Ragin' Live

1	Introduction by Hank Janney / Rhonda Vincent & The Rage 0:39
2	Kentucky Borderline 3:30
3	Drivin' Nails in My Coffin 3:21
4	Missouri Moon 4:36
5	Me Too 2:53
6	One Step Ahead of the Blues 3:11
7	Jolene 3:32
8	Heartbreakin' Old Achin' Blues 3:26
9	Road Rage 3:57
10	Cheatin' Kind of Life 3:28
11	You Can't Take It With You When You Go 4:14
12	So Happy I'll Be 3:08
13	Son Drop In 2:36
14	The Martha White Theme 1:28
15	Frankie Belle 3:12
16	I've Forgotten You 4:35
17	Ghost of a Chance 5:19
18	The Last Best Place 4:17
19	Bluegrass Express 2:31
20	Muleskinner Blues 2:54
21	Homecoming 4:41

Barnes & Noble

Bluegrass firecracker Rhonda Vincent ups the ante on this live set, which includes 8 new songs among the 21 exemplary cuts. Back home in Missouri, at St. Louis's Sheldon Concert Hall, Vincent ranges across her catalogue, coming out hard and fast with "Kentucky Borderline" and offering up a searing take on Dolly Parton's "Jolene," a spirited reading of "Driving Nails in My Coffin," and a touching rendition of an Alison Krauss–style bluegrass tear-jerker, "You Can't Take It with You when You Go," all of which showcase the artist's acumen at spicing up tradition with a contemporary rhythmic thrust and pop-inflected vocals that never lose their backcountry flavor. The newly recorded songs, penned by various members of the Rage, include "Me Too," a brisk instrumental set-to by fiddler Hunter Berry, which features a series of jaw-dropping, fleet-fingered banjo and guitar solos challenging Berry's barn-burning bowing. Another, "I've Forgotten You," a harmony-rich, heart-tugging reminiscence of lost love, spotlights one of Vincent's richest, most moving vocals on record. Buttress all this with some southern gospel quartet sounds (on the new "Son Drop In"), a full-throttle vocal and instrumental workout on Jimmie Rodgers's "Muleskinner Blues," some fanciful country blues ("Heartbreakin' Old Achin' Blues") -- not to mention Vincent's engaging presence as hostess -- and the result is one of the most memorable live albums in recent years. David McGee

All Music Guide

This pristinely recorded live album showcases bluegrass sensation Rhonda Vincent and her band, the Rage, in front of a hometown crowd at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, MO. Introduced by veteran bluegrass DJ Hank Janney -- who apparently traveled from Gettysburg, PA, just do the honors -- the band rips straight up into a spirited read of its signature tune, "Kentucky Borderline." And it just goes. With smoking versions of "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin" and "One Step Ahead of the Blues" along with Dolly Parton's "Jolene," Flatt & Scruggs' "So Happy I'll Be," Bobby Osborne's "Bluegrass Express," Jimmie Rodgers' "Muleskinner Blues," and Carl Jackson's "Homecoming," there is plenty of stomp as well as polish on the date. The center section of the gig, reserved for a number of gorgeous, multi-harmony ballads such as the original "Missouri Moon," Jackson's "Ghost of a Chance," and "I've Forgotten You," adds a beautiful dynamic and texture to the proceedings. Elsewhere, individual members of the Rage get to shine as well, such as on the previously unrecorded "Me Too" by Hunter Berry and a Josh Williams-led "Cheatin' Kind of Life," adding to the seemingly limitless reach of Vincent's band. As on her studio offerings, the vocal prowess here is simply breathtaking, and the instrumental acumen shines brightly. By this hearing, this was one memorable evening, and Vincent's fans will be delighted -- and the curious just may be astonished. Thom Jurek