I was really surprised when this album was made available to me for review, as I had no idea that Black Oak Arkansas were still going. Growing up in the UK as opposed to the USA I had a somewhat blurry appreciation for the band, mostly coming to them as I was aware that Dave Lee Roth had used Jim Dandy as a role model. But I didn’t realise that in many ways the band has never stopped playing and touring since their inception in 1963. Founding members Jim “Dandy” Mangrum (vocals) and Rickie Lee Reynolds (guitar) have both had time away from the band, but both have been fully ensconced for the last 35 years and with a new line-up behind them (only co-singer Sammy B. Seauphine (“Lil Bit”) has been in the band for any length of time), Black Oak Arkansas have released their first album of all-new material in more than 30 years. The line-up is completed by David Flexer (lead guitar), Billy Little (bass) and drummer Victor Lukenbaugh, all of whom came on board in 2018, so presumably this injection has given them the impetus to get back into the studio.
Dandy was always famous for his rasp and swagger, and it must be said that these days his style and that of the band is nothing like that of the days when they hit the charts with “Jim Dandy (To The Rescue)”. One of the highlights of that song was of course the wonderful presence of singer Ruby Starr, who passed way from cancer in 1995. Here the guys have recorded a tribute to her, “Ruby’s Heartbreaker”, and like much of the material it is slower and while Dandy can still hits the notes and has undoubted presence, his voice is both rougher and more fragile and it certainly sounds like an old man singing in some ways, but given he is in his Seventies that really should be expected. When I first played the album I wasn’t that impressed to be honest, thinking that it would only be gaining prominence due to who it was by as opposed to musical quality, but repeated listenings have changed my mind somewhat and I have to say this is better that I initially thought, but not essential. Will it be enough to gain them any fans? Possibly, but this is mostly aimed at those who were interested in the band in their heyday some 45 years ago.
Rating: 6/10
