Great Rock Albums of 1981: Marshall Tucker- Dedicated

I must thank Wikopedia on this occasion or I would have been totally wrong here. The Marshall Tucker Band came to my attention in 1981 through my lieutenant who was heavily into them. It was only when I did a little research that I found out they had been going on well throughout the seventies. What would have been a greater sense of shooting myself in the foot was that 1981 was when I first heard the song they were most famous for, "Can't You See." I now realise that the song
 was actually released in 1973, so thank you Wikopedia.

Still none of this hides the fact that the Marshall Tucker Band put out a decent album in 1981. "Dedicated" is another album that got over looked due to the wave of Southern Rock bands that were coming into the light at the time. Saying that, "Dedicated" reminds me of the dilemma that many Southern Rock bands faced at the time, straddling the fine line between genuine rock and country music. I remember a friend from up North calling Southern Rock nothing more than country music with a few power chords. Boy, was he naïve. Then again, he didn't experience Southern Rock they way I did back in 1981.

Looking more closely at "Dedicated," it is plain that The Marshall Tucker Band were one of those bands who did try harder to tightrope the line between country and rock. They weren't as heavy as Molly Hatchet or Blackfoot but that doesn't stop the album from being good. There are some great traditional rock tunes like "Rumours Are Raging," "Silverado" and my personal favourite, "Tell The Blues To Take Off The Night," which has some good bluesy guitar work on it. There are also more radio friendly tunes like "Tonight's The Night (For Making Love) and the appropriate closer, "Ride In Peace." There are a couple of more countrified tunes like "Love Some" although it is still a good song. The Marshall Tucker Band does a great job in taking all of these things and rolling them up into one good album.

Track Listing:

1. Rumour Are Raging

2. Tonight's the Night (For Making Love)

3. Love Some

4. Silverado

5. Something's Missing in My Life

6. This Time I Believe

7. Tell the Blues to Take Off the Night

8. Special Someone

9. The Time Has Come

10. Ride In Peace

[caption id="attachment_2184" align="aligncenter" width="192"] Marshall Tucker Band[/caption]

 Doug Gray- vocals

Toy Caldwell- guitar

George McCorkle- guitar

Jerry Eubanks- keyboards

Paul Riddle- drums

Franklin Wilkie- bass

There is one note of tragedy to this album in that it was made after the death of the band's bassist and brother of guitarist Toy Caldwell, Tommy Caldwell, who was killed in a car accident. It has been said that the closing track is a dedication to him. This album was a fitting tribute to Tommy and a good album all around. It is also probably the best one to end my series of posts on Southern Rock in 1981 as it's popularity north of the Mason-Dixon line would decline after.

Next post: ZZ Top- El Loco

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Great Rock Albums of 1981: Nantucket- A Long Way to the Top

Due to the fact that I didn't hear this album until the August of 1981, I have always assumed that "A Long Way to the Top" by Nantucket was released in that year. I now know that it was released in 1980. The title cut is a cover of the AC/DC classic and was recorded as a tribute to the passing of Bon Scott. It won the band a supporting slot with AC/DC on the "Back in Black" tour. That must have been one hell of a concert and I wish I wasn't on sea duty at the time.

Like the Johnny Van Zant Band, Nantucket were yet another great Southern Rock band who were around at Southern Rock's peak of popularity but never really got recognised outside the Southeast of the U.S. At least, Johnny Van Zant could be identified with his famous late brother but this wasn't the case for Nantucket. I admit, if I hadn't been down south at the time, I probably would have never heard of them either. Fortunately, for me, I did get to hear this wonderful album.

First, the tribute to Bon is a very fitting one, Nantucket do a splendid job covering this long time AC/DC gem. Lead singer Larry Uzzell does try to sound like Bon and while no one can ever duplicate Scott, his efforts are noteworthy. The rest of the album doesn't disappoint either but is played in the great tradition that made Nantucket a name for themselves in the South. "Time Bomb," "5o More," "Living With You" and "Rugburn" are all great songs. The one standout track, other than the title cut, for me is "Too Much Wrong in the Past." That is a classic rock song. I love the way that song fakes the listener in with the piano and lead guitar as if it's going to be a power ballad and then just explodes, very nicely done.

Track Listing:

1. A Long Way to the Top

2. Living With You

3. Time Bomb

4. 50 More

5. Media Darling

6. Rugburn

7. Too Much Wrong in the Past

8. Over and Over

9. Turn On the Radio

10. Tell Me (Doctor Rhythm Method)

11. Rescue

12. Rock the 80s

[caption id="attachment_1322" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Nantucket[/caption]

Tommy Redd- guitars, vocals

Larry Uzzell- lead vocals

Tommy Downing- lead guitar

Eddie Blair- sax, keyboards, vocals

Kenny Soule- drums

Pee Wee Watson- bass, vocals

Nantucket were another band that should have gotten more world wide attention but unfortunately didn't. This album proves that they were as good as many of their Southern contemporaries. Still, I would have loved to see them open for AC/DC.

Next post: Marshall Tucker Band- Dedicated

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Great Rock Albums of 1981: Johnny Van Zant- Round Two

Whether it was the glam metal scene in LA or the thrash scene in San Francisco back in the 1980s, of all the bands from those areas who gained world wide popularity, there were many bands who were just as good but never fully broke out of the local scene. The same thing can be said of Southern rock in the earlier part of the decade. I was fortunate to have been stationed in North Carolina during this time, so I was fully able to appreciate it when Southern Rock was at the height of its glory. It gave me a good feeling whenever I trotted back across the Mason-Dixon Line to New Jersey, that many of my friends were listening to Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws and 38 Special. Unfortunately, not so many people heard of Johnny Van Zant when I mentioned them up north. They were mainly well known just in the south.

As all my British friends would say, this was a bloody shame because the Johnny Van Zant Band were a very good band and their second album, "Round Two" bears witness to this fact. There is a definitely influence from Johnny's older brother on this album because I can detect some Lynyrd Skynyrd sounds here. But in no way does this band simply rip off the great Skynyrd. They bring their own brand of hard rock to tracks like "(Who's) Right or Wrong," "Shot Down" and "Standing in the Falling Rain." Lead guitarists Robbie Gay and Eric Lundgren  know how to play on these songs as well as others. They also do a very hard version of the Beatles classic "Drive My Car." The album does have a ballad in the form of "Yesterday' Gone." I must declare that of all the Van Zant boys, Johnny's vocals are the most attuned for singing ballads. Not that he can't sing harder songs just as well, maybe better. It's just too bad "Round Two" has been allowed to lay dormant for so many years.

Track Listing:

1. (Who's) Right or Wrong

2. Standing in the Falling Rain

3. Yesterday's Gone

4. Let There Be Music

5. Keep Our Love Alive

6. Night Time Lady

7. Drive My Car

8. Shot Down

9. Cold Hearted Woman

10. Play My Music

[caption id="attachment_2173" align="aligncenter" width="265"] Johnny Van Zant Band[/caption]

Johnny Van Zant- vocals

Robbie Gay- lead guitar

Erik- Lundgren- lead guitar

Danny Clausman- bass

Robbie Morris- drums

As I progress through hard rock and metal history, I am discovering albums and bands that I took little notice of or missed completely. I can't say that I missed the Johnny Van Zant Band because I saw them live in 1982 but that's another story. I do regret not listening to this album more back in the time and I wish more people did as well. Here's everyone's chance to rectify that now.

Next post: Nantucket- Long Way to the Top

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book shop in London