Authorized Bootleg: Fillmore East, New York, NY, Late Show, 11/07/70

In the short but storied lifespan of the original Flying Burrito Brothers, the Los Angeles-based band was one of the musical building blocks upon which an entire country-rock genre was built. Formed by Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons when they left The Byrds, the Burritos quickly became known for their great songwriting, heartfelt vocals, spangled Nudie suits, and a parade of personnel changes. The Flying Burrito Brothers on this wonderful concert disc could essentially be called Version Two. Parsons and original bassist Chris Ethridge had left and were replaced by singer-songwriter Rick Roberts and future Eagle Bernie Leadon. Former Byrd Michael Clarke is on drums, and famed session steel player "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow is on pedal steel. Fans and critics have said that this was the best Burritos live band ever, and the performances here back that up. Combining rock drive and a distinctly country feel, the band romps through a set consisting of originals drawn from the Burritos' two albums to date, The Byrds, a Mick Jagger-Keith Richards composition ("Wild Horses"), a classic R&B mover ("Willie and the Hand Jive"), and a great C&W road song ("Six Days on the Road"). This is country-rock at its infancy, but also at its best. For this release, Chris Hillman has written a brief note and personally picked the mastering engineer and approved his work. Recorded two years before their famed live album, Last of the Red Hot Burritos, this may not be the last recording by the group, but is among the hottest.