In the late 1970s, Paycheck's popularity soared following the success of hits like "Take This Job and Shove It" and "Me and the I.R.S." Building on his growing reputation as an outlaw country icon, Epic Records brought Paycheck to New York City to record a live album at the Lone Star Cafe, a rare venue in the city that welcomed country performers with Southern credentials.[1] The goal was to capitalized on Paycheck's outlaw image while introducing him to a more cosmopolitan audience, though the campaign met mixed results after Paycheck gave a particularly candid interview to The Village Voice, stating: "I coulda puked and opened a liquor store."[1]
Produced by Billy Sherrill, better known for his polished studio work, the album captures Paycheck and his band, the West Texas Music Company, in top form. With standout performances by Jim Murphy on pedal steel guitar and P. T. Gazell on harmonica, the live band delivered a lean, high-energy set tailored for the intimate club setting rather than a sprawling concert stage.[1][3][4]
Themes
The album features a setlist composed primarily of Paycheck's best-known songs, including "I'm the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised)," "Me and the I.R.S.," "(Stay Away From) the Cocaine Train," "Drinkin' and Drivin'," and a relatively restrained take on "Take This Job and Shove It."[2][3][4] The lone new composition, the title track, opens the album with a surprising homage to the Big Apple, delivered with a mix of tongue-in-cheek bravado and genuine admiration.[1]
Standout moments include a punk-speed rendition of "I'm Ragged but I'm Right," and a poignant performance of a previously unreleased ballad "In Memory of a Memory," which offers a showcase for Paycheck's ability to inspire tragic material with emotional depth.[1] Many tracks transition seamlessly into each other, a testament to the band's tight musicianship and the album's subtle editing.[1]
New York Town was widely praised for its authenticity and the high caliber of its live performances. Eugene Chadbourne of AllMusic called it "one of the best" live country records, commending the precision of the band and the organic flow of the setlist.[1] Brown Burnett of The Clarion-Ledger lauded the album's restraint in production, noting it was "refreshingly tapered" compared to the overdub-heavy norm of country records.[3] Bill Robertson of The StarPhoenix emphasized how the small club setting benefited the album's sound, highlighting the West Texas Music Company's professionalism and the minimal crowd interference.[4]
Dan Smith of The Roanoke Times remarked on the album's cultural implications, saying that Paycheck's praise of New York in the title track signaled a new kind of unity in American music and audience reach. However, he also acknowledged that the rest of the album largely consisted of familiar material, and noted that Paycheck often seemed out of place in the city, even as he won over the crowd.[2]
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