Ian Moore Action Company
Via Satellite (Hablador)
On his second live album and sixth album to date, former Austinite, now Seattle resident Ian Moore continues his journey as a former six-string slinger-turned-songwriter. Early Nineties Austin residents may remember the multi-instrumentalist vying for the blues-rock guitar god title, but after throwing off those shackles — and in the process disintegrating his contract with Capricorn — Moore has been releasing albums on Koch and his own Hablador imprint. The change has done him good. If there were any doubts that his ears are tuned more to Daniel Lanois songwriting than Stevie Ray Vaughan fretboarding, Moore & Co. interpret a good chunk of the climatic moments from Lanois’s “Beatrice” into “Leary’s Gate.” Similarly, “Diablito,” a story of a muddy Jesus crossing the Rio Grande powered by electric sitar, quotes a verse or two from Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.” Unlike most live albums, this one was recorded in one night (at Houston’s Fabulous Satellite Lounge), and the 50 minutes herein are chock full of original, multitextured rock music. The production is also excellent, professional without sounding stale. The broader sonic palette is a nice touch too, such as Paul Brainard’s Mexican-seasoned trumpet in the crescendo ballad “Angelyne,” from Moore’s last studio effort …And All the Colors. As a live album, Via Satellite is both a document of Moore and his gifted band’s stagecraft, as well as a record of his songwriting talents to date. Either way you slice it, it’s a success.
This article appears in June 29 • 2001.