John Oates – Another Good Road (Live DVD)

The concept was simple: assemble a kick-ass band on a Nashville soundstage to knock down live versions of selections from John Oates’ well-received three-CD musical exploration from last year, Good Road to Follow (along with a few other chestnuts). It was a simple idea that yielded spectacular reults.

Oates and company deliver a gently smoldering set that lilts, twists, and turns around all the proverbial emotional roads that he is so fond of writing about. The success Oates has had with his longtime musical partner Daryl Hall is understandably a huge facet of his career. But over the years, away from the glittery commercial limelight, Oates has carved out a special solo career that faithfully taps into the music he’s always been strongly influenced by: roots, blues, soul, Americana, and other homegrown forms. Another Good Road finds him embracing these explorations with a quiet passion that firmly speaks to his musical allegiances. 

The band — Shane Theriot on guitar, Steve Mackey on bass, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, Wendy Moten and Bekka Bramlett on background vocals, Kevin McKendree on keyboards, and Johnny Richardson on drums — all follow Oates down his chosen musical roads while also adding their own special flourishes and detours.

The performance is shot live, without pick ups or retakes, which brings a taut drama to each tune — everyone seems to know the concept is that you get it in one shot. And the ghosts of Mississipi John Hurt and Doc Watson, two of Oates’ primary musical heroes, seem summoned up more than once, as he picks his way through such original compelling selections as “Stone Cold Love,” “Pushing a Rock Uphill,” “Close,” and “Lose it in Louisiana.” If the songs feel at once familiar and unusually catchy, that’s certainly a testament to the obvious songwriting gift Oates clearly has demonstrated over the decades. But beyond the hooks, there’s an authenticity and spirit woven throughout the songs that connects them to their musical cousins, born in juke joints, Beat-era coffeehouses, and 1960s folk festivals.

Many Hall & Oates fans may not be aware of what an evocative and skilled guitarist Oates is, but this DVD provides many examples of his playing prowess, honed over years of getting to play with the actual masters he looks up to. Add in his trademark, honeyed vocal stylings (often evoking Curtis Mayfield) and the proceedings become even sweeter.

The live performance is intercut with documentary footage of Oates at home in Colorado, talking at length about what he has learned since he started splitting his time in Nashville a number of years ago. A live CD is also included in the package.

Another Good Road is a rich and poignat musical document that celebrates an artist’s commitment to his roots, while exposing new listeners to what has become a deeply adventurous solo career for John Oates. But it’s also a sharp and contemporary statement that illustrates, when in the hands of the right craftsman, just how fresh and modern roots music can feel.