Reconstruction
Artist: Scott Miller & the Commonwealth  
Label: Sugar Hill Records
Length: 20/67:15

Redneck folk rocker Scott Miller returns with his first live disc, _Reconstruction _.  Miller, a native Virginian, insists the title has nothing to do with "the South rising again", but is more of a telling of the story of their tour.   Miller and company deliver exactly what is expected of them: southern bar rock with a touch of country, songs about patriotism, anti-war anthems, a train song or two, and songs about drinking and women. 

Taped in Johnson City, Tennessee on three consecutive nights, the Commonwealth mixes southern rock sounds a la Lynyrd Skynyrd with blues, folk, and country flavors.   "I Made a Mess of This Town" is basically the perfect bar band rock tune, while "Angels Dwell" recalls Bob Seger's heyday.  "Freedom's a Stranger" may be the standout, although "Drunk All Around This Town," a favorite of author Stephen King, blazes with intensity throughout.   

Like most bands, Miller's boys throw in a few covers for good measure: Tom Petty's "Spike" is featured, and longtime band favorite "Hawks And Doves" (Neil Young) is given a reverential treatment.   Reconstruction is entertaining, at times witty, and a good cross section of Miller's career to this point.

 Brian A. Smith
October 16, 2007