Blackfoot - After The Reign (1994)

♫

Yep, it's Blackfoot. In name anyway. Cause, really, anything released since the "Vertical Smiles" album could just as well be categorized as yet another Rickey Medlocke solo album. And this is a pretty good one at that. It sounds all rather rootsy, which is a good thing in my book. I prefer that over the slick Southern AOR he produced on "Rick Medlocke And Blackfoot" from 1987. This sounds like real music, played with real instruments. Some great original tunes and some fine covers (splendid version of Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey"). Since this qualifies as a solo album, I took the liberty of adding two tracks Rickey did for the L.A. Blues Authority series ("Texas Flood" from "Hats Off To Stevie Ray" and "Wrapped Up In Love Again" from "Fit For A. King"). Now, I still hoping for an actual Blackfoot reunion with all surviving members. I'd rather have a new Blackfoot album than anything else. Hang time!

Blackfoot - Rick Medlocke & Blackfoot (1987)

♫ By the time this album was put out, it could hardly be called 'Blackfoot' anymore. Gone was the classic line-up with Charlie Hargrett, Greg T. Walker and Jakson Spires and gone was the haywire Southern Rock that graced classic albums like "Strikes", "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder". Enter the slick blandness that killed Southern Rock for good (or so they thought). So, you may wonder, should I dismiss this album right away? Well, that depends. It still has some good songs and it's all played by some of the finest pickers. It's just not very Southern anymore. On this release, Rickey had himself accompanied by Mother's Finest bassist Jerry "Wizzard" Seay, his brother Harold Seay on drums and keyboard player Doug Bare (all of which played on the Mother's Finest album "One Mother To Another". And they can play alright. They do a fine cover version of the Mother's Finest track "Rock 'n' Roll 2 Nite" (from the "Iron Age" record). And there's the somewhat odd choice of covering Dutch rock and roller Herman Brood's "Saturday Night". Ah, what the heck. Just give it a spin. Steady Rockin'.

Blackfoot - Medicine Man (1990)

♫

"Medicine Man" was Blackfoot's come back to Southern Rock, after having made a couple of slick and poppy Rock records. And they were back in fine form too. No longer the original line-up (of the albums up to "Marauder"), this band was still very much able to deliver the goods. There were two versions of this album. One included only 7 tracks. This is the one with all nine. It's been out of print for quite some time, so enjoy. I sure wish mr. Medlocke would quit his daytime job and give us another Blackfoot album. Cause the man rocks when he's the main man! This album features one of my all-time Blackfoot favorites: "Chilled To D'Bone". B-b-b-b-b-boogie!