For a San Antonio–born musician who once pretended to be British, Doug Sahm made music remarkably devoid of pretense. Because of this, the late Texas Tornado’s genre-bending explorations have only grown richer over time. As part of Austin City Limits’ Live From Austin TX CD/DVD series (New West), Sahm’s 1975 taping, which aired in ACL’s first season, doesn’t quite have the production polish of later episodes. But this lends to its charm. Sahm, joined by longtime cohort Augie Meyers, knocks out the hits, covers T-Bone Walker, and hams it up as Elvis in this rough-hewn set. He flies with ease from blues to country to rock—and makes it all sound Texan to the core.
