MISSOURI DIRT It's For You ! ! 1977 - 2025 Crossroad Productions)

"It's For You" is the only album, released in 1977, by the band from Missouri (would you have guessed?). It's hard to get excited; it sounds a bit like a demo. It doesn't take off; at times, you wait for that jolt of electricity that never comes. There are some clever touches in the song structures, which feel thoughtful, but it sounds studied, almost academic. While the vocals aren't unpleasant, they'll be perceived as rather bland by some, and they aren't supported enough by a choir or backing vocals. When vocal support does appear, it changes things, adding welcome depth. Where Skynyrd used to relentlessly assault our eardrums with a solo, a relaunch, a break, some kind of intervention, nothing like that happens here. Eventually, the momentum that was just waiting to build eventually fizzles out. Is it a problem with the production? The arrangements? The intensity? The conviction? And then there are certain biases considered important at the time that now show their age; times have changed. One can only dream that a seasoned band would take hold of some of these 10 original, and otherwise generally well-crafted, tracks and make them blaze. "Me & Ezra Brooks," very country-influenced, though still imperfect, gives a glimpse of what these tracks could have been with a bit more intensity. One feels like urging these otherwise quite competent musicians to let loose, to really go for it, a bit like Molly Hatchet did around the same time. We finish with "Missouri Dirt," a rather pleasant and original title track. This album is hard to find on LP, so here's a chance to listen to it. Judge for yourself.

Philippe Archambeau & Yves Philippot-Degand

Translation : Y. Philippot-Degand