Friday, January 11, 2013

Black Oak Arkansas-High on the Hog

High on the hog
The main thing about Black Oak Arkansas was either you love them or hate them, there was little room in-between. "High on the Hog" was their first album with a certified hit, "Jim Dandy", a sort of ego-anthem of the lead singer, Jim "dandy" Mangrum. But the remaining songs on the album all had something for the Black Oak fans to love. As a result, you'll find that almost every song on the album was named by a Black Oak fan as their favorite. My personal favorite is "High and Dry", a simple little diddy about escaping a flood. It was a simple acoustic guitar and Jim Dandy's "ornery" voice, but it will always be a classic for those "dyed in the wool" Black Oak Arkansas fans. HIGH ON THE HOG was the biggest hit album for Black Oak Arkansas, obviously the nastiest, dirtiest, funkiest band to come out of the whole "Southern Rock" scene. The band lacked the musical skills of the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot, yet more than made up for it with a deep funk and a wicked sense of humor that hasn't dated at all. This CD belongs in any serious rock & roll collection.

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