Blackfoot - Marauder

Details :

• Year of release : 1981
• Label : Atco K50799
• Review format : vinyl

Moving away from the ranting and back to the music here’s a decent piece southern tinted classic rock from a band named after a Native Indian tribe and fronted by the grandson of “Train Train” writer Shorty Medlocke.

It’s the manic laugh of lead vocalist and guitarist Ricky Medlocke that kicks the album off with the ultimate post-hangover song Good Morning. A real injection of positivity or simply a good kick up the arse on a slow day its a superb song that bounds along with Medlocke excelling with his slightly raspy vocals, a roaring solo and a really catchy chorus. Next track Payin’ For It takes a bluesier path with the story of an aging prostitute. The chorus has a hint of Rock And Roll Over era Kiss to it I reckon, but I can’t quite put my finger on what song its reminding me of! Diary Of A Workingman is a great song no question. Acoustically introduced its about a man who’s woman leaves him for another just as all his efforts and hard work are starting to pay off. The subsequent suicide of the subject has you really feeling this track. Haunting and quite brilliant its a distinctly southern rock flavoured ballad but the build up to the solo and the solo itself are strong and that mornful guitar that takes you to the final verse could leave scars.

Full-tilt rocker Too Hard To Handle will lift you again though whilst the excellent Fly Away is another distinctly southern-fried chunk of quality, adrenaline pumping classic rock that will ensure you finish side one with the feeling engendered by the opening track.

The pounding prohibition song Dry Country opens the flip and with some aplomb too. Another real strong rocker with Medlocke sounding strong and clear. The whole album has supreme examples of suberb storytelling and gladly an inner cover features all the lyrics as well. Fire Of The Dragon doesn’t quite hit the spot unfortunately and although it tips it hat towards Skynyrd its not quite up to standard. To be fair the excellent ending sequence where the guitarists cut loose and start to rock out is at first promising but sadly isn’t extended far enough - I could have done with a Freebird-esq end section here! Grandad Shorty Medlocke’s emotive banjo introduces Rattlesnke Rock ‘n’ Roller before the electric guitars kick in for another fine southern rocker although it loses a little of its fire in the studio; but live is a stormer!

Searchin’ ends the album at a lower tempo for the versus but builds strongly for the chorus. I think this is the band’s attempt at the big epic number to close the album but to my ears doesn’t quite work. The chorus sounds wrong as the female backing vocals are introduced where if it was left a little more unpolished it would complement and cap the album. The extended solos that end the song are scorchers though and have a suitably southern feel.

Summary : A fine band, often overlooked in the debates on sourthern rock bands due to there leaning more toward a classic rock sound. This did make them extremely popular of here in the UK though to the point where the album Highway Song : Live was recorded on the 1982 tour. It’s not the most consistent of albums but there’s only really a couple of tracks not hitting the mark so its well worth playing, especially if your just after a quick fix of down ‘n’ dirty southern rawk!

Good enough band to finally succumb to reformation pressures a couple of years back although without mainman Medlocke who’s now ensconsed in Lynyrd Skynyrd of course. I saw the reformed Blackfoot at the Rock N Blues Festival near Derby and they played a lot off this album and went down really well with a big crowd.

If You Listen To One Track Listen To : Good Morning

Score : 3.5/5