Dave Mason: Live at Perkins Place

As a longtime fan of singer/songwriter Dave Mason, I cued up this disc featuring Mason and guitar virtuoso Jim Krueger with a wee bit more excitement than I would have for, say, the latest Britney Spears multimedia extravaganza. Recorded live in 1981, this hour-shy set features 14 songs, including "We Just Disagree," "Every Woman," "All Along the Watchtower," "Bring It On Home To Me," "Let It Go" and his signature hit "Feelin' Alright." Unfortunately, many of his best tunes are absent here--"Baby…Please," "Misty Morning Stranger," and "Only You Know and I Know," to name a few; the mild-voiced Mason has no business tackling songs like "All Shook Up"; and the Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack has a distinctly hollow ring to it. As an extra, the DVD contains a sporadic and less-than-arresting commentary track by the former original Traffic member who would go on to carve out a respectable solo career that peaked in the '70s. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)