Live in Texas

1	Penguins 2:35
2	I've Been to Memphis 4:35
3	That's Right (You're Not from Texas) 5:06
4	Nobody Knows Me 3:07
5	If I Had a Boat 3:19
6	North Dakota 6:28
7	She's No Lady 3:43
8	Here I Am 4:16
9	What Do You Do? 2:57
10	Wild Women Don't Get the Blues 4:54
11	M-O-N-E-Y 3:29
12	You Can't Resist It 5:36
13	Church 5:40
14	Closing Time 4:34

Barnes & Noble

On this, the best sort of greatest hits album, Lovett demonstrates why he's had staying power: He has the savvy of a jazz singer, the soul of a blues singer, and an artist's focus on moving forward instead of looking back. LIVE IN TEXAS sports 14 choice tracks with Lovett and his 18-piece Large Band in front of an appreciative home-state crowd. Special guest Rickie Lee Jones offers heartbreaking counterpoint on the poignant "North Dakota," but in the end it's Lovett's own sly vocalizing that carries the day. Phrasing behind the beat, before the beat, slurring notes, Lovett finds precisely the right moment to add layers of subtext to an otherwise innocuous lyric, giving new emotional shadings to songs he's sung hundreds of times.The molasses-grooved "Here I Am," the gracious "That's Right (You're Not from Texas)," the witty "She's No Lady" -- Lovett fans will find new treasures in these gracefully aging chestnuts. The set's hightlight is a sassy duet with lusty backup singer Francine Reed on "What Do You Do," followed by Reed's scorching solo take on the R&B swinger from 1924, "Wild Women Don't Get the Blues." She gives Lovett a real run for his money, but he comes back and works hard on the final three numbers, reaching a peak on the rousing gospel rave-up "Church," complete with a testifying chorus and uplifting message. Friends, it don't get better than that, or this. David McGee

All Music Guide

In a way, Lyle Lovett has operated on two different levels since the beginning of his career. For many listeners, including critics, he's an exceptionally talented songwriter, revealing himself as the equal to such inspirations as Randy Newman. However, unlike most singer/songwriters, he's an entertainer, putting on one hell of a show every time he takes the stage. And that may be why Live in Texas is such a good album: For the first time, Lovett the entertainer has been captured on record. Not that his previous albums have been dry, but it's a pleasure to hear Lovett play with an audience (they love it, laughing at the punch lines in "Here I Am" and listening dead quiet to "North Dakota") and his songs, delivering vibrant, loose-limbed performances that confirm what a rich catalog he has. Recorded in Austin and San Antonio just prior to the release of his 1998 covers album Step Inside This House, Live in Texas is nearly a greatest-hits collection, graced with a couple of idiosyncratic choices (including a showcase for vocalist Francine Reed, "Wild Women Don't Get the Blues") that are nice additions to a uniformly excellent set of songs. Since Lovett never breaks from his recorded arrangements, what brings Live in Texas to life is the spirit of the performances, which not only rival the original recordings, but at times are more energetic or humorous. That doesn't necessarily make it a better album than any of his studio efforts -- like most live albums, it plays better if you already know the material -- but it's undeniably hard to resist. Stephen Thomas Erlewine