Dave Edmunds - vocals, guitar; John David - bass; Dave Charles - drums; Billy Bremmer - guitar; Gerriant Watkins - piano; Special Guest: Brian Setzer - vocals on "C'mon Everybody"
Dave Edmunds, the remarkable multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist from Cardiff, Wales, was on fire the night this show was captured for the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The band Edmunds had assembled for his '83 tour was clearly the best he has ever worked with since the demise of Rockpile in 1981 (Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremmer accompanies him on this tour). Edmunds presents a power-packed greatest hits show, although he was unaware that some of the new material from his current-at-the-time LP, Information would end up becoming Edmunds classics.
Edmunds and company come blasting out of the gate with "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Grow)," a genuine rock song from one of his memorable solo LPs issued on Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label. From there he segues into "Girls Talk," the Elvis Costello-penned pop hit, which was originally produced for both Costello and Edmunds by their mutual friend, producer/bassist Nick Lowe. The one-two punch of those two songs leads right into another up-tempo rocker about the perils of trying to dump an obsessive girlfriend, "Don't Call Me Tonight." Although never a hit for Edmunds, it contains a witty lyric line leading into its chorus: "You can call me anything you like, but just don't call me tonight."
In addition to several classics, there is a healthy dose of material from Information, the commercial outing Edmunds co-produced with legendary producer Jeff Lynne (leader of Electric Light Orchestra and a future Travelling Wilbury). The title track was one of the most radio friendly songs Edmunds ever released, although it's clearly reminiscent of an ELO song. Always an innovator, Lynne decided to use an eight-string bass for the solo instrumental in the song; the solo is faithfully recreated here by bassist John David.
The short set ends, pre-encore, with his bang up version of "Crawling From The Wreckage," which had been on the first Rockpile album, and the version here is actually more energetic than the original. Edmunds and the band then return for a number of rave-up encores, including "I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock and Roll," "Don't Talk To Me," "Closer To The Flame," "Feels So Right" and "Falling." The highlight of the show, however, is a balls-out version of the 1960 Eddie Cochran classic, "C'mon Everybody." For that song, Edmunds brings out an old friend, Brian Setzer, from the Stray Cats. Edmunds, in large part, was responsible for the sonic success of the Stray Cats, and Setzer, with whom he had written and produced, is more than willing to return the favor. This spunky show is truly an enjoyable listening experience, offering up insight into one of the faithful explorers of roots rock.