Critic's Review
Greg Adams, All Music Guide
Live 1961 is a fascinating live document of Jack Scott's vintage rock & roll show. Recorded (in stereo!) at the Rock and Roll Lounge in Montreal, Canada on September 12, 1961, Scott and his band rip through a baker's dozen of rockers and ballads before an enthusiastic audience. Captured in high fidelity, the show features Scott's biggest hits ("My True Love," "Goodbye Baby," "What in the World's Come Over You") and rockabilly classics ("Geraldine," "The Way I Walk"). He also sings a long country-pop ballad, "I Don't Want to Know You That Well," that is a ringer for Roy Clark circa 1969. The closer, "The National Anthem of Rock 'N' Roll," sets an altered version of the Pledge of Allegiance to Duane Eddy's "Rebel Rouser." The six-piece band, which includes a saxophone as well as a steel guitar, rocks with enthusiasm while lending a slight country flavor to the proceedings. Live 1961 would be a rare treat even if the recording were of poorer quality, but it is a professional-sounding production all around.
