¡Viva Luckenbach!

On the 20th anniversary of his definitive 1973 live album Viva Terlingua, Jerry Jeff Walker returned to the Luckenbach Dancehall to record a sequel. Recorded over three nights between October 20 and 22, 1993, Viva Luckenbach is more even-tempered than its predecessor, but Walker’s affection for the once-abandoned Texas hamlet is undiminished. In many ways, the album is a retrospective of Walker’s life in Texas, which the native New Yorker adopted as his home in the early '70s. “What I Like About Texas” and “Keep Texas Beautiful” are basically lists of Walker’s joys, but that’s just right for a crowd that relishes an opportunity to celebrate itself. The major difference between 1973 Walker and 1993 Walker is the singer’s sense of familial contentment and gratitude, which are expressed with full sincerity on “Little Man,” “I’ll Be Here in the Morning,” and “The Gift.” At the same time Walker remains a freaky prankster, as evidenced by “Gonzo Compadres,” a faux-Mexican corrido that rejoices in the singer’s longtime backing band.