Georgia Rhythm

A new CD arrived at my home yesterday, from Amazon via a big brown truck. This is a UK import, of a good ol’ southern (US) band: The Atlanta Rhythm Section. A combination CD of the albums “Third Annual Pipe Dream” and “A Rock And Roll Alternative”. ARS was a great band, with one of the best bass players ever, Paul Goddard. I saw them 2-3 times in the late 70’s (it all blurs) and they were a super tight band. Except the one time where the lead singer (Ronnie Hammond) was stumbling, slurring drunk. I really like what they say in the liner notes, a very British evaluation:

“The Atlanta Rhythm Section are one of the more fondly regarded footnotes from the 1970s. While they were enormous in the States, in Britain they were relegated down-page during the height of punk, heard under the bedcovers from Radio Caroline and purred out by Bob Harris – a sweet, southern underground confection for ears that were sated by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers”

That pretty well sums it up! Another way to look at it: where Skynyrd is shots of “Jack” on a Saturday night, ARS is a nice cold beer on a dog day afternoon…