Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Molly Hatchet- Beatin' the Odds

Beatin' the Odds
Beatin' the Odds is just one of those albums that has remained under the radar for so long that people assume that it must be because it's not a good album...wrong. When this record first came out, it was pretty well recieved by the fans, it charted at #20, just one notch below their best charting album Flirtin' with Disaster. They were still playing to sold-out crowds, the band was tighter than ever, yet for some reason this album slipped away into rock n roll obscurity. It's now the "hidden gem" the "forgotton years" etc. etc. You never hear any of these songs on classic rock radio, which isn't saying much.

In this reviewers opinion Beatin' the Odds is every bit as good as Flirtin' with Disaster and almost as good as their debut record, which is saying alot because those are Molly Hatchet's best records, some of the best rock music there is. To make it even better Rock Candy has made this Remastered/Reloaded edition a top-notch package. From the cover art being faithfully restored full-size (one of the best covers ever--RIP F. Frazetta)to the booklet jam-packed with cool little tid-bits in an interveiw with Jimmy Farrar, to the music which has never sounded better. Then add 4 bonus tracks from a very rare 6 track live EP that was released back in the day, recorded live in Lakeland, Fl. in 1980 and you have one nice piece of Southern Rock history.

And what about the album? What can I say, it's the original line-up of Hatchet except for the vocalist Danny Joe Brown who has been replaced by Jimmy Farrar who takes over the job without skipping a beat, he fills his shoes like they were his own. As a devout Molly Hatchet fan I love DJB just as much as anyone, but I have to say Jimmy Farrar has never gotten the respect he deserves and neither has this album. Every track is a keeper, the band was on top of their game, the song-writing was still top-notch, guitar driven rock was still their priority.

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