Live as I'll Ever Be

Some artists work on their craft, and others work on promoting themselves. If you haven't heard of Chris Smither it's not because he isn't a great performer, it's because he spent his time playing instead of pandering to media. Smither is a Blue's great. While iTunes classifies him as "singer/songwriter" (which is true), he more accurately should be classified as Blue's. This whole album is live. Smither didn't get to do 50 retakes in a studio, yet each piece is sung and played to perfection. My favorites on this album are Can't Shake These Blues, The Devil's Real, and Smither's own version of the classic Dust My Broom. Honorable mention goes to . . . everything else. There are NO sleepers on this album. Every song is worthwhile, unlike some albums where one or two songs are great but the rest is trash. If there was one album I had to listen to for the rest of my life, this would be a strong contender.