It’s an oft-attempted, but less often achieved, feat to capture the live sound of a band on a studio album. It’s a shame, because there are many groups that consistently kick it up a notch when they’re in front of a crowd. One of those is Charlottesville, VA-based Lord Nelson. They thought they had the key to making a good, live-sounding record, by going into the studio with a bunch of road-tested, fan-hardened songs they hadn’t recorded before. That was in the before times, and then the pandemic hit. With the core of the album already laid down, they stepped back and used the down-time to really examine what they had. The inspiration from that became the audience they couldn’t have and the whole thing became Transmission.
To get straight to the point, this is a rock ‘n’ roll record. There’s a bombastic, pounding rhythm on Burn It Down. The bass and drums likewise drive a relentless feeling on Hell Or High Water. Country Desperation gets a little Southern sound with twin lead guitars taking their licks. Cheap Red Wine also features guitar on a tune about questionable relationships that accuses, “you want a lover, but you never take your supper that way.” There’s a Muscle Shoals tint to Broken Part.
There are a few fun surprises that pop up in places. Rolling Stoned starts with that same pounding beat, but then transitions to a psychedelic-spiked jangly guitar in a story about the road. Let It Ride gooses the sound with some trombone, about how desperation can drive us to do crazy things. The album finisher is Julia. It’s a loud and twangy, dance floor rock number that also has a ripping trombone solo. Somewhat appropriately it’s about maintaining a relationship when one person is on the road. While some compromise is involved for that, the coyote howls at the end leave no doubt that rock ‘n’ roll is the ultimate winner.
The live music industry is seeing light at the end of the tunnel for shows and festivals this summer. We’re all a little desperate for that. In the meantime, Lord Nelson is prepping us with a record that reminds us how good a fan-fueled performance can be. If that sounds good to you, look up a copy of Transmission.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.