Law - First Session (1972)

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I would like to thank Rich for directing me towards former Law's axeman, Steve Acker's homepage. Not only does it keep you informed on what Steve has been up to lately, he also has a section dedicated to his past with Law. There are samples to be downloaded from all three releases, but at rather poor bitrate (96 kbps). But the best bit about it, is that he offers the first Law session from 1972. And at a nice 256 kbps. You might want to check there from time to time. He might update. But what's there right now, you can get here as well. A nice batch of early Law songs. Rockier and bluesier than what it evolved to. The difference is that here it's conveniently tagged and ipod ready to go!

Mylon LeFevre - Love Rustler (1978)

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Well, I'm gona make some people happy again. It's the second to last secular recording of Mylon LeFevre. Yes, while he was still his evil alter ego self, and this time apparently lost in the discotheque as well. But don't you worry, cause it's still well worth your time. That is, unless you're the kind of Southern Rock fan that can't grasp anything beyond Skynyrd and Hatchett. But then you wouldn't be here in the first place, now would you?
On this album Mylon gives it another shot at some slick Southern Rock/Pop, with a handful of tasteful covers. Like Le Roux's "Keep The Fire Burning" and Mac Gayden's "Someone Whispered". You can just imagine the hand claps. More rocking out on Kerry Livgren's "Another Slant", and Kerry's also helping out on guitar duties. All in all a logical successor to "Weak At The Knees", and a very nice one at that. Next month I'll be posting Mylon's last musical sin (though that might depend on how you look at it...), "Rock & Roll Resurrection". But until then, groove to this.

Texas - Texas (1973)

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I've got another obscurity for you. It's the 1973 Bell Records release by Texan band Texas. I couldn't tell you the first thing about them, other than what little info is on the cover. But you can read all that on a MySpace site, here, where you can also listen to samples of 5 of the 7 songs on this album.
Seems like the main man here was Michael "Mace" Maben, and apparently he's still out there somewhere jamming. The music ranges from Country to Blues to Boogie, but all very much Southern Rock. I quite like the album. "Tough Kid" grabbed my attention in being tough yet cheerful, while anticipating some future Southern Rock mannerisms. And with some nice horns added. Vinyl wasn't perfect, but I think I did a very decent job. I read in a record collector's guide that they released a second album in 1979, "Real To Reel", on a label called Infinity, though I couldn't verify it was really the same band. But this is a pleasant little surprise.

Billy Earl McClelland - Zero Hindsight (1980)

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Here come the 80's! To me, that was black page in the history of Rock music. Though not all was as bad as it seemed. And here's a record you might very well like a lot.
I bought this album, long time ago, because it featured Dickey Betts on guitar. Listening to the album back then, I was somewhat disappointed. To be calling this Southern Rock was sure stretching it. Too mellow, and rubbing shoulders with West Coast pop. But these days I like my Southern Rock stretched, and I enjoyed ripping this album. Billy Earl McClelland was/is a Country session guitarist, who's also written songs for other artists (among others Waylon and Hank Jr.). He recorded two solo album for Elektra, of which only one was actually released. This one. The other album was called "Ready or Not". The music on this album is more in the vein of Rodney Crowell (circa "But What Will The Neighbours Think"), and reminded me at times of Warren Zevon. It's also very typical of its age. But do give it a spin.

Wet Willie - Manorisms Live (1978)

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I've always loved the energetic, almost hyperactive Southern Soul Rock of Wet Willie. But by the time they changed labels from Capricorn to Epic, things started to mellow down a bit. Or maybe get just a little too slick. But I still think "Manorisms" was quite a good album, though. And I'm glad I did some digging and actually came up with this small treasure. A 5 song live performance of Wet Willie, doing songs from and promoting the "Manorisms" album. I don't know anything about the source, but they sound like professional recordings, ripped from vinyl. Could it be a promo live album for radio stations? Anyway, the sounds is great. And the playing and singing is excellent. Live in front of a very small audience, maybe live in a studio? Added are two Jimmy Hall solo performances from the Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam VIII. Also very good sounding recordings. Hey, hey, what do you say?!

Cate Brothers Band - Struck A Vein (1997)

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Or The Cate Brothers Band or Cate Bros or Cate Brothers: it's Earl and Ernie Cate. Hallelujah! And this time it's my brother Mawos to the rescue, unearthing this out-of-print CD. Yes. Sure, it's more of the same, but I just love the sound of these brothers. And because their 70's albums never got released on CD, it's lovely to hear any re-recording of some of their old classics. Biggest hit this time around is "Stranger At My Door". A very funny story about a guy getting accused of messing with another man's lady, who mentions at the end it must've been his brother, who looks a lot like him. Yeah right!
It's lightweight, funky stuff here. But if you know and love the Cate Brothers, you won't be disappointed. I'm sure glad I finally get to enjoy this. Unfortunately there's a skip at the beginning of the last song. It's unobtrusive, though. Mawos found it through a friend on a Russian forum, so we can't ask for a re-rip. But if I find a better replacement, I will update this post. The label on which it was released: Big Burger.

Kid Dynamite - Kid Dynamite (Flightstream 1976)

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Kid Dynamite was an offshoot of the Steve Miller Band. Formed by Southern boys Dick Thompson and John King (of the Steve Miller Band), Kid Dynamite was completed by vocalist Val Garcia and guitarist Steve Trembley. They released two albums in 1976, both entitled "Kid Dynamite". Yeah, that's cool. And confusing. But I'm guessing this would be their second, since the other, on the Cream label, was recorded at the end of 1975.
I did not care much for the cover of this album. And the fact that it was on Flightstream (!?), didn't do much to change my preconception. But fortunately I've been proven wrong, 'cause this is a real nice and warm sounding record. A nice mix of soulful, funky Southern boogie. I grabbed this album from Zosopat's blog, who has a great blog with some ultra rare gems. Go visit!
The other one I now have too, thanks to Bigfootkit and will post later on. This one sounds real good, though there is one major skip to be heard on the song "Whole Lot Better". But despite that, this is well worth your attention and a real find. Kaboom!

Thunder - Thunder (1974)

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Thanks to Tom for the rip, and this one's for Bigfootkit. And for me. And for you... I only knew about this Thunder because Bigfootkit pointed out the connection with John Nitzinger. Not a lot I could find about this album on the web, but Martin Popoff fills in the gaps.
Thunder was a duo, consisting of David Alley and Whitey Thomas. For this, their only release, they got a little help from some friends. Like Bloodrock's Randy Reeder, guitarist Bugs Henderson and, of course, John Nitzinger. John playing guitar, bass and writing about half the album.
Well, it's a fun record for sure. Very 70's, Southern funky boogie rock. I love the keyboards, funny sounds and all, and some fierce guitar picking. The vocals at times have a chipmunk quality to them, but that's alright. And the songs work just nicely for me. There's a song called King's X on the album, written by Nitzinger. Was that where the band King's X got their name from? Anyway, enjoy.

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...

Duke Williams & The Extremes - Fantastic Fedora (1974)

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"Fantastic Fedora" is the second and last (?) album by Capricorn recordings artists Duke Williams & The Extremes. Like the first album, it's another steamroller. Though this time around the band assumed more of an identity of their own. Less of a Soul cover band, more rocking out this time. And man, they're on fire here.
This is not the rip that's already circulating, though it's pretty close in quality. The other rip had some clicks/scratches that I could not repair, so I redid it myself. I listen to my music with in-ear plugs, so you'll notice any click and pop.
Back to the music, well, what can I say. This is classic stuff. I love the songs, I love the playing, I love the production and I love the vocals. Does anybody have any additional information on Duke Williams? Did they/he really only release two albums? I find that hard to believe, but I couldn't find any information about any follow-ups. I promise, if you don't know this, you won't be disappointed. So just grab it. Quick!

Mylon LeFevre - Weak At The Knees (1977)

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Another fine album by Mylon LeFevre. Don't let that cover art scare you off. This is really a great album. Kinda funny, I was looking for some information about this period of Mylon's career. But any biography only mentions his album with Alvin Lee and then skips straight to the part about the Gideon bible and how Mylon turned to Gospel back in the 80's. Well, he's made three albums you can't seem to find any background information on, this being the first. The others I have too and will post in the near future.
I remember finding this album in a cut-out bin. I was amazed at the cover, but found it somehow intriguing. I was just getting into Outlaw Country, and this album had some familiar names on it. Excellent playing on the album throughout and some cool songs. Reggie Young is playing guitar here, amongst others. It was the first time I heard Mylon and I was immediately in love with his voice. The music on this album is somewhat in the vein of some early recordings by Louisiana's Le Roux. So, if you like that, give this a spin. I know I still play this frequently after 20 years owning it. It features a magnificent version of Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country". And I'm still crazy about the ballad "Second Hand Lady", in which his voice goes from a Johnny Cash-like narration and then smoothly switches to his beautiful singing voice. Have faith...

Traveler - Lost In The Late Late Show (1978)

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This is a remarkable release. Cause Traveler was not the actual name of this band. They were originally called Denim and had released one album prior to this on the Epic label. But when they signed to ABC records, the powers that be at ABC figured the band should assume a name less Country sounding. So Traveler it became, and the band put out this album on ABC. Three months later ABC folded and the band were stuck with an album and a name nobody knew. And after this release they spent a long time trying to regain what they lost. Eventually they resumed the name Denim and released a couple more albums. And to this day they're still around.
"Lost In The Late Late Show" is really quite a nice album. Typical 70's Rock with a definite Southern signature. Not too heavy, lots of harmony vocals, but not too slick either. Though nothing spectacular, I think this album is surprisingly pleasant. Decent guitars and vocals, and some strong songs. I couldn't tell how this compares to any Denim release, since I don't know any of their albums. Do I recommend it? Why yes, I do. Most charming.

Lenny LeBlanc - Lenny LeBlanc (1976)

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After having paid his dues as a session musician and background singer, and before he went on to become a mainstay in the Christian music scene, Lenny LeBlanc had a bit of a solo career as a Southern Rock artist. Or maybe that should rather be described as Southern Country Pop? Lenny was never one to rock out. Instead, this leans towards the sound of the Eagles and the likes. Lots of harmony vocals, smooth melodies, but backed by some great musicians (featuring Pete Carr).
It's really, really, really laid back, but your mama won't mind. Get your baby in the mood with some red wine and Lenny LeBlanc, and you just might get lucky.
This album had a re-release in 1977, then entitled "Hound Dog Man". The song "Hound Dog Man" was a minor hit and a tribute to Elvis. Lenny also recorded "Sharing The Night Together" for this album, which was a hit for Dr. Hook in 1978. Soporific...

George Hatcher Band - Hindsight (1985)

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Merry Christmas everybody! And ho-ho-ho, what have we here? Yes, it's the last George Hatcher Band album. How lucky do we get? Special thanks to Luc for providing the rip, and of course thanks to George Hatcher for some of the greatest Southern Rock. Yes, girls and boys, this is the last album George released. And it's here!
This album was done for the Trout Records label. Never heard of the label, but the music is still fine. Very fine indeed. A bit rough on the production side, I think, but very enjoyable all the same. Luc asked for permission to have this posted here, and it was alright. Cool! Actually you all need to go out and get in contact with the man. He's still alive and not doing anything musically? That's just too bad. We need George back. But until then, grab yourselves a beer and have some peace on earth.