The Next Adventure
MTB latest is a refreshing, breezy musical journey. its been a long 30+yrs for the band and as with all bands--suffered tragic losses etc. MTB has struck paydirt with 10 passionate songs that spin cowboys and the west. DOUG GRAY is still the keeper of the stable and his voice is tired but true. there are 3 songs from GEORGE MCCORKLE and one from TOY CALDWELL and both need no introduction. highlights are: A SAD COWBOY SONG and I LOVE YOU THAT WAY-thrown in a couple well to do rockers and you have a great lazy day lemonade song parade. with each listen I like it just a little more. its not the 70's but this is a good reflection of past experiences. good one boys. Only vocalist Doug Gray remains from the original sextet, yet the group's sound hasn't changed substantially, as their breezy mix of jazz, blues, and country doesn't need updating to remain fresh. Their unlikely emphasis on flute defined a style that was lighter and less boogie-oriented than most of the harder-driving acts of their era. Perhaps not surprisingly, age has mellowed them even further, and this album's one rocker, "Travelin' Man," seems forced next to the warm melodic roots and country twang that otherwise dominate. Gray's graying vocals have lost a bit of steam, but the band sounds terrific, and most of the songs glow like burnished gold. The somewhat clichéd topics of music, cowboys, horses, and the road appear, but when the elements mesh, as on "Cold Steel," "The Guitar Playing Man," and "Crossroad," favorable comparisons can be made with some of the band's finest. Coming this late in the Marshall Tucker Band's career, that's an unlikely and impressive feat.
No comments:
Post a Comment