The group's only release for
Columbia
is a superb piece of Southern rock, timeless in its lyrical sensibilities, which are all voiced in a smoothly raspy manner by lead singer
Ronnie Hammond
(backed by his own overdubs and
Buddy Buie
).
Barry Bailey
's and
J.R. Cobb
's guitars grind and crunch along, and
Paul Goddard
and
Roy Yeager
's bass and drums provide a rock-hard foundation to this celebration of Southern manhood. The songs are just about perfectly crafted, never outstaying their welcome or lasting longer than they can sustain interest. A few of the more lyrical numbers, like the harmony-driven
"Alien,"
offer considerable melodic charm, almost venturing into
CSN
territory on their choruses (featuring
Steve McRay
as guest back-up singer) -- coupled with the first-rate playing, they're the surprising highlights of this hard rocking classic. ~ Bruce Eder