Sea Level - Make You Feel Love Again (1982)

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This is the last official recording by Sea Level, released in 1982 on the Arista label. And this was a major departure from the Sea Level we know and love from the 70's. They sure sound like they were aiming for a hit record. Maybe it wasn't but it had all the quality to be one. This has "Make You Feel Love Again" on the A and B side, one in stereo and the other mono. The song was also on the unreleased album "After The Dance", and this sure got me confused. I'm not familiar with Blue Miller as a vocalist, but if this is him, then who was singing the other version? Anyway, thanks to Luc, we can now enjoy this beautiful version of a great Southern Soul track. Sure made me feel love again.

Sea Level - After The Dance (1982)

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Well, praise the Lord and Craig (he got this to me) too! I am very proud to present to you the lost Sea Level album "After The Dance" (I just made that up), which never got released. A single did get released, however, and is being sold at steep prices on the internet. That's the song "Make You Feel Love Again", which is also on the flip side. Vocals on that track were by Blue Miller. And here we have all that was recorded after the "Ballroom" album. Vocal duties shared by Blue Miller and Randall Bramblett, I don't know how it was all meant to turn out, but what we have is wonderful! Luc sent me an answer Chuck gave him when asked about these recordings:
"We did release the single you mentioned, but it died a quick death. We recorded several other tracks for Arista that none of us liked....and the band broke up soon after that. Clive Davis had his own ideas about what he thought Sea Level should be...which was a very commercial concept, and we just did not want to go down that road. Most of what we recorded in those last days was me with some Miami session players, although there was a few tracks we did in Nashville that was the proper band.. It’s a period that I do not look upon with any fondness....and it’s probably best that those tracks have never been finished or released...best, Chuck"
Craig mentioned that: "It featured a new bass player, Paul Brodeur, who sadly died during the sessions. Quality is good - music is a bit "pop" but has some nice moments.".
Well, they may not have been finished and released, but I thoroughly enjoy listening to these tracks. It's a lot slicker than any previous Sea Level album but it's great stuff all the same. It's funky, soulful stuff. I love it. Oh, and there's a bonus track at the end, a song by Jimmy Nalls. I believe it's called "Tribute", and that's what it sound like. But a tribute to who? Shooby doo!

Various Artists - Alive Down South (1997)

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Hey, hey! It's hoe down time, y'all! After blue Monday, this is just what the doctor ordered. Tell your mama you won't be home tonight, grab a beer and get right!
Though this album was released in 1997 (and is out of print already), these recordings are mostly from 1977 and 1978. Some of these songs are from the Rebel Jam, so there is some overlap with the "Hotels, Motels & Road Shows" album. But the overlap is limited to three songs (Stillwater (2) & The Allman Bros (1, though not the same version)). And there are 13 songs in total on this album.
Yep, it's the same idea here. Some of hottest live performances by some of the greatest Southern Rock bands. All mixed together as though this was a non-stop Southern Rock show, so it never slows down with any fade-outs and -ins. And you get the whole spectrum of Southern Rock. From the Fusion Rock of Dixie Dregs to the Southern Soul of Wet Willie to classic Southern Rock of Stillwater and The Allmans. A big thank you to Luc for this one!
If you don't dig this, you must be gay. And if you do, you sure will be. Like a tidal wave of goodness...

Various Artists - Hotels, Motels & Road Shows (1978)

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Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! It's the holiday season coming up alright. Yet another bag of goodies here. This album is the perfect example of what I dig about Southern Rock. Ladies and gentlemen: it's the jackpot!
I knew about this album for a long time, and I wanted it really bad. But I never found a copy. But how cool is that? To find it's everything I'd expected, and then some..
"Hotels, Motels & Road Shows" is a compilation album, chockful of Capricorn recording artists. But this is no cheezy-cheapo-cash-in greatest hits of the label. No, no, no, no. It's a 1978 Rebel Jam! All exciting live performances, classic Southern Rock, and a guaranteed good time. And these tracks haven't been released on albums by the artists themselves. And some artists never released a live album to begin with. The artists: Stillwater, Elvin Bishop, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Bramlett, Dickey Betts, Grinderswitch, Sea level, , The Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie and Dixie Dregs. You get the whole spectrum of Southern Rock on one album. Well, it gets very close to that. This is really, really good. Up among the bestest. For real!

Sea Level - Ball Room (1980)

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Ball Room was the last album released by Sea Level. All previous albums were done for Capricorn records, but since they went bankrupt, this album was made for the Arista label. Sea Level was a Chuck Leavell affair. So you know you won't have to expect the rocky side of southern rock. Instead we get the rather sophisticated side of things. And singing most songs, again, is Randall Bramblett. Where they used to rely very much on jazzy, fusion skills, this leans towards the trends set in the early 80's. I quite like this a lot, and I hope you will too...