Honest Dollar

Nearly a quarter century after bursting onto the scene in 1969 with their self-titled debut album, NRBQ delivered another patented mix of carefree musicianship and joyful spontaneity with 1992’s live Honest Dollar. (It’s been over 50 years now, and they’re still delivering!)

Honest Dollar gave listeners a special treat (and we’re not talking about the signed one-dollar bills the band inserted randomly into the copies of the original CD). Not only are there NRBQ classics like “Ridin’ In My Car” and “Wacky Tobacky,” but two “State” songs—“Deep In The Heart Of Texas” and Carl Perkins’ “Tennessee” (with new lyrics by Terry, added with Perkins’ consent.) And how about two distinct versions of “The Dummy Song,” which wouldn’t penetrate the public’s conscious until the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail. Plus the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Amy’s Theme” with a guest appearance from John Sebastian himself. Add in rip-roaring versions of Little Richard’s “Lucille,” Len Barry’s “1-2-3,” and Neil Hefti’s “Batman Theme,” and this was as close to experiencing the excitement of an NRBQ show as you could get in the comfort of your own home. And the fact that the material comes from nearly a dozen venues demonstrates the unpredictability that always makes an NRBQ show uniquely memorable.

This 2025 remastered reissue adds even more fun to the mix. There are previously unissued versions of Duke Ellington’s “Rockin’ In Rhythm” and the Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman classic “Turn Me Loose,” which coincides nicely with 2025 marking the celebration of Doc’s 100th birthday. Newly remastered by Grammy winning engineer Michael Graves, with updated artwork and new liner notes from John DeAngelis, Honest Dollar is ready to wow again.