Radio Queen

This February 2, 1996 live radio broadcast captures Ohlman and her band Rebel Montez running through a set largely made up of highlights from her studio album, The Hard Way, with some notable differences. For openers, the live adrenaline is flowing like crazy on these performances, infecting them with a totally different energy than their official studio versions. Christine keeps that energy well focused on the songs and her interpretations of the material at hand, which include her originals (highlights are the bone-chilling "Turn," making its debut here, and the reflective "When the Summer Goes") and excellent readings of Dylan's "Crash On the Levee (Down On the Flood)" and Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away." A live outing that extends her repertoire by virtue of sheer energy alone, not unlike the same cathartic approach of Etta James in a similar setting, and every bit as soulful.