

It's long been the case that Europe has been kinder to American rockabilly heroes than their native land. It should come as no surprise, then, that at the age of 58 Charlie Feathers could still hop on a plane from Memphis to London and play a superlative set of unadulterated rockabilly tunes for a crowd of adoring fans. Yet there's still something stupendous about a man performing with so much vitality and authenticity this late in his career. Live in London was recorded on Sept. 9, 1990, at the Hibernian Club in Fulham. Feathers’ voice is wholly undiminished from his '50s prime, and the presence of his son Bubba on guitar and backing vocals definitely gives “Peeping Eyes” and “Too Much Alike” intergenerational vim. The show had no gimmicks. The band swings with steel-eyed determination, and Feathers never misses a beat. Fans will love the loose, extended version of “Tongue Tied Jill,” but the jewel is the closing performance of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” in which Feathers turns the campfire sing-along into a swift, top-down drive along a familiar country road.