Coldwater Army - Peace (1972)

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Another lesson in Southern Rock history. This time it's Coldwater Army with their 1972 release 'Peace'. Coldwater Army featured Bobby Golden and Bob Spearman, and they would wind up in the excellent Stillwater. Whereas Stillwater would provide us with some of the finest Southern Rock albums, the same can't be said of Coldwater Army. Not that it's bad. Not at all. But it's a very different style of music being showcased here. Some songs are just plain hippie drivel, but the better songs - and there are quite a few - are more in the vain of Blood, Sweat & Tears or The Ides of March. There's a very informative interview with Bobby Golden, which you can find here. In it, a second release is being mentioned. Here's hoping that will someday surface on the world wide web. Until then, feast your ears on this. Hey, People!

Stillwater - I Reserve The Right (1979)

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Stillwater were one of the classic bands on the Capricorn label. That's classic Southern Rock for ya. And this album has it all: great songs, excellent arrangements, terrific guitar picking, plain good vocals and all. Not much left to say after posting several albums before this one. And this one might just be the best of 'em all. The title track is one of the finest Southern Rock tracks ever and should find its place on some compilation, if justice is served. Yes, in my opinion, it's even better than 'Mind bender' from their debut album. The final track is 'Ain't We A Pair', featuring duet vocals from the incomparable miss Bonnie Bramlett. This has everything Southern Rock needs; it's not too soft, not too Country, not too loud, it's got everything just right. And this is a real nice rip as well. If you just started digging into Southern Rock history, this is definitely one to have. And get it now! Fair warning?

Stillwater - Demos (80's)

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And here we have a curiosity for you fans of Stillwater. Thanks to Craig for this set of demos from, probably, somewhere in the 80's. To tell the truth, I have no information on these recordings whatsoever. They sure sound like they're from the 80's, though. I didn't have song titles either, so I took a wild guess. Bear in mind, this is really for fans only. There's lots of wow and flutter, which will not gain Stillwater any new fans. But these tracks can't be heard elsewhere and it's nice to fill in some gaps of the Stillwater history. 7 songs, nothing quite as spectacular as either of their first albums on the Capricorn label. But still a nice listen. If there's anyone out there who can shed some light on the origins of these recordings, please do. Are you ready!?

Stillwater - Runnin' Free (1998)

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After having been off the radar for close to 20 years, Stillwater surprisingly reemerged with this great come-back album in 1998. "Runnin' Free" sounds like they never left and no time had past. Well, almost. The album kicks off with "The Big Payback", an original Causey/Walker song, which had previously been recorded by Molly Hatchet for their "Lightning Strikes Twice" album. And it's that distinctive Stillwater sound alright. What we get from there is a slightly updated version of the Stillwater we know from their two Capricorn releases from the 70's. And it's really cool to hear old Southern Rockers delivering the goods after so many years of absence. Though it doesn't grab me as much as the old albums did, I thoroughly enjoy listening to this album. I guess the main difference is that it all sounds somewhat poppier and there seems to be less room for extended soloing/improvisation. But that's the curse of the 80's music, which left its mark on most Southern Rock released after the 70's. It still rocks. And it still has enough Soul to have you believing this is the real deal. Enough diversity here to make repeat playing worth your while. Ready to rock?

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!