The Amazing Rhythm Aces

I own the first four records and have really loved these guys from the start. I even have the first four records sealed when the first copies eat the dust. The players are hot and the licks very tasty. The song writting is great to very solid and for me these records really hold up after all the years. Any other TARA'S fans floating around?

 

I have their debut, Stacked Deck. Is there anything on commercial "country" radio today that can touch "Amazing Grace Used to Be Her Favorite Song?" My answer is No.

 

Love these guys, too. I have all their CDs that are available, including the hard-to-find "How Do You Spell "Rhythm?"

"Typical American Boy" perfectly describes all my friends from High School. A classic.

 

Always enjoyed them - are all of their albums available on CD, and from where?

 

Their albums had all been on CD at one time with the first 4 as twofers on Collector's Choice Music, the first 2 as standalone CDs and the S/T album as a standalone CD. How The Hell Do You Spell Rythum? was on CD on Wounded Bird, but recently, Real Gone Music reissued the first 2 albums.

 

Big fan. Really liked Barry "Byrd" Burton's guitar playing - Dancing The Night Away, Burning The Ballroom Down, I'll Be Gone, and many more.

I hope Real Gone releases their third and fourth albums, too. I like the sound of their release of the first two better than the Collector's Choice.

 

The "Ride Again" album also has some excellent rerecordings.

 

Been a fan of the group when they were still local.

 

I love them and I still don't know why they weren't bigger stars. Their music still holds up really well.

 

I saw them at the Cellar Door in 1976 with Barry Burton, a very tight r&b band. They opened with 'Boom,Boom, Boom', which they had done on Midnight Special, and covered Ray Charles' 'Should've Been Me'. Around the same time in the Village Voice, John Swenson reviewed their live show. The title was 'Paul Simon's Favorite Bar Band', which I think nailed them at that time. I saw them again twice at The Ramshead in Annapolis about 10 years ago, and have kept up with their releases. Absolutey Live is a good representation of them but if you can track it down, get 'Full House Aces High'.

It came out on cd at some point but I had it on vinyl and my needle drop sufficed. A piece of trivia, on whatever album Jesse Winchester cut Third Rate Romance (before the ARA release), Butch McDade is doing the vocal.

 

Learn to Love it. One of Jesse's best.

 

I loved this band from the outset. I remember waiting for the postman to arrive with 'Stacked Deck' ( a Classic!) when it came out in 1975 (a.f.a.i.r.). I broke down and eventually went out to find the postman, couldn't wait any longer! Here in Ireland, Postmen rode around on bicycles back then. I remember that my parents were doing house renovations at the time.

I have everything thing the ARA did on vinyl, duplicate copies in many instances and I have Japan LPs of their vinyl releases also. I bought a sealed German copy of 'How the Hell Do You Spell Rythum' last year to replace a noisy U.S. copy. Russell Smith, a very talented songwriter, has made some really good solo albums also. 'The Boy Next Door' and 'This Little Town' (both on vinyl) are particular favourites of mine. 'This Little Town' is one of those early digital recordings that really sounds digital in a bad sense, but the songs are great! ARA - an American Musical Treasure!!!

 

I sincerely believe that Amazing Rhytm aces should be counted as one of the greatest american bands ever-yet I rarely see them mentioned. The band still exists but my love for the band is mostly based on the four album they released between 1975-1978. The band reformed in the nineties and have released some solid albums since then. However the quality of their first four albums should rank them in the league of the Band, Little Feat or the Eagles. It s country,bluegrass, rock, soul,blues, gospel and jazz delivered with a shimmering musicianship and the extraordinary voice of Russel Smith up front. His singing is imo some of the most soulful one can hear. He is also a great songwriter that combines irresistible melodies with poignant lyrics.
I rank this bands first four albums as some of the greatest albums in my collection and they get s better. They are still available on CD but the bands legazy begs for reissue in a proper way. Russel Smith also recorded some highly memorable solo-albums. It puzzles me that this outstanding band ain't mentioned more often given the popularity of Americana-music. Something rarely delivered better than from this great band.
Interesting to see if there are others out there who shares my love for this band
Here is Burnin the ballroom down. Does countrysoul gets any better

 

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Except The Eagles can't hold a candle to the other bands you mention. I ask where is the soul in The Eagles. The other band that people mention in this league during this period is Steely Dan but I've never heard enough of them that makes me want to search more of their music.

I have their complete catalogue ( I just picked up Midnight Communion a few weeks back) including Rusell Smith's solo stuff.

Their quality went down a notch when Barry Byrd Burton left.

I owned/ran a second hand record store from 1984 to 1989. The Amazing Rhythm Aces was one of the bands that people regularly asked if anything was in stock. (Usually not)

 

I knew the hits from my childhood, like "Third Rate Romance." I'd had the single for years (great guitar licks!) when I thought I'd take the plunge with their second LP Too Stuffed To Jump, which didn't move me.

Some years later, I found Stacked Deck, their first album, in a thrift store (a/k/a the album with "Third Rate Romance" on it). Now THIS was more like it. Country and soul mixed so seamlessly that you couldn't tell where one began and the other ended. Southern rock closer in spirit to a Joe South or a Tony Joe White than, say, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I haven't checked out any of their other albums. I figured if I loved the first and was left cold by the second, where could they go from there? However, if I see one of the other LPs cheap, I might just buy it.

Right around the time they broke up, I remember seeing them on Saturday Night Live singing "Third Rate Romance." IIRC, Bill Murray came out of nowhere midsong to sit in on maracas.

I'd have to agree. And while I like the Band and Little Feat, I don't think the Aces have much in common with those bands either.

 

Can agree with the Eagles even though I think there were lot s of soul in their earliest albums

 

I think they share the electisism with both the Band and Little Feat. Plus the no-boundaries Americana music. Even though the Aces music is clearly rooted on Memphis

 

I love the Amazing Rhythm Aces and have all of their vinyl albums; 'Stacked Deck' is a classic for sure as are the others you mention. Russell's solo albums are well worth tracking down too. 'This Little Town' is a particularly good one as is 'The Boy Next Door'. I haven't followed their careers in recent times though. I just love Barry 'Byrd' Burton's musicianship on the early albums too. Great musicians, great songwriters in the best American tradition!

 

Never met an Amazing Rhythm Aces LP I didn't like, H.R. Smith is amazing and crew. And "Third Rate Romance" is a Southern anthem. Been to the Family Inn too. A perfect example of Tennessee Musical Stew, a melange of great musical styles mixed and blended well. Tasty!

 

This is all great music. Their prime 6 are must haves.

 

I created a thread about dual keyboard bands and the Amazing Rhythm Aces
Belong to this group. James Hooker on piano and Billy Earheart on organ.

 

True and another similarity with the Band

 

Great band that I recently discovered. The only release of 3 and 4 that I know of was on Collectors' Choice and those are out of print and being listed at high prices. I was able to snag that one on Ebay from a seller who had a about 10 copies after buying out the contents of a Tower Records store that went under.