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One part blues, another part Americana, another jazz rock, _Live at the State Fair Grounds Coffee House_ showcases the guitar and vocal abilities of Ed Englerth.  “It’s Never Too Late to Lose” opens the show with the comment “This is a song about misery.”  “Kick a Dog” is a spoken word rant warning those who would add to the troubles of its subject.  “Rapture Snake,” a highlight, is a polemic against televangelists and their ilk - those who would prey on the fears and insecurities of people who don’t have confidence in their relationships with God.

“Spark” is a jam in the mode of Jonny Lang or Billy Wayne Shepherd, reminding us that no matter how bad things get, it is never so bad that our fire gets extinguished:

For every bad time, for every sad life,
Whenever there’s trouble, whenever lightning strikes
 For the cloudy days of rain
When the wind blows like ice
When you’ve been down so long, you can no longer cry
There’s a spark, I know there’s a spark...

“Shall We Stop” shows some Bill Mallonee influence.   “L.O.V.E.” is a jazz piece detailing I Corinthians 13 with a great saxophone background.  “2 to 5,” another instrumental, is in the vein of Steely Dan or Sting’s “Bring on the Night” concert album.

Ed Englerth has the blues, but an appreciation for the interaction of God in human lives.  We as listeners can rejoice in his sorrows, knowing the music produced and the lyrics written reflect our own feelings and moods.  

Brian A. Smith 2/3/2003