Album Notes

RELIX MAGAZINE (Sept./Oct. 2004):

"After a dazzling studio debut, Cyril Lance returns with a breathtaking six-song live disc from last December that further strengthens the argument that he's one of the most exciting guitar players around today. It finds Lance exploring a wide range of styles with openness and adventure. The opening "I Want the Real Thing" is a gritty rocker in the Little Feat/Sonny Landreth mode, while the 11-minute "I Went Down" is more soulful, with keyboardist Johnny Neel offering a powerful vocal as Lance's guitar soars from melodic phrases to sinewy, spiraling leads. Neel shines again on his own "Blues Ain't Nothing," but Lance and band really show their instrumental prowess on a truly imaginative arrangement of Willie Dixon's "Same Thing." The disc closes with a spirited and funky run-through of John Scofield's "Chank" with beefy Hammond organ riffs setting the perfect backdrop for Lance's fluid and tenacious soloing." -- Mick Skidmore

BILLBOARD MAGAZINE (Oct. 1, 2004)

"Blues guitarist/songwriter Cyril Lance's debut album, "Stranger in My House," a completely DIY project, was one of the best blues albums of 2002. "Live From the Outskirts" is another DIY affair that was recorded in three days at a trio of North Carolina rock venues. Lance's band members provide a major thrill in and of themselves: Johnny Neel (vocals, piano), Kelly Pace (drums), Chris Carroll (bass, vocals), Matt Jenson (B3) and Dave McCracken (B3). Lance and his mates offer up a collection of tunes notable not only for their incredible power but also for the variety of the groove. From the soul-fired vibe of Neel's vocal on "Blues Ain't Nothing" to the formidable cover of John Scofield's "Chank" to the deep blues of "Same Thing," the sheer musicianship of this disc matches the best any blues label has to offer. Lance wrote half the tunes himself, and his guitar playing is virtuosity defined." -PVV

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Recorded over three nights at some of the best performing venues in North Carolina in December of 2003, this reunion tour sparked some remarkably fresh interpretations and the recordings show just how much fun the band (and the audience) had getting back together again.

Featuring American-Roots music master and Grammy-Nominee Johnny Neel (Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule, Grease Factor...) on piano, B3 organ and vocals, Boston-based B3 organ master Matt Jenson, and Lance's rhythm brothers of many years Kelly Pace on Drums, Chris Carroll on bass and vocals, this is the perfect base for Lance's slide and electric guitar explorations.

LIVE from the OUTSKIRTS pays tribute to the great live albums of the 60's and 70's from the Allman Brother's LIVE at Filmore East, Jimi Hendrix's Live at Monterey, Santana, Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus, all the time keeping that deep blues roots going whether they're jamming over a New Orleans street beat, Willy Dixon's "Same Thing", or a John Scofield funk tune.

Here's an excerpt from the liner notes by Lance:

"Now it feels like the whole place is about to bust apart like some five and dime pressure cooker, the frenetic energy, the buzzing and clamor of cell-phones, interet, TV, TV, TV, mass-media, is anybody listening? 30 seconds of Abbey Road while pushing down the aisle at the supermarket. CD changers with 500 CD's on random shuffle, iPods with 13 bazillion bytes of compressed music, listening while finers pound keyboards amidst blowing screens, while sitting on an infinite swath of molten asphault, cars choking, hands on the horn, run, run, run, a falcon swoops down, is anybody listening?

Music, the mass-transit of the soul, is necessary; the performance is the journey. A path away, through, and forward. To let go completely for ten, fifteen minutes, fifty minutes and take the journey with this audience; that's what this is all about. So settle down frantic mind and envelope yourself fully.

That's why a live CD..."