Great Rock Albums of 1984: Blackfoot- Vertical Smiles

 

Another great Southern Rock or in my view Southern metal band who went for a more commercial rock sound in 1984 was Blackfoot with their album, "Vertical Smiles." Keyboards player Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep became a permanent member and guitarist Charlie Hargrett left over disagreements with the band and management. However, I have always believed Charlie's departure to be fairly amicable because written on the album cover is "Special thanks to Charlie Hargrett for fourteen years of agony and dedication."

The move to more commercial rock comes out in the very first song, "Morning Dew," which was released as the album's only single. I remember it getting limited airplay on radio. While I have always liked this song, it was certainly a departure from traditional Blackfoot. The keyboards lead into the song and it's present throughout, although this isn't a bad thing. I also love the military sounding snare drums complements of Mr Spires and Rick Medlocke pelts a good guitar solo on it. So there is a lot to like with "Morning Dew."

Things go decisively harder for the next few songs after. "Living in the Limelight" is a pure belter and Medlocke's signature vocals are present. The song rocks! The same can be said for "Get It On." This too is a good rocker from the more memorable days of Blackfoot. The song in between them, "Ride With You" isn't bad either. It's just too much keyboards where some good guitar stuff should be and that lets it down a little. Then, the album slows right down with two power ballad type songs, "Young Girl" and "Summer Days." It does show a more tender side to the band and both songs are done very well. Happily, things go back to more familiar ground with the blazing "A Legend Never Dies." I have always thought "this is more like it."  It proves that Blackfoot can effectively employ guitar and keyboard together in a song. But the most true old style Blackfoot track is the pen ultimate, "Heartbeat and Heels." This song casts aside any doubt that Blackfoot have completely abandoned their past. It is the hidden gem on the album. I've never been too sure about the closer. You would think that any song titled, "In For the Kill" would be a hard rocker and though this song has moments, it doesn't move me in for any kill. Still, it's probably the best song to close the album.

Track Listing:

1. Morning Dew
2. Living In the Limelight
3. Ride With You
4. Get it On
5. Young Girl
6. Summer Days
7. A Legend Never Dies
8. Heartbeat and Heels
9. In For the Kill

[caption id="attachment_3114" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Blackfoot[/caption]

Rick Medlocke- guitar, lead vocals

Ken Hensley- keyboards, backing vocals

Greg T Walker- bass, backing vocals

Jackson Spires- drums, backing vocals

Sherri Jarrell- backing vocals

Note: This was a band photo from the last album but I thought I'd use out it of respect for Charlie Hargrett

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IUbOy1_UKs

All in all, "Vertical Smiles" is a pretty decent album. True, they incorporate keyboards where a harder guitar sound should be in places but it's not bad. The album does have good songs. Still, it's not near the same level as their three famous albums, "Strikes," "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder."

Next post: Survivor- Vital Signs

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Great Rock Albums of 1983: Blackfoot- Siogo

 

Further evidence to support the fact that Southern Rock was becoming a non entity north of the Mason-Dixon Line is to be found with Blackfoot's 1983 album, "Siogo." It's also yet another reason why I was glad I got to spend three months in the South. In the years running up to 83, Blackfoot had been slowly but surely gaining attention in the North thanks to their three best known albums, "Strikes," "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder." However, when I did return North in the middle of the year, it seemed that no one had known they put out a new album and it was fortunate I had bought it in North Carolina because it would have been tougher to find it in New Jersey.

"Siogo" marked a slight change of direction for Blackfoot in the sense that they acquired keyboards player Ken Hensley. Many metalheads and hard rockers normally panic when a band known for hard power chords from the guitar adds keyboards. There is the belief that said band is selling out, going commercial or whatever and Van Halen in 1986 proves that point but that story is for another time. Well, you can all rest easy because when I first heard the single from the album, "Send Me and Angel," I thought the keyboards went well with the hard crunching guitar that Blackfoot was known for. Everything else associated with Blackfoot was in place, the great guitar solos, Rick Medlocke's unmistakable vocals and the rhythm section provided by Walker and Spires.

Let me get right to the point, "Siogo" is a great album and it's unfortunate it has been overlooked so long. It also proves that the addition of a keyboard does not destroy the sound of a hard and heavy band if employed properly. Dio is the ultimate example but again, that's for another time. Proof of this with this album lies in the track "Goin' in Circles." You can hear the keyboards in support at the beginning when the guitars pound in on the intro to the song. They add flavour to it and then go on a support role as the song gets into full gear and there's a killer guitar solo on it. If you want to hear Hensley at his keyboard best, then the track "We're Going Down" is the one. His keyboard solo is the highlight of a song that is no less rocky. The rest of the album is more old school Blackfoot if there is such a thing. Full of trademark intros, see "Teenage Idol" and "Crossfire" here and straight forward, blow your eardrums hard rock music. I said it before but it still applies with "Siogo," Blackfoot could be called "Southern Metal."

When I first looked at the track listing and saw a track called "Sail Away," I thought that this was going to be some sort of ballad. After all, there are plenty of songs with similar titles that are. However, the song that bears the title on this album is nothing of the sort. Okay, maybe the first two notes of the intro may give that impression but the rest of the song just rocks! And don't be fooled by the lyrics of "White Man's Land." It's nothing racist, the song, at least to me, is a dig at the rat race and I can definitely see where they're coming from here. Besides, the song reminds me a little of the classic "Train, Train."

Track Listing:

1. Send Me an Angel
2. Crossfire
3. Heart's Grown Cold
4. We're Goin' Down
5. Teenage Idol
6. Goin' in Circles
7. Run For Cover
8. White Man's Land
9. Sail Away
10. Drivin' Fool

[caption id="attachment_3114" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Blackfoot[/caption]

Rick Medlocke- lead vocals, guitar

Charlie Hargrett- guitar

Ken Hensley- keyboards, backing vocals

Greg T. Walker- bass, backing vocals

Jackson Spires- drums, backing vocals

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to say, "Damn Yankees" for the fact that this album has been overlooked up North. Fortunately, I was in the South so I didn't miss out on it, to which I'm glad. "Siogo" is definitely a Blackfoot album that deserves a mention when you say the band's name.

Next post: Molly Hatchet- No Guts, No Glory

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Blackfoot- Highway Song Live

What is the most logical thing to do after your band has put out three very good studio albums? Well, in the case of Blackfoot, the answer is to put out one hell of a live album. That is exactly what they did in 1982 with the album recorded live in London. If it hadn't been for the fact that I happened to visit London in the summer of 1983, this album would have past me by because I never saw it on sale at any of the record shops in New Jersey and that, to me, would have been a damn shame.

Why is this live album so good? The answer is pretty obvious to any Blackfoot fan. At this particular concert, they played some of their finest material off their previous three albums, "Strikes," "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder." If I were to have produced the album, I would have done little different except ask the band to play "I Got a Line On You" from the "Strikes" album but that's a personal thing. The album is fine as it stands. Things open with two songs from "Tomcattin,'" "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme," which is definitely a great concert opener, especially at the beginning when Rick Medlocke announces "All right London, it's boogie time!" You get little time to rest after the opener because Medlocke gets the crowd going by saying, "If someone messes with your queenie, you're gonna mess up their god damn nose!" Then they launch into "Queenie, Every Man Should Know." If the crowd isn't fully up by now, then the almost thrash sounding, "Good Morning" definitely gets them there.

"Good Morning" is the first of three songs from the "Marauder" album. The other two songs that follow, "Dry County" and "Fly Away" sound much better live than the versions on the album and there was nothing wrong with those. It's just the raw energy this concert gives that takes things up several levels. One note, in between "Dry County" and "Fly Away," Blackfoot play their own version of John Lee Hooker's "Rolling and Tumbling" and I will say that they put their own unique stamp on that song quite nicely.

The rest of the album/concert is dominated by songs from the "Strikes" album. "Road Fever" for all the Scotland rock and roll maniacs as how Medlocke introduces the song, rolls things along very well. After they play "Trouble in Mind," Blackfoot take the show up on an enormous high with the two best songs from that album, "Train, Train" and of course "Highway Song" and both are cases of the live version being way above the studio version. This leads me to realise that if Blackfoot can improve on songs from great studio albums when played live, they are definitely a band to be reckoned with.

Track Listing:

1. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

2. Queenie, Every Man Should Know

3. Good Morning

4. Dry County

5. Rolling and Tumbling

6. Fly Away

7. Road Fever

8. Trouble in Mind

9. Train, Train

10. Highway Song

11. Howay the Lads

[caption id="attachment_1316" align="aligncenter" width="215"] Blackfoot[/caption]

Rickey Medlocke- guitar, lead vocals

Charlie Hargrett- guitar

Greg T Walker- bass, backing vocals

Jackson Spires- drums

I think back to that time in 1983 and thank God that I was in London and saw this album in a record store. Otherwise, I would have missed it. Then again, each time I listen to the album, I become pig sick at not having ever seen them live. Trust me, "Highway Song" will make you feel that way.

Next post: Rossington/Collins- This is the Way

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Triumphs and Tragedies: 1981

As always, I like to start with the bad news first before progressing onto the good news. The biggest tragedy of this particular year for music fans of all kinds with the death of reggae legend Bob Marley who died from cancer in May of 1981.

[caption id="attachment_2191" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Bob Marley[/caption]

Whether one was a devout reggae fan, Bob Marley worshipper, total stoner or none of the above, there were very few people around my age at the time who couldn't help but shed a tear at the passing of this great legend. His music brought reggae into the mainstream for many people, me included as did his relaxed, "be mellow" attitude towards life. Something we all probably still need to adhere to these days. While Bob may not be with us and I have to agree with his son Ziggy's philosophy that money doesn't buy life, his music still is alive and very well in the world today. R.I.P. Bob Marley

[caption id="attachment_2193" align="aligncenter" width="196"] The Round Up[/caption]

Now onto the first triumph which was at the time a local one for me and the sad thing was that I never got to see it due to being in the service. In June of 1981, Southern Rock converged on Philadelphia's JFK Stadium as some of the great Southern Rock bands played what I later learned was a brilliant show. Oh, how amazing it would have been to see the likes of The Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special and the Marshall Tucker Band on the same day. Unfortunately, I didn't and therefore I implore anyone out there in the cosmos who is reading this and went to this great festival, please share your experiences!

[caption id="attachment_2192" align="aligncenter" width="214"] Donington 1981[/caption]

The second tragedy came in the form of another great music festival across the Atlantic. In the August, the second Monsters of Rock Festival at Donington Park took place. With AC/DC as the headliner and the likes of Whitesnake, Slade and Blackfoot on the bill, it couldn't help but to be a great show. Of course, I wasn't at this one either but I do know someone who was and he said it was a brilliant day. It also explains why Blackfoot didn't appear at the Round Up.  Furthermore, the promoters did a good job in ironing at some of the things that went wrong at the 1980 festival. So, two great musical shows on both sides of the ocean, the result was two triumphs for rock and metal in 1981.

There was one more triumph in 1981 but that deserves its own billing and will be spoken about later. To give a hint, it was considered a total triumph in 1981 but nowadays, it is more of a tragedy.
Next post: U2 -Boy
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Great Rock Albums of 1981: Blackfoot- Marauder

Many people in the music world agree that Blackfoot's golden era was from 1979-81 when they put out their three best albums, "Strikes," "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder." Having already visited the first two albums in the appropriate year, I now go to the 1981 classic. Many people are of the opinion that "Marauder" is the best of the three and the best Blackfoot album of all time. I won't enter into a debate on that because I can definitely see why many make that claim in regards to this album, although for me personally, my heart has always been swayed by "Strikes." Saying that, it is a close run contest because "Marauder" definitely does rock the house down.

"Marauder" opens with a great the heavy grab you by the balls "Good Morning," which even with Rick Medlocke's crazy laugh during the intro, sets the pace for the rest of the album. "Good Morning" is one of those tracks you have to put the stereo up to full volume and just go nuts. The second track, "Paying For It," does nothing to lessen the adrenaline brought on by the opener. The ballad-like "Diary of a Working Man" just lets you catch your breath before the album bombards you with more great hard rockers. For me, I have always liked both "Dry County" and "Fly Away" and they are my two favourite songs on the album. The second song may start with an acoustic guitar on the album but it isn't long before you're banging away to the hard guitars once again. I must say that  I do like "Rattlesnake Rock and Roller" where Medlocke's grandfather Shorty plays harmonica. Another demonstration that while Blackfoot can hit you in the face with great hard Southern rock, they can be versatile too. And like many a great album, it has a great closing song. "Searchin'" ends with the lead guitar reminiscent of "Highway Song" from "Strikes" or even "Freebird." This seems a must for any great Southern Rock album.

Track Listing:

1. Good Morning

2. Paying For It

3. Diary of a Working Man

4. Too Hard to Handle

5. Fly Away

6. Dry County

7. Fire In the Dragon

8. Rattlesnake Rock And Roller

9. Searchin'

[caption id="attachment_1316" align="aligncenter" width="128"] Blackfoot[/caption]

Rick Medlocke- lead vocals, guitar

Charlie Hargrett- guitar

Greg T Walker- bass, keyboards, backing vocals

Jakson Spires- drums, percussion, backing vocals

While the studio version of "Fly Away" might started acoustically, the version played on Blackfoot's 1982 live album definitely blows people away and I will be visiting that album, I promise. "Marauder" is said to be the last great Blackfoot album. Well, it's for sure the last hard rock album they would put out because they would start using synthesisers on later albums. So for a good Southern rock out, that will have you jumping off furniture, "Marauder" is the album to listen to.

Next post: Molly Hatchet- Take No Prisoners

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: The Outlaws- Ghost Riders

One of the things that got me listening to Southern Rock was that it featured prolonged lead guitar solos and there are some beauties that have blown me away over the years. There is the famous "Freebird" complements of Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Highway Song" courtesy of Blackfoot. Plus there are some from the Allman Brothers such as "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica" as well as one from Molly Hatchet which I will definitely be pontificating about when I get to 1983. However, it is The Outlaws who seem to do it best and do it with most of their songs. Their famous "Green Grass and High Tides" is a classic for guitar solos and this doesn't diminish with their 1980 album "Ghost Riders."

Let us begin with the single that got them recognition north of the Mason- Dixon Line, "Ghost Riders in the Sky." There have been many covers of this song before and after The Outlaws put their own stamp on it. My father in law likes the version from 1948 and a British band, The Stranglers, made an instrumental version in 1980 and even Elvis sang it. "Needless to say, which version I like. But the album doesn't begin and end with the one song. There are plenty of great songs on it and many of them have some outstanding guitar work. In fact, the second song "White Horses" has an impressive acoustic guitar sounding intro before going nuts with some harder stuff. The same can be said for the final song "Freedom Walk." Even the slower "I Can't Stop Loving You" is not lacking a cool guitar solo or two and "Angels Hide" is a total rocker. All in all, "Ghost Riders" typifies everything I love about Southern Rock. 

Track Listing:

1. Ghost Riders

2. White Horses

3. Angels Hide

4. Devil's Road

5. I Can't Stop Loving You

6. Wishing Wells

7. Sunshine

8. Freedom Walk

The Outlaws

Rick Cua- bass, guitar, vocals

David Dix- drums, percussion

Billy Jones- guitars, vocals

Mike Duke- keyboards, vocals

Freddie Salem- guitar,vocals

Hughie Thomasson- guitar, vocals

The Outlaws are what the gods of rock envisioned when they forged this great genre known as Southern Rock. Great guitar solos innertwined with some hard rocking chords and even a slow acoustic chord. With "Ghost Riders," you can't go wrong.

Next post: Southern Fried Rock

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: Blackfoot- Tomcattin'

One discovery I made quite quickly as I immersed myself deeper in Southern Rock in 1980 was that out of all the Southern Rock bands I listened to, Blackfoot was the heaviest. In fact, many people actually considered them to be heavy metal as the mid eighties approached. The "Strikes" album was a definite heavy album and the follow up "Tomcattin'" was just as heavy.

The album opens with "Warped" and that song convinced me from the get go that this was going to be another hard rocking album from Blackfoot. The next few tracks back this claim up as well. "On The Run," "Dream On" and "Street Fighter" are all great rock gems. Then there are the next two tracks "Gimme Gimme Gimme" and "Every Man Should Know (Queenie)" that I heard on a live album in 1983. I'll be visiting that one when I get to that pivotal year. Now the live versions of those songs are complete mind blowers so I should have been disappointed that they weren't quite as heavy on the studio album. However, I wasn't because they are both good classic rockers as are the next two tracks: "In The Night" and "Reckless Abandoner." The one slow song on the album "Spending Cabbage" is no let down either. In all of the tracks, there are some heavy and hard riffs and some decent guitar solos from Medlocke and Hargrett and while none of the songs graced the top 40, (like I would care anyway) the album was well received by their loyal fan base in the Southeast and wowed a few Yankees like me.

Track Listing:

1. Warped

2. On The Run

3. Dream On

4. Street Fighter

5. Gimme Gimme Gimme

6. Every Man Should Know (Queenie)

7. In The Night

8. Reckless Abandoner

9. Spending Cabbage

10. Fox Chase

Blackfoot

Rick Medlocke- guitars, vocals

Charlie Hargrett- guitars

Greg T. Walker- bass, keyboards, vocals

Jackson Spires- drums, percussion, vocals

"Tomcattin'" is still considered one of the best Blackfoot albums by many of their loyal fans. For me, it is right up there with "Strikes" and that live one I mentioned. For me, the album stamps Blackfoot's authority on heavy rock and proves that Southern Rock wasn't something that was enjoyed by a bunch of rednecks.

Next post: Molly Hatchet- Beatin' The Odds

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Great Rock Albums of 1979: Nantucket- Your Face or Mine

Here's another band from Jacksonville, not Jacksonville, Florida but Jacksonville, North Carolina. Having spent most of my military career there, it was a no brainer that I would be introduced to their finest, Nantucket. Like their kinsmen in Florida, Nantucket had their own Southern sound but the difference is that instead of the hard rock boogie sound of a Molly Hatchet or metal sound like Blackfoot, Nantucket's was more of a progressive sound with some great use of keyboards and saxophone while still keeping a hard rock feel to it. The result is something I have always liked.

That all brings around to their second album "Your Face or Mine." The album typifies the sound that made Nantucket so popular in the Southern states at the time. Songs like "Your Place or Mine" and "Just the Devil's Way" show their hard rock Southern roots while "California" tends to show their more progressive side. And of course the saxophone adds another uniqe touch. I have heard many a sax in rock music and I have to say that as far as saxophonists are concerned, Eddie Blair is one of the best. The title of the final song on the album asks the question, "Is it wrong to rock and roll?" Listening to this album, I have to give an emphatic "NO!"

Track Listing:

1. Gimme Your Love

2. I Live For Your Love

3. Hey Hey Blondie

4. California

5. Wide Awake

6. Don't Hang Up

7. Your Place or Mine

8. Just the Devil's Way

9. Is it Wrong to Rock And Roll

Nantucket

Tommy Redd- lead and rhythm guitars, spoon lead and backing vocals

Larry Uzzell- bass, lead and backing vocals

Mike Uzzell- keyboards, lead and backing vocals

Mike Downing- lead, rhythm, slide and 12 string guitars, backing vocals

Eddie Blair- saxophones, organ, piano, clavinet, backing vocals

Kenny Soule- drums, percussion, tympani, backing vocals

Refamiliarising myself with this cool album from Nantucket, I find myself asking the question I asked 30 year ago. Why weren't they more popular up North? My only conclusion was that a lot of people I knew in my native New Jersey still viewed bands from the South as redneck country singers. One friend admitted he had a bit of a culture shock when I played some Nantucket to him (Not sure if it was this album). For those into a good hard but progressive rock, especially those who like Jethro Tull, will like "Your Face or Mine" by Nantucket.

Next Post: The Outlaws- In the Eye of the Storm

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Great Rock Albums of 1979: Blackfoot- Strikes

Naturally, after hearing "Flirtin' With Disaster" by Molly Hatchet, I wanted to further explore this phenomena known as Southern Rock. Eventually, I came into contact with this fine album compliments of Blackfoot. "Strikes" was the third album by Blackfoot but the first one I listened to and for me, it's their best.
This album takes the southern sound and just pounds the hell out of it with straight ahead power rock. The intro to the opening track, "Road Fever," speaks volumes as it lures you by being rather hard but melodic and then the power chords strike and you can't help to headband away to the rest. That is why that in 1980, "Road Fever" was one of my official travelling songs. The lyrics "Every time I am down and out and don't know what to do. I drop a lude and hit the road and play me a song or two" may have something to do with it as well.
The rest of the album follows suit. The second track, "I Got a Line On You" although a cover, is done with the classic Blackfoot touch. The same can be said with their cover of the Free classic, "Wishing Well." This doesn't take anything away from their originals. The harmonica in the "Train Train, Prelude" sticks in my mind over 30 years later. The actual song is a classic rocker in its own right. And all this ends with the final jam "Highway Song." I won't get into the debate that it rips off the legendary "Freebird" because for me, the song has me playing air guitar for the entire length of the ending guitar solos, five minutes plus.

Track Listing:

1. Road Fever

2. I Got a Line On You

3. Left Turn on a Red Light

4. Pay My Dues

5. Baby Blue

6. Wishing Well

7. Run and Hide

8. Train Train, Prelude

9. Train Train

10. Highway Song

Blackfoot

Rick Medlocke- lead vocals, guitar

Charlie Hargrett- guitar

Greg T Walker- bass, keyboards, vocals

Jakson Spires- drums, percussion, vocals

I can't help believing that along with Molly Hatchett, Blackfoot, especially with this album, went on to influence a lot of metal bands from the South. At the time, and quite a bit now, Blackfoot were what I would call metal. The hard sound of "Strikes" bears testimony to that.

Next post: Nantucket- Your Face or Mine

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