Doc Holliday were never quite as high profile as several other seventies' and eighties' Southern Rock bands, though their hard driving, guitar'n'moonshine fuelled sound was just as tasty, just as genuine and indeed, just as intoxicating.
The selection of 'Colonel' Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Nantucket) to produce the band's self titled debut album in 1981 seemed an unlikely choice, but the chemistry worked, resulting in a high impact recording attracting comparison with early Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers.
Rock Candy show their respect by reissuing the album in fully remastered form, with 2 bonus tracks, a 16 page booklet and a 4,000 word essay from industry legend, (and Rock
Candy co-owner, Derek Oliver).
Openers, '
Ain't No Fool' and '
Magic Midnight' are solid, blue collar, grits and catfish staples, designed for mass consumption by a huge Southern Rock fanbase.
'Good Woman' has a distinct country rock feel, completely removing it from the band's native Georgia, taking it way west of the Pecos, far into CSN&Y and The Eagles' territory
'Round And Round' is generic blues rock and although '
Moonshine Runner' overflows with energy, it really isn't anything more than ordinary.
But there are several white lightning bolts of brilliance in the second half of the album.
There's the Dr Hook like country rock of
'The Way You Do'.
There's a sweepingly ambitious cover of the Spencer David Group's '
Somebody Help Me'.
But way out in the lead is the "if
Thin Lizzy had been born in Georgia" like
'Never Another Night' - a heavier, grittier hard rock track, worthy of the proverbial admission price. A huge song with a biting lyrical message, an elemental riff and a primal beat. It's a bona fide classic, ahead of its time, with Allom doing a totally convincing job of matching style with substance.
It's one of those songs that makes a band immortal.
Later releases followed in more of a hard rock direction, leading to mass confusion among the band's new found fans. Unsurprisingly, the band repented their ways and subsequently returned to their roots. But as Southern Rock goes, this is the one.
Written by
Brian Saturday, July 5, 2008
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