Live At The Fillmore - CD

Tommy Castro is the kind of guy who makes you think, "hard-workin' man." There's no frills or flash on Live at the Fillmore, but one gets the sense that Castro could do that stuff if he wanted to--he just has the good taste to refrain. That's all right; as it is, Castro and his band are so hot, you can practically hear the music sweat. Judging by the song titles, which include "Lucky in Love," "Can't Keep a Good Man Down," and "Sex Machine," one might get the impression that Castro's got only one thing on his mind, but few musicians can approach the same topic in such a myriad of ways. Besides, Live at the Fillmore also includes a stunning version of the soul-blues ballad "Just a Man," which shows that Castro is as capable of tenderness as he is of full-throttle blues rock. Wholly satisfying. --Genevieve Williams