CD’s, VINYL & DOWNLOADS
The Outlaws Dixie Highway (Steamhammer/SPV) The Outlaws have a
real winner on their hands. Dixie Highway, much like its predecessor, It’s About Pride, finds the
Outlaws in top form. I would go as far as to say that Dixie Highway is one of the all-time best releases from the band. It has the same screaming multi-guitar sound and vocal har- monies we all loved from the Hughie Thomasson and Billy jones era, and Henry Paul sounds as great as ever on vocals. I al- ways called him the “songwriter of the tear,” because he always sounds like he has a tear in his voice. That’s the best way I can describe it. One of the most unique voices, not only in Southern Rock (and in country with his band Blackhawk) but in music in general. Another great thing about Henry Paul
is his willingness to pay tribute to fallen brothers and sisters. He keeps the memories alive of great Southern Rock artists. The opening track on Dixie Highway, “Southern Rock Will Never Die” is literally a roll call of friends no longer with us, from Duane and Gregg Allman and Berry Oakley and Toy and Tommy Caldwell to Ronnie Van Zant, Tommy Crain, Taz Digregorio and even Hughie and Billy. It’s an amazing song and an awesome tribute to Southern Rock, filled with soaring guitar. “Heavenly Blues” is a melodic, rocking love song with great harmonies, very seven- ties sounding, and the title track “Dixie High- way” is the ultimate road song, keeping the guitars rocking, paying tribute to the old Dixie Highway that connected Chicago to Miami in the pre-interstate days. The red hot instrumental “Showdown”
delivers a smoking guitar reminiscent of a Warren Haynes or Duane Allman, and “Rat- tlesnake Road” hints at a Steve Earl vibe. “Dark Horse Run,” on the other hand, offers a sound somewhat reflective of the Eagles. Ac- tually, so does “Windy City Blues,” to some extent, written by former Outlaws bassist Frank O’Keefe, it stands as a soulful tribute to Frank.
“Overnight from Athens” is a joyous au-
tobiographical tune, and “Endless Ride” fea- tures another epic guitar solo. “Lonesome Boy from Dixie” has always
been a favorite song, a Civil War rocker penned by the late great Tommy Crain and recorded by the Charlie Daniels Band. The Outlaws kick it up a notch, firing point blank with both barrels. “Macon Memories” is a fine tribute to
Macon, Georgia, Capricorn Records, the All- man Brothers, the H&H Restaurant and that whole scene that birthed Southern Rock. It’s a fitting closer for an album that celebrates the genre of Southern Rock from start to finish better than any other record I can think of. This one will get played. A lot.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Harvey Dalton Arnold Stories to Live Up To (Music Maker) Legendary Southern
Rock icon Harvey Dalton Arnold, former bassist for The Outlaws, is back
with another outstanding blues release on the Music Maker Foundation label. Arnold sur- rounds himself with some of the finest, most experienced studio musicians available, help- ing to make these nine songs rock line no- body’s business. From the opening chords of
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