Artist: Molly Hatchet
Title: Paying Tribute
Genre: Classic Rock
Release Date: 18th January 2013
Label: Collectors Dream Records
Album Review
Formed in 1975, American Southern-Rock band MOLLY HATCHET are, remarkably, still going. Surviving the decades and the death of both founding guitarist Duane Roland and vocalist Danny Joe Brown, a tribute album to the songs and artists that help shape their sound, seems a fitting endeavour. But like all cover-version records, there’s a dilemma at the heart of this. Self-indulgent and show-offy? Or artistically putting ones stamp and a fresh approach on old favourites? Sadly, it’s mainly the former.
ZZ TOP’s ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ for example is almost identical to the original, it’s just not as well sung. So what’s the point? Equally pointless is a rather limp reworking of the THIN LIZZY classic ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’, all the guts and power sucked out of it, replaced with a studio-sounding re-assembly of all the parts. Mr Lynott would not be amused. ‘Desperado’ fares better, but then it’s a song so good it’s hard to ruin. It’s bellowed at times, rather than sung, but is a faithful enough rendition. The band sound more at home on the blues standard ‘Bad To The Bone’, it’s dirty and raw and suits Phil McCormack’s voice perfectly. Speeded up slightly, it rolls along nicely and works well.
‘Mississippi Queen’ flexes its southern-style muscles and doesn’t totally shame the MOUNTAIN original. But it’s back to uninspiring aping for ‘Tequila Sunrise’, THE EAGLES getting a second run-out here. It’s bland. Really bland. Which leaves a pair of ROLLING STONES songs to round things off. Oh dear. The sexy suggestive pout and strut of Jagger is here replaced by a beer-bellied flop around an empty dance-floor on ‘Tumbling Dice’. And the sheer majesty of ‘Wild Horses’ is replaced by a shadowy old nag limping to the finishing line of its last ever race, ready to be shot.
So nothing added here, mainly just taken away, some truly classic songs given an, overall, pointless make-over. Not so much ‘Paying Tribute’ as a night-out down at the karaoke. And what’s with the cover art? I mean, really…
Tracklist
01. Sharp Dressed Man
02. The Boys Are Back In Town
03. Desperado
04. Bad To The Bone
05. Dreams I’ll Never See
06. Melissa
07. Mississippi Queen
08. Tequila Sunrise
09. Tumbling Dice
10. Wild Horses
Line-up
Bobby Ingram – Guitars
John Galvin – Keyboards
Phil McCormack – Vocals
Tim Lindsey – Bass
Dave Hlubek – Guitars
Scott Craig – Drums
Website
http://www.mollyhatchet.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/pages/Molly-Hatchet/111854902161059
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 4
Sound: 6
Total: 5 / 10
Buy MOLLY HATCHET albums here!
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