Great Rock Albums of 1985: Molly Hatchet- Double Trouble Live

 

It was only logical that after six great studio albums, Molly Hatchet would put out a live album and boy what a live album! This album is so brilliant that it almost, I stress almost, removes my regret of never having seen this great band live. There was a couple of near opportunities to do so but the US Marine Corps had other ideas at the time. That means, I have had to settle for the consolation prize, not a bad one in any way, of “Double Trouble Live.”

What is cool about this live album is that the song selection has offerings from each of the studio albums. This includes the “Beatin’ the Odds” and “Take No Prisoners” albums when Jimmy Farrar handled the vocal duties. I have to say that Danny Joe Brown does a good job on both of the songs “Beatin’ the Odds” and “Bloody Reunion.” Speaking of Danny Joe, the band even plays a track, “Edge of Sundown,” from his one album with the Danny Joe Brown Band. Therefore, this album has a great diverse mix but Molly Hatchet shines on each and every song.

Of course, there are all the familiar Molly Hatchet classics we have come to love. “Flirtin’ With Disaster,” “Bounty Hunter,” “Fall of the Peacemakers,” “Stone In Your Heart,” “Satisfied Man” and “Boogie No More” are all played brilliantly live. You’d expect nothing less. On top of that, it was only natural they opened with “Whiskey Man” but the song where they really go above and beyond is “Gator Country.” That has always been a cool song but live, guitarists Duane Roland and Dave Hlubeck go absolutely nuts and turn it into a great jam session, well done lads!

When I first heard the album, I was slightly perplexed as to why they would cover Lynyrd Skynyrd’s legendary “Freebird.” After all, most Southern rock bands have their own answer to the Skynyrd classic. Blackfoot has “Highway Song” and even Molly Hatchet had “Fall of the Peacemakers.” So I asked myself, “Why?” The answer came when I listened to the track. Molly Hatchet definitely do it justice. I mean, I have heard some awful attempts covering this classic and I wanted to take an Uzi to those pretenders but Molly Hatchet would have made Ronnie Van Zant proud. There is also a cover of the Allman Brothers classic, “Dreams I’ll Never See” and again, it’s nicely done. Like I said, “Double Trouble Live” nearly removes my regret of not having seen them live.

Track Listing:

1. Whiskey Man
2. Bounty Hunter
3. Gator Country
4. Flirtin’ With Disaster
5. Stone in Your Heart
6. Satisfied Man
7. Bloody Reunion
8. Boogie No More
9. Freebird
10. Walk on the Side of Angels
11. Walk With You
12. Dreams I’ll Never See
13. Edge of Sundown
14. Fall of the Peacemakers
15. Beatin’ the Odds

Molly Hatchet

Danny Joe Brown- vocals

Dave Hlubeck- guitar

Duane Roland- guitar

John Galvin- keyboards

Riff West- bass

Bruce Crump- drums

It has been said the “Double Trouble Live” is one of the best live albums of all time. It’s definitely one of the best in 1985. The only reason it’s not number one for the year as there is a definite contender as well but I’ll get to that one in due course. In the mean time, have a listen to a fantastic live album from Molly Hatchet. You too might not feel so bad if you haven’t seen them live.

Next post: Joe Walsh- The Confessor

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Molly Hatchet- No Guts No Glory

 

One Southern Rock band that did still get some attention up North in 1983 was the great Molly Hatchet. What excited many Hatchet fans north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line was the return of lead singer Danny Joe Brown to the band to record the "No Guts No Glory" album. For those who are new to 80smetalman, it might be a good idea to have a crash history lesson. Danny Joe Brown left Molly Hatchet after the magnificent "Flirtin' With Disaster" album, actually he was kicked out because of his drinking, and replaced by lead singer Jimmy Farrar who sang on the next two albums, "Beatin' the Odds" and "Take No Prisoners." While there was nothing wrong with either of those albums and Jimmy Farrar is a very capable singer, there seemed to be something missing from those albums. It was hoped that Brown's return would re-ignite the chemistry that brought them fame with "Flirtin' With Disaster."

The old chemistry certainly does return on the "No Guts No Glory" album from the very first song. Things definitely feel very upbeat on the first two songs and at the time, I wanted to scream, although I did inwardly, "Welcome back Danny!" While the first two tracks set the pace for the entire album, it is the third track that propels things into the ionosphere. "Sweet Dixie" is one of those Southern rock boogie tunes that has me bouncing in my chair whenever I hear it. Unless I'm walking, then it makes me quicken my step. Even when I returned north after I got out of the service, the lyrics reminded me of the good things about being down South.

"Just give me those stars and bars, Willie on the radio

A good cold beer and that rebel cheer

And man I'm ready to roll

That sweet sweet Dixie music really gets into my soul

So Mr Deejay won't you play that Southern rock and roll."

Of course the guitars of Dave Hlubeck, Duane Roland and Steve Holland are all over that song as well as the entire album but the song where they really shine is the best known song from the album, "Fall of the Peacemakers." Written as a lament over the murder of John Lennon although I always saw it as an anti- war song, the three guitarists lay down some killer solos in the style of "Freebird" or "Highway Song" on the final five minutes of it. "Fall of the Peacemakers" has been said to have been Molly Hatchet's own "Freebird." The guitars are certainly good enough.

Having originally bought "No Guts No Glory" on vinyl, actually my first vinyl purchase upon leaving the service, the songs mentioned were side one. Side two is definitely not filler. There are five awesome tracks on it that keep the party going very well. Of those five, the standout for me is "Kinda Like Love." They do throw in something a bit different at the end as the closer, "Both Sides," is an instrumental. Some more great guitar work on it to end the album just right.

Other interesting facts about the album are the fact that this is the only Molly Hatchet album not to portray a Franzetta painting on the cover. Another is the use of keyboards. Danny Joe Brown was wise to bring John Galvin over from his Danny Joe Brown band to play on the album. The album also features a completely new rhythm section with Riff West on bass and Barry BB Borden on drums. They work very well here.

Track Listing:

1. What Does it Matter
2. Ain't Even Close
3. Sweet Dixie
4. Fall of the Peacemakers
5. What's it Gonna Take
6. Kinda Like Love
7. Under the Gun
8. On the Prowl
9. Both Sides

[caption id="attachment_3121" align="aligncenter" width="276"] Molly Hatchet[/caption]

Danny Joe Brown- vocals

Dave Hlubeck- guitars

Duane Roland- guitar

Steve Holland- guitar

Riff West- bass

Barry BB Borden- drums

Additional musicians:

John Galvin- keyboards

Jai Winding- keyboards

*Note- Steve Holland would leave the band during the tour for the album and John Galvin would replace him and become a permanent member

Thanks to the return of Danny Joe Brown, many would say that Molly Hatchet was back. I know they never really went anywhere but the "No Guts No Glory" album in my mind, returned them to former glory.

Next post: Talking Heads- Speaking in Tongues

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

Great Rock Albums of 1980: Molly Hatchet- Beatin' the Odds

By the summer of 1980, I knew that Southern Rock had established itself up North and was listened to quite extensively there. However, in the October of the same year, I learned that it had made its way across the Atlantic when I saw this very album from Molly Hatchet on sale in a record shop in Southampton, England. The very same marine buddy who first introduced me to Southern Rock was with me at this time and we did both exceedingly rejoice in the fact that Molly Hatchet was listened to in Europe.

Being very predictable here but one can't fail to mention that "Beatin' The Odds" was the first album to feature Jimmy Farrar as lead singer who had replaced Danny Joe Brown who left the band on account of alcohol problems or so I'm told. Many Hatchet fans want to totally forget the Jimmy Farrar period of the band's career but when I listened to the album a couple of days ago, (the first time in about 30 years) I tried to do so in a more open minded manner.

First, Jimmy Farrar is not that bad of a vocalist. Had he come out with another band, he probably would have been right up there with many of those who were around then. The unfortunate thing for him was that he had some very big shoes to fill when he replaced Brown at the mike. Saying that, I feel that the album still lacks a bit of punch to me when compared with the epic "Flirtin' With Disaster" album. Yes, Molly Hatchet still plays that Southern bad boy boogie sound and this is in no way a bad album, but it is a quite a come down from the previous one. The track that stands out for me is "Penthouse Pauper" which has a great guitar intro and the title cut is pretty good too. "Sailor" is also a strong track. However, in spite of all the good things, to me, "Beatin' The Odds" lacks something.

Track Listing:

1. Beatin' The Odds

2. Double Talker

3. The Rambler

4. Sailor

5. Dead And Gone

6. Few And Far Between

7. Penthouse Pauper

8. Get Her Back

9. Poison Pen

Molly Hatchet

Jimmy Farrar- vocals

Dave Hlubeck- lead and slide guitars

Duane Roland- lead and slide guitars

Steve Holland- guitars

Banner Thomas- bass

Bruce Crump- drums

I have coined the phrase "Sophmore Jinx" to bands whose second album didn't match the expectation of a great first album. As "Beatin' The Odds" is the third album from Molly Hatchet, I can't really use it here. Furthermore, like I said, it's not a bad album and it is a good one to have on in the background when sitting in your back garden on a warm day and swilling down some brewskies. However, when you do listen to it, try not to compare it to some of their more iconic albums.

Next post: The Charlie Daniels Band- Full Moon

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 1979: Molly Hatchet- Flirtin' With Disaster





1979 brought a new genre of rock into the limelight, Southern Rock. The roots of this country boogie style meets heavy rock go back to the early seventies with the band many officianadoes credit as the creators of southern rock, The Allman Brothers.

Allman Brothers

Their blues based southern sound was unique at the time and would be a mainstay throughout the seventies. The cause of southern rock was further pioneered later in the decade by the great Lynyrd Skynyrd who brought a more harder edge to it. For a teenager like me who lived in the North, Skynyrd was one band from the South you could listen to and not only rock out, you wouldn't be looked upon as some kind of redneck, although a lot of young rockers who were labelled such were into them too.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Okay, enough of the history lesson, (I'm sorry, it's the teacher in me again) on to 1979 and this fantastic album from Molly Hatchet. It was this album that thrust them into the light and make the entire rock world at the time stand up and take notice of them. They had a much harder sound than even Skynyrd and even the more slower songs like "Long Time" have a rockier edge that make you want to stand up and go "Yeah!" with a raised fist and a can of Budweiser in the other hand. When you listen to "Flirtin With Disaster" you are in no doubt that you are listening to a true hard rock album.
For me, the album was the thrash metal of 1979. Yes I know it doesn't come anywhere near thrash but with the exception of maybe Van Halen, AC/DC or Ted Nugent, there was nothing heavier. I can say that "Flirtin With Disaster" completely sealed my cross over into hard rock and metal forever. When I heard this album, there was no going back.
The great thing about it is that although it's a classic hard rock album, many of the songs still contain that southern boogie vibe originally began by The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Take the song "Jukin City" as an example. Hard guitars start the song and set a rhythm that is so catchy, it stays in your head long after you have head banged your way through its entirety. The same can be said about the other songs on the album and especially the title track. In each and every one you are greeted by some hard but strangely melodic guitar sound that makes you just want to rock out! That said, there is not enough credit given to the guitar combination of Roland, Hlubeck and Holland. Sure other bands have three guitarists, but none that work so well together as the forementioned three. I practically love every guitar solo on the album.

Track Listing:

1. Whiskey Man

2. It's All Over Now

3. One Man' s Pleasure

4. Jukin City

5. Boogie No More

6. Flirtin With Disaster

7. Good Rockin

8. Gunsmoke

9. Long Time

10. Let the Good Times Roll

Molly Hatchet

Danny Joe Brown- vocals

Bruce Crump- drums

Dave Hlubeck- guitar

Steve Holland- guitar

Duane Roland- guitar

Banner Thomas- bass

I sincerely believe that if Molly Hatchet had never been around (yes that would have been tragic) I am convinced that some heavy metal band in the 80s would have taken the name. The name alone indicates a heavy rock or metal band and was reason why I had to listen to the album. Furthermore, back in 79, the Frank Franzetta paintings which adorned the covers of this and other Hatchet albums inspired many bands long after in their album cover choices. So, why Molly Hatchet deserves all the credit for getting Southern Rock noticed by the masses, it should also be given the credit for its influence on the 80s metal scene after. This album is without a doubt their best one and one of my favourites of all time.

Next post: Bad Teacher

To buy Rock And Roll Chilren, 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