grant Langston and the Supermodels but when it’s as much fun as LIB, who wants new?

No 269: Grant Langston & The Supermodels
Music paleontologist Paul Lester digs into the LA soil and discovers a group that provides the missing link between old-school country and contemporary exponents of Americana like Ryan Adams

Grant Langston and the Supermodels are too sexy for that cowboy hat

Hometown: Los Angeles, USA.

The lineup: Grant Langston (vocals, guitar, songs), Tony Horkins (drums), Josh Fleeger (bass), Larry Marciano (guitar).

The background: Nashville, Schmashville. Did you know there was a thriving country scene in LA? You didn’t? For shame. California has a rich history of country music, albeit grittier, sparser and more sardonic than the slickly produced Tennessee variety. The kind of hard-drinking twangabilly that would make Faith Hill’s corkscrew hair uncurl. Come on, Gram Parsons died in California, and he’s the patron saint of Americana. They even burned his body, like they did to Joan of Arc. Grant Langston & the Supermodels have never been set on fire, although they like a smoke, and their music is hot. HOT, we tell you. If you like this sort of thing; if you like honky-tonk hoe-downs with titles like Burt Reynolds’ Movie Brawl and Drunken Prince Charming and the sort of pedal-steel paeans to bad women for good old boys that Willie Nelson could wrap his golden tonsils around.

Willie Nelson and Gram Parsons? Sure. Grant Langston & The Supermodels are the missing link between trad C&W and the modern, “alt” variant. Actually, Langston, the leader of this motley roadhouse crew, isn’t an LA native - he grew up two hours south of Nashville, in a tiny northern Alabama town called Hartselle, whose most famous son is Seth Kimbrough of death-metal merchants Misery Chain. He did try his luck in Music City, only to be told that his songs were crude and old-fashioned, which is ironic. He was even thrown offstage in one local club for swearing. California has proven much more forgiving. And Langston and his band have returned the favour by playing an important role in the small but vibrant LA Country Scene, or LACS for short. Feel free to use it.

Another irony: the Supermodels bit. Fact is they look less like Christie Brinkley than Myra Hindley, apart from the drummer, who has been compared to the young Pacino. Steve Pacino, a farm-hand from Utah. As for Langston, he might be influenced by George Jones, Lyle Lovett and Drive By Truckers but he’s a closet brainbox, having studied political science at university. He’s also contributed music to TV and film, and writes cynical and sad, self-deprecating and witty ditties for drunken cow-folk to dance to. And their boyfriends. Yee and, indeed, haw!

The buzz: “Once you’ve become absorbed by this songwriter’s ability to tell a story with a sharp wit and twangy tongue, you’re sold.”

The truth: GL&TS provide the bridge between old-school country and contemporary exponents of Americana like Ryan Adams.

Most likely to: Star in a remake of The Hair Bear Bunch.

Least likely to: Go on tour with Misery Chain.

File next to: Steve Earle, Wilco, Buck Owens, Ryan Adams.

What to buy: Live in Bakersfield is available now on MSG.