50 STATES OF HARD ROCK #4: ARKANSAS
Release: The Black Attack is Back
Year: 1986
Line-up: Jim Dandy (vocals), Michael Martin (guitars), Biff Bingham (guitars), Mike Farriss (bass), Jerry A Williams (drums).
Track Listing:
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Fletchanator's
comment: Black Oak Arkansas aren't a band that you'd normally associate with glam metal or hard rock. Named after their hometown, BOA were firmly a southern rock band through most of their existence, but in the mid-80s they released two albums that shifted into hard rock/melodic metal territory - 1985's Ready as Hell and this one a year later.
Interestingly lead singer Jim Dandy's name takes top billing on both albums, making it appear almost as if they are solo albums. The name Black Oak Arkansas is still attached, but completely different musicians are used, so it's quite appropriate to think of them as Jim Dandy albums rather than BOA.
Despite BOA's southern rock pedigree, they were influential on glam metal, in particular the band Van Halen. Take a look at any of the old BOA videos on YouTube and you'll see Jim Dandy being David Lee Roth before Diamond Dave was doing it.
There are a few southern rock touches on The Black Attack is Back (like the song I Don't Want Much out of Life), but for the most part it varies between bluesy hard rock and glam metal. Jim Dandy's weird vocals don't mesh overly well with the sound at times, but other than that it's a decent listen.
Interestingly lead singer Jim Dandy's name takes top billing on both albums, making it appear almost as if they are solo albums. The name Black Oak Arkansas is still attached, but completely different musicians are used, so it's quite appropriate to think of them as Jim Dandy albums rather than BOA.
Despite BOA's southern rock pedigree, they were influential on glam metal, in particular the band Van Halen. Take a look at any of the old BOA videos on YouTube and you'll see Jim Dandy being David Lee Roth before Diamond Dave was doing it.
There are a few southern rock touches on The Black Attack is Back (like the song I Don't Want Much out of Life), but for the most part it varies between bluesy hard rock and glam metal. Jim Dandy's weird vocals don't mesh overly well with the sound at times, but other than that it's a decent listen.
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