Even the "Bicentennial" release, celebrating a 1976 tour with songs taken from a handful of performances, very hot as I recall having seen a couple of them, has little left to show for itself some 23 years later. This was, arguably, the last and strongest Burritos band, with Kleinow, Gib Guibeau, Joel Scott Hill, Gene Parsons and Skip Battin still around. The shows were great for their time, but have not held up that well.

So it is, with the release of "Sons of the Golden West," that Burrito fans should figure, hey, what’s the point, with this latest incarnation, led by guitarist/singer John Beland.

But, we are in for a surprise. "Golden West" is an incredibly strong record, one that stacks up with with even the first three Burritos’ classic albums so long ago.

The concept on "West" is a smart one. Beland and the other current members, bassist Larry Patton, drummer Gary Kubal and steel guitarist Wayne Bridge surrounding themselves with some impressive guests. Those include Delbert McClinton, Alison Kraus, Merle Haggard, the Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Scaggs, and Sam Bush. The result is a very, very strong recording, bolstered by the strongest batch of songs and performances by the Burritos in a long, long time.