Back Thar N Over Yonder

Being a BOA fan, I’ve been waiting for an album like this for a long time. Back Thar N’ Over Yonder bestows upon us five new Southern Rock tracks featuring reunited former members of the band, jamming along side by side with the newer members. Returning to record alongside Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, Rickie Lee “Ricochet” Reynolds Johnnie Bolin and George Hughen are Pat “Dirty” Daugherty, and Jimmy “Soybean” Henderson. And as info-mercial extraordinaire, Ron Popeil, would say, “wait… there’s more”. There are also nine tracks of previously unreleased material from 1972 through 1974, a re-mastered version of the original version of “Jim Dandy”, and a thirty page booklet of classic band photos, concert posters, and promotional ads included to boot. One of my favorite photos is from a concert poster showing the ‘Boss’, Bruce Springsteen opening for Black Oak Arkansas at the KSU Student Center Ballroom. The ticket price was $4.00 in advance, and $4.50 at the door.Coming out guns blazing, BOA hits us with “Plugged in and Wired”. Bolin rolls us into the song with a catchy drum beat before the band breaks out into this heavy rock anthem. This one gets the adrenalin flowing. Immediately following is, “Sweet Delta Water”, an ode to the mighty Mississippi. With a much slower tempo, it takes a 180° turn from the preceding song. I find myself reminiscing about older, simpler and more carefree times every time I hear it.I love it when BOA gets a little philosophical and cosmic. “15 Million Light Years Away” taps into that philosophical well as Dandy ponders when, exactly, man will finally pull himself together. In this crazy world, ‘lunatics run the asylum and animals run the zoo’. But when we do all get ourselves together, he sings, ‘It may be tomorrow, it could be today, or 15 million light years away.’ I’m putting my money on 15 million light years away. I also have to say kudos on the Reynolds penned track, “I Ain’t Poor”. This country/rock boogie has a damn catchy rhythm and lyrics that make me smile.The nine previously unreleased tracks are pure gold. Produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, these were recorded with drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarist Harvey Jett, and the late great Stanley Knight. My favorite dusted-off original, “Legal I.D” is cool little country jam, complete with piano. Preaching the message of checking gals’ ages before making any sort of advances, I can only guess R. Kelly never heard this one. The Tommy Aldridge drum solo on the trippy “Up Up Up”, is simply amazing. The studio version of “Hot Rod” still smokes. Duel guitars with Dandy’s raspy vocals which reach thresholds which would leave most people mute, make this a ribald psychedelic treat.Hearing BOA cover the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, shot chills up and down my spine. Dandy pours a train car full of soul into his vocals on this one, and the band is tight as a tick. Turn up the volume on this one to fully enjoy.This album is a fascinating simultaneous look into both the past and the present of Black Oak Arkansas. When listening to the album, it does not feel like it is coming from two different sources in two different eras. The weaving together of the vaulted tracks with the reunion tracks is, to say the least, organic and natural. I truly am surprised the unreleased tracks never made it onto vinyl back in the day. They are superb and withstand the test of time. And as far as the reunion material goes, it too puts a big ole grin on my face when I listen to it.[...]

Awesome

This is the first recent CD I've purchased that held me from start to finish. I got under headphones and didn't come up for air till the end of it. Like more than a few people have pointed out, the first five new tracks are surprisingly good. Jim Dandy's voice reeks with authenticity; hasn't deteriorated one bit since the early seventies. Strong material, too. It made me wish I was on the front porch of some cabin in the mountains somewhere, with a good old friend and me cradling two acoustic guitars...this stuff is as down to earth and compelling as southern music gets.Then I got sucked through the time portal. The previously unreleased material is fabulous! I'm guessing, not newly mixed from original multi-track tapes, as they wouldn't pan a voice or guitar from one side to center in the middle of a song these days...no, these were probably culled from old two-track master tapes. Why all of this wasn't released forty-plus years ago is beyond me. It would've made for one fine album at the time.The sweetest surprise for this old war horse of a drummer? The studio version of "Up"...with a blistering drum solo from the legendary Tommy Aldridge. I didn't expect a solo, then sat with my jaw dropping, listening to his characteristic chops. Then I remembered: studio moguls actually let musicians do what they wanted on albums back then (John Bonham's solo "Moby Dick" (Led Zeppelin II); Don Brewer's "T.N.U.C." (Grand Funk "On Time"). Not to mention a few free-form lead guitar solos (Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath; Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin), here and there too. What a bygone era.You can't go wrong with this one, although I understand the e-version has a few more tracks. I felt myself grinning from ear to ear, listening to this gem. My wife was horrified when I told her I wanted to rip through a six-pack, listening to this CD again. Told her I was kidding...about the beer, anyway.

WOW!!! This is great. The CD contains 15 songs, 5 brand new and 10 unreleased songs from the early 1970s. The MP3 hear at amazon has 4 more tracks different tracks unreleased songs. The first five songs are the new 2013 Reunion recordings. All the songs on the CD are excellent and BOA consists of almost all the Original members, Unfortunately Stanley pass away.1. Plugged In And Wired (2013 Reunion)2. Sweet Delta Water (2013 Reunion) 4:083. 15 Million Light Years Away (2013 Reunion) 6:264. I Ain't Poor (2013 Reunion) 4:125. I Shall Be Released (2013 Reunion) 4:596. Gigilo (1972 Unreleased Studio Recording) 3:027. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1972 Unreleased Studio Recording) 3:15 8. Hot Rod (1972 Unreleased Studio Recording) 3:099. The Snake (1974 Unreleased Studio Recording) 2:3310. Legal I.D. (1974 Unreleased Studio Recording) 3:2511. Jim Dandy (1973 Re-Mastered Original Studio Vocal) 2:4512. Dance To The Music (1973 Unreleased Studio Recording) 2:2013. Evil Lady (1972 Unreleased Studio Vesion) 2:4014. Summer Swing (1973 Unreleased Studio Version) 2:5515. UP, UP, UP (1972 Unreleased Studio Version) 6:2516. G Wiz (2013 Instrumental) 5:2617. Gettin Kinda Cocky (1972 Unreleased Studio Version) 2:4118. Arby's [I Want A Woman with] Big Titties (1974 Unreleased Studio Version) 8:1219. Keep The Faith (1971 Unreleased Demo)This is a great reunion Album and a must have for all us Black Oak Arkansas fans.

Have all the previous albums both on vinyl then bought them again on cd. Must admit that I hadn't played them for a while but I was tempted by the new release just to see how they had aged. The album is so good, Jim's voice to me sounds better than ever on the new material, he seems to know how to use it better and it seems to have mellowed a bit which somehow seems to help. The music is brilliant, the new stuff holding it's own, both in comparison to the old BOA tracks and everything else out there at the moment. For us older BOA fans its a must have - don't let it pass you by, they are still awesome, and for those that haven't yet sampled the delights of the band give it a go you won't be disappointed.

Sixty minutes of music;five new tracks and the rest demos and outtakes from 1972-74.The new tracks feature four mainstays from the old band including Jimmy Henderson and Ric Reynolds on guitars and Pat Daugherty on bass.The music reflects old BOA ;a mixture of rock,country, cajun and blues.The rest could easily sit on any of the first three albums and probably would have were it not for time limits on vinyl.

The rerun of Black Oak Arkansas is a welcome sign of the rise of southern rock bands to their proper place at the top.This reunion album is brilliant,funny and extremely entertaining.

About Time for some good old classic southern rock, could have done with a few new songs.How about coming over to Scotland Lads?The Rock Dinosaur

Waited almost twenty years for a new release from Black Oak Arkansas, terrific album well worth the wait. Lets hope we don't have to wait to long for the next one