1. FACE DOWN IN THE BLUES (Bangham/Justin)
2. LOVE I GAVE TO YOU (Cate/Cate/Preston)
3. MEAN MISS SWEETIE (Tim Lawter)
4. AIN'T NO JUSTICE (Neel)
5. FACE THE MUSIC (Doug Gray/Rusty Milner)
6. LIKE GOOD MUSIC (Gray/Lawter/Milner)
7. LONG GOODBYE (Hall/Silbar)
8. AIN'T NOBODY'S FOOL (Doug Gray/Rusty Milner)
9. WAYS OF A WOMAN (Russell)
10. RAMBLIN' (Toy Caldwell)
11. SOUTHERN BELLE (Gray/Lawter/Milner)
12. DRIFTIN' BLUES (Brown/Moore/Williams)
In their
twenty-five plus years of touring and recording, The Marshall Tucker Band has
continued to defy labeling. To some, they are a country band, while others call
them rock, or southern rock. Thatís probably because the band has always
managed to mingle musical genres in such a way as to make labeling quite a
difficult task. Through the years, the MTB has rocked out with the best of
ëem, charted with country hits and carved a Southern flavored niche in the
world of gospel music. But throughout their career, there has been a common
thread running straight through the middle of this Tuckerized fabric. The blues.
Lead singer Doug
Gray was born to sing the blues. Itís been written in countless magazine
articles, and noted by the greatest of rock and roll connoisseurs. Between him
and the late Toy Caldwell, they never wasted a wicked riff. The two of them
could make the small hairs on the back of your sun-burned neck stand at
attention with their gritty, B.B. King influenced, corn bread and buttermilk
blues. Today, it is Rusty Milner who wields that blues guitar like an axe
slinger, and Doug is still wailing like Billie Holiday on steroids. The Marshall
Tucker Band is back, my friends, and their roots are showing. ìFace Down in
the Bluesî follows hot on the heals of last yearís ìM.T. Blues,î a
compilation of the best classic Tucker blues tracks. This time, the material is
all new, and smokin.í Already receiving air play in major markets, the title
track, ìFace Down in the Bluesî kicks the set off, and twelve tunes later,
youíll still be pattiní your foot and humming the melodies.
Some of the
outstanding cuts on the album include, ìFace the Music,î co-written by Gray
and Milner, which features excellent background vocals from Regina Grant and Pam
Walker, who also lend their talents to a handful of other tracks. The song is
perfect for Gray, as is ìMean Miss Sweetie,î written by bassist Tim Lawter,
and featuring a guest appearance from founding MTB member Paul T. Riddle on
drums. Riddle also performs on ìDriftiní Blues.î
ìI Like Good
Musicî has been a staple of the live MTB show for over a year now, and the
studio version rocks, while the band gets into an r&b groove with ìThe
Love I Gave to You,î a song written by the Cate Brothers. There is even a
blues masterpiece from the pen of Leon Russell, ìWays of a Woman.î
Perhaps the finest
track on the album is the revamped version of the Toy Caldwell classic, ìRamblin.íî
The tempo has been slowed down, and David Muse delivers a saxophone workout that
sets the perfect mood. Itís a fitting tribute to twenty-five years of recorded
Tucker music, since the original version of the song appeared on their very
first Capricorn Records release back in 1973. Also featured on the album are
past and present Marshall Tucker Band personnel, including Stuart Swanlund,
Chris Hicks, B.B. Borden, and Ronald Radford. Itís almost like a family
reunion.
With ìFace Down
in the Bluesî on the shelves and in the radio stations, and a non-stop
schedule of tour dates, The Marshall Tucker Band have proven that they are still
a force to be reckoned with. Put the new CD in your player, slap on some head
phones, turn it up to eleven, and get ready to go face down in the blues.
Itíll get your mojo workin.í