SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY/SPITTIN' FIRE (Musidisc 120272) This two-disc live set documents Southside Johnny's 10-night stand at the Chesterfield Cafe in Paris in October of 1995. This is not an Asbury Jukes album because these were acoustic performances with Johnny being accompanied only by Bobby Bandiera on guitar, Rusty Cloud on piano, and David Hayes on bass. The performances are typical Sothside Johnny live, meaning exceptional. Any fan of the Asbury Jukes knows that this band has to be seen to be fully appreciated, their recordings never seem to capture the true essence of the band. The recording here is well done and, if you turn the lights down low, it actually seems as if they're in your living room playing. We're treated to all the classic Asbury Jukes material, a couple of Johnny's solo tunes, as well as covers of Bruce Springsteen's "Fade Away", The Rolling Stones "Wild Horses", The Clovers "Lovey Dovey", The Kennedy's "Day In And Day Out", Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now", and Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man." These shows were two sets per night, with no two sets the same. The performances are loose, spontanious, and always entertaining. Southside is truly one of the the great underrated performers of our time. The fact that he continues to fill clubs, around the country, whenever he tours is proof of that. The fact that he hasn't been very actively touring during the past two years does give this set a sort of swan song feel but it's also essential to any Southside fans collection. Let's just hope that Southside will be back on the road sometime soon. This set was only released in France, and no US release is currently planned, but it's definitely worth hunting down a copy before they're all gone. (Note: Can be ordered from Backstreet Records, PO Box 51219, Seattle, WA 98115)