It is incredible to think that after a career that started in 1962, Mitch Ryder is still active and laying down superb music. He took a break between 1973 and 1983 after throat issues, but he has been active continually apart from that hiatus.
This is the latest in Ruf’s ‘Songs From The Road’ series and a bloody good one it is too. 13 numbers, from all over his career, and backed up by a kickass band of the highest quality. Ryder’s slightly croaky voice is not to all tastes, but it has to be accepted that he gets the words across and fronts the band perfectly.
The DVD part of this package was actually recorded on a different day to the CD. While the audio recordings were made in Berlin, the DVD footage was filmed earlier, in February 2025, in Lindewerra, Thuringia—the home base of Ruf Records. As always with Ruf, the sound quality is top notch, plenty of dynamics and a clear soundstage, and the performance is captured perfectly.
There are a few definite favourites present here. ‘The Thrill Of It All’ has the band perfectly in sync and Ryders vocals emotive and powerful.
A 13 minute version of the Doors ‘Soul Kitchen’ delivers a remarkable vocal from Ryder, capturing much of Jim Morrison’s raunchy and earthy Blues. ‘War’ allows the band to stretch out and show off their talents and ‘All the Fools It Sees’ brings the pace down and elicits a great, yet painful, vocal from Ryder.
It’s great to see the man still making music and still capable of fronting a top band. He is back on tour in Europe this year – worth searching out.
