Black Oak Arkansas

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by 905, Aug 26, 2006.

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  1. 905

    905 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    How popular was BOA during the 70's? Also were they any good (in your opinion, of course :) ) I am always looking for old bands to discover and thought I would see what my fellow posters thought.
     
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  2. Joe Koz

    Joe Koz Prodigal Bone Brotherâ„¢ In Memoriam

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Saw them live in the early 70's in Chicago. Very popular band! And very loud, I might add!
     
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  3. Bob Lovely

    Bob Lovely Super Gort In Memoriam

    They were briefly a "hot band" in the early 1970's. I like some of their album tracks...

    Bob-:)
     
  4. fyrfytrhoges

    fyrfytrhoges New Member

    Location:
    wisconsin
    "natas! natas!"

    only hardcore boa fans will understand this........

    and yes i do like boa, sorry if it seemed like a threadcrap.
     
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  5. Larry L

    Larry L Senior Member

    Location:
    Allen, Texas
    I would suggest the live "Raunch And Roll" as a first. Their first, self-titled album is really good too, but not as heavy rock.
     
  6. Sput

    Sput Boilerphile In Memoriam

    Location:
    Not in Michigan
    Jim Dandy got a ton of air play somewhere in the midish 70s on Armed Forces radio.
     
  7. Jeff Minn

    Jeff Minn Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    My first exposure to the power of Tommy Alridge was BOA live. Damn, they could smoke! I keeping hoping for a CD release of their later work Race With The Devil. While most of their fans dismiss it as a weaker album in their catalog, the title track alone makes it worth it.
     
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  8. Phlo

    Phlo Formerly dave-o

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    IMO Tommy was the best double-bass drummer of the 70's. He just killed.
     
  9. Jimbo

    Jimbo Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Zero/Zero Island
    They were very popular with my high school crowd in the mid-70s, especially the LP Rauch and Roll. I must admit though, that this is the one act that most prompts me to ask myself "What was I thinkin'??" I bought their best-of CD on Rhino and couldn't make it past the 3rd song. YMMV.
     
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  10. Plexihead

    Plexihead Well-Known Member

    They had a couple of years where they were fairly popular around 73-74 with the lp's "Raunch n Roll Live", "High On The Hog" & "Street Party" . . . their fourth/fifth/sixth albums respectively. I personally still like their first Self/Titled lp ('71) the most (with High On The Hog a close second), but it's definitely not for everyone.

    If you want to try 'em, I'd recommend R&R Live and High On The Hog to start. If you liked a couple of the tunes off R&R Live, then check out the first album too.

    FWIW, I believe I read somewhere that David Lee Roth loosely patterned some of his stage antics off of BOA's singer Jim Dandy Mangrum.
     
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  11. Doug Sclar

    Doug Sclar Forum Legend

    Location:
    The OC
    I saw them in 1973 with Steely Dan and Focus at the Hollywood Paladium. They were pretty darn good and had three guitar players. I did get a little tired of Jim Dandy's voice which sounded a bit like Axl Rose to me.
     
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  12. fyrfytrhoges

    fyrfytrhoges New Member

    Location:
    wisconsin
    cmon fellas, you guys are sooooo smart when it comes to music, whats the "natas" reference?

    i know you can do it!
     
  13. Plexihead

    Plexihead Well-Known Member

    Satan
     
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  14. vinyldoneright

    vinyldoneright pbthal

    Location:
    Ca
    Did he ever record anything with Shawn Lane in the band? I think I have some bootleg stuff somewhere but was curious if anything official ever came out.
     
  15. mcow1

    mcow1 Sommelier Gort

    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    I was at that show too. Great show. In fact I saw them several times in the early seventies, the last being the California Jam. They never put on a bad show that I saw. As far as albums the S/T and Raunch 'n Roll are my favorites but there's something on just about all of them.
     
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  16. downhill

    downhill Senior Member

    Location:
    Idaho
    Bought that first album in 71, just as a lark. My friends and I played the hell out of it.

    So much so that on my last day of school my senior year, during a photo shoot of the senior class...I got them to sing "When Electricty Came to Arkansas" with me. :D They got ALL the works perfectly. :D
     
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  17. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    hhhhmmmm....well they were one of my favorite bands through the seventies, one of the first true 'southern rock' acts, and a great live act. There is really nothing like them, they were very unique. I bought every single one of their albums. The critics almost universally hated them, but I knew better because those critics were mostly snobbish urban guys who didn't like the hillbilly image or the country sound in their style of rock. They were a high grossing live act of the era and played a number of major US & UK festivals. James Mangrums voice seems is usually cited as the threshold one has to cross, since it's so deep and gravelly - like Dr. John. But he's a good singer and it fit the music. To me and my friends at the time, they were hands down the 'alternative' band of the early to mid 70's. Heck, they still are pretty alternative when I think about it.

    Heres my rundown of their albums:

    The Knowbody Else (1969) - an early incarnation of BOA recorded in New Orleans on Hip Records. Pretty hard to find too. Smoky, softer psychedlic southern rock. This album has a similar feel to and trippy ambiance of Dr. John's The Sun Moon & Herbs.

    self-titled (1971) - Their first Atco release - southern rock well dosed with acoustic guitars and a few harder rock numbers. Produced by Lee Dorman of Iron Butterfly & Mike Pinera. Most popular tracks were Uncle Lijiah, Hot 'n Nasty, Lord Have Mercy On My Soul, & When Electricity Came To Arkansas.

    Keep The Faith (1972)
    If An Angel Came To See You (1972) - their sound went very hardcore and electric with these two. Both great albums but only for the initiated. Side 2 of Angel is a pretty heavy jam that ends with one of their most popular live numbers: Mutants Of The Monster. Its pretty satisfying to see these LPs in used vinyl stores (run by twenty somethings) with a great review or comment of the LP stuck to the poly liner. This is countrified grunge and before its time.

    Raunch & Roll (1973, live at the Paramount Theaters in Seattle & Portland)
    High On The Hog (1973) These broke the band nationally and sold well (their first two Gold albums). Tommy Aldridge became their drummer during the Angel LP and his playing is notable in these. One he** of a great drummer. Raunch is well recorded sound-wise and a good representation of them live. Hog is also well produced and recorded and returned them to the more traditional southern rock sound of their first album, with flourishes of bluegrass & country rock complementing the harder tracks. Their one top 40 AM radio hit Jim Dandy (to the rescue) for some reason was never a favorite of mine as it really isn't representative (IMO) of their style - being more pop-ish in sound. A lot of great tracks on Hog though.

    Early Times (1974) - Stax Records. An odd throw-back to a quasi 'Knowbody Else' type of sound, and even has the Memphis Horns on one track! Its definitely BOA but a different sound & style altogether - it has a R&B influence to it. This LP has been somewhat of a mystery to me, I can find little about its background. It covers one song that was released on 'The Knowbody Else' but is clearly recorded later. Reviews, as I recall, always seemed to suggest these were older recorded tracks but one listen to it says otherwise - the production and the way they play them is 1973-74. I believe this was related to a contractual issue.

    Street Party (1974) - another Gold album which sounds more akin to High On The Hog out takes and left overs. A nice acapella version of Dixie that became another popular live number along with your basic southern rock fare.

    Ain't Life Grand (1975) The studio production of BOA was taken over by Richard Podolor, and their sound (with new guitarist Jimmy Henderson) shows it - a 'beefed up,' more mainstream polished sound. Not a commercial sound, just a more professional sounding one. Rolling Stone magazine as I recall even grudgingly stated this album was well done and likable...but caveated that you have to get past Mangrums voice still. OK....thats true. This album covers George Harrison's Taxman and rips into songs similar to their self-titled and High On The Hog. Crisp acoustic guitars and ripping twin guitar southern rock.

    Live Mutha (1976) - Their last Atco album, released after BOA jumped to MCA Records in 1975. Its OK, a good representation of their later live set, but doesn't stand out as anything much beyond your typical mid-seventies hard rock concert.

    X-Rated (1975) - Their unknown 'sleeper' album. They were, at this time (as evidenced by Ain't Life Grand and this) at their peak as far as playing and studio production. Over the years, as I've given copies of this LP out to friends and fellow music collectors, I've always gotten good feedback about it. Side 1 is all hard rock, bordering on metal, and contains the song Fighting Cock which was used on TV backing prime time sports events. Strong Enough To Gentle is their Freebird or Stairway to Heaven - a melodic number that begins slow and builds into an 'epic' guitar jam that closes the side out. A shortened version made it to the lower reaches of the radio charts as a 45. The LP is very 1975/'76 with a 'big' heavy well produced hard guitar rock sound. Side 2 is really good electric country/bluegrass rock.

    Balls Of Fire (1976)
    10 Year Overnight Success (1976) - their last 2 MCA LPs. Here they finally start to show their weaknesses as they left behind their country-esque sound and become more smooth sounding 'mainstream' rock of the mid-seventies. Problem is, there were so many bands that did this sound and did it better. While their playing and production is outstanding, the material is getting thin. However, there are still several great tracks on each album if one is a fan.

    Race With The Devil (1977) A switch to Capricorn Records and the death of BOA. Not only did the last original members quit, and new ones come in, but they changed their name to just 'Black Oak.' Mangrum was drained by the constant criticism from reviewers. I recall with dreaded apprehension how he he talked about trying to get a more mainstream sound - and they did ever. Glossy hard semi-polished rock with a more crooning style of vocal. Not bad stuff, I can listen to it as a period piece, but everything that was bad about mainstream rock in this era was encapsulated in this. Punk had a field day.

    I'd Rather Be Sailing (1978) I guess lied earlier..... I don't have this album. BOA=AOR? :help:
     
  18. 905

    905 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    Is Hot and Nasty a good representation of BOA? A live version of Taxman is on it... plus, I have heard Uncle Lijah before, I liked that song quite a bit.
     
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  19. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Its off their first album. Actually, I don't think its a good representation of the 'type of' material they generally did. Its a somewhat choppy, un-melodic song that was great live. Uncle Lijiah (from their first as well) is a good representation of what one'd hear on most of 'self-titled,' High On The Hog, Ain't Life Grand, or side 2 of X-Rated.
     
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  20. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Oh wait - I thought you meant the song. If you're talking about the Rhino CD then yes, its a decent sampler of their Atco material.
     
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  21. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    I saw them back in the 70's, great show! Jim Dandy was a great front man. He jumped off of the drum riser and went into a split, then snapped back up singing.:righton:
     
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  22. 905

    905 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I looked on the net for some info, apparently Jim Dandy would run around on stage playing a washboard. This band is sounding better and better :thumbsup:
     
  23. Guy E

    Guy E Senior Member

    Location:
    Antalya, Turkey
    So did I... opening for The Edgar Winter Group, I think.

    Absolutely. The first time I saw a Guns and Roses video with Axl sashaying back and forth, I thought, "Jim Dandy and Black Oak Arkansas."

    I thought BOA were OK, but I've never been able to tolerate G'n'R.
     
  24. dpannell

    dpannell New Member

    Location:
    Atoka, TN
    TANAS as in Andy Tanas played bass on the Race with Devil LP and for a few years after including the incarnation that included the late great Shawn Lane.
     
  25. spudco

    spudco Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Belews Creek, NC
    I saw them open for Black Sabbath in 1971. Front and center, Jim Dandy was a wildman and who can argue with 3 guitars rockin' out? I bought the "Black Oak Arkansas" album the next day and it just didn't cut it. Great live, dull on disk.
     
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