Black Oak Arkansas

Album Title: Back Thar N’ Over Yonder
Record Label: Atlantic
Review by Sal Serio
(2086) Page Views

Black Oak Arkansas - Back Thar N’ Over Yonder

First, the crackle of electricity. Then, a tribal groove of drums and bass. Next, the signature drawl and adlib spiel of iconic front man Jim Dandy. This is the start of the brand new CD by Southern Rock legends Black Oak Arkansas, and lead-off track “Plugged In And Wired”, a ruckus rocker that pulls the classic B.O.A. sound straight out of the vaults and plunges it like a dagger in to the present rock ‘n roll realm.

This collection features 5 brand new B.O.A. recordings, which reunite the current line-up with former members Dirty Daugherty, Jimmy Henderson, and Buddy Church. “Sweet Delta Water” and “15 Million Light Years Away” are crafted in the classic down-South power-ballad style akin to the group’s earliest material. Also of note is “I Ain’t Poor”, composed by guitarist Rickie Lee Reynolds, yet serves as a biographical account of Jim Dandy’s storied existence (“I make my home in honky tonks and strip bars around the world, I ain’t got no money but I sure ain’t poor”).

Rounding out the new CD are ten unreleased archive tracks recorded by Tom Dowd between 1972 and 1974, including alternate versions of “Up”, “Hot Rod”, and “Gigolo”. Studio engineer Brian Kehew does an amazing job segueing the new material in to the old, creating a seamless transition. Of special note is the original studio version of “Jim Dandy” featuring an unaccompanied vocal intro. Fear not mankind, it’s Jim Dandy to the rescue!

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