Size: 68.2 MB
Time: 29:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues Rock, Southern Rock
Art: Front
01. Midnight Rider (4:00)
02. Take The Highway (5:31)
03. Keep On Smiling (6:19)
04. Grits Ain't Groceries (3:57)
05. Revival (4:10)
06. Southern Child (5:18)
Blackberry Smoke launches another heaping helping of great rock and roll into the world with its new EP Live From Capricorn Sound Studios. The record drops June 19th, 2020 thanks to 3 Legged Records and was tracked earlier this year at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia. The set features new live-in-the-studio versions of six classic songs that have deep connections to the legendary room and town. The band self-produced these sessions and captured fine performances from itself and special guests Marcus Henderson, Jimmy Hall, and The Black Bettys. In keeping with Blackberry Smoke’s long-standing commitment to charitable work as well as outstanding music, a portion of the proceeds from the EP will be donated to the Recording Academy’s MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Live From Capricorn Sound Studios marks a significant moment in Capricorn Sound Studios’ history because it’s the first time a major band has done a professional recording at the studio in over 40 years. The songs chosen for the project include cuts by The Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie and Blackberry Smoke delivers cover versions full of both reverence and fervor. Blackberry Smoke members Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards) hit each song with everything they’ve got and pay tribute to the immortal Southern musicians who made history at Capricorn back in the day.
The EP opens with Blackberry Smoke’s potent take on the Allman’s “Midnight Rider,” one of the cornerstones of the Southern Rock canon. The Smoke turns in a straight-ahead cover of a song that’s practically impossible to improve upon that showcases the group’s knowledge of and love for the music of the ABB. Vocalist Charlie Starr sings the plaintive melody and lyrics like he lived them and the entire band does an outstanding job of showing love to The Brothers’ groove and arrangement. Famously, Gregg Allman broke into Capricorn to record the original demo of “Midnight Rider,” so its inclusion here couldn’t be more fitting. Charlie Starr even plays Duane Allman’s iconic Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar on the song just to take the coolness level that much higher.
Blackberry Smoke also takes on The Marshall Tucker Band’s sprawling “Take The Highway” with current MTB member Marcus Henderson dropping in to contribute the song’s signature flute part. Again, The Smoke stays true to the spirit of the original while still adding in its own authority and energy. Spin it now to relive 1973 all over again. Covers of Wet Willie tracks “Keep On Smiling” and “Grits Ain’t Groceries” make their appearance with WW member Jimmy Hall on lead vocals and vocal group The Black Bettys handling backups. Both are stellar.
The band veers back to the Allman catalog for a hot version of “Revival” that will lift your mood and get your bones shaking. The Black Bettys contribute background vocals once again and add much to the sanctified feel of this timeless track. Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson knock the Duane-and-Dickie guitar parts out of the park and the rhythm section of Richard and Britt Turner make this one big celebration of music and happiness. Little Richard’s “Southern Child” finishes the record with a strutting rock and roll beat and soulful vibe that the recently-deceased Mr. Penniman, a Macon native, would surely have approved of. Live From Capricorn Sound Studios is a wonderful set of perfectly-curated Southern songs writ large by the always-mighty Blackberry Smoke. Clear out a spot in your listening rotation for it because you’re going to want to keep it around for the rest of the year. ~Mike O’Cull
Live From Capricorn Sound Studios marks a significant moment in Capricorn Sound Studios’ history because it’s the first time a major band has done a professional recording at the studio in over 40 years. The songs chosen for the project include cuts by The Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie and Blackberry Smoke delivers cover versions full of both reverence and fervor. Blackberry Smoke members Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards) hit each song with everything they’ve got and pay tribute to the immortal Southern musicians who made history at Capricorn back in the day.
The EP opens with Blackberry Smoke’s potent take on the Allman’s “Midnight Rider,” one of the cornerstones of the Southern Rock canon. The Smoke turns in a straight-ahead cover of a song that’s practically impossible to improve upon that showcases the group’s knowledge of and love for the music of the ABB. Vocalist Charlie Starr sings the plaintive melody and lyrics like he lived them and the entire band does an outstanding job of showing love to The Brothers’ groove and arrangement. Famously, Gregg Allman broke into Capricorn to record the original demo of “Midnight Rider,” so its inclusion here couldn’t be more fitting. Charlie Starr even plays Duane Allman’s iconic Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar on the song just to take the coolness level that much higher.
Blackberry Smoke also takes on The Marshall Tucker Band’s sprawling “Take The Highway” with current MTB member Marcus Henderson dropping in to contribute the song’s signature flute part. Again, The Smoke stays true to the spirit of the original while still adding in its own authority and energy. Spin it now to relive 1973 all over again. Covers of Wet Willie tracks “Keep On Smiling” and “Grits Ain’t Groceries” make their appearance with WW member Jimmy Hall on lead vocals and vocal group The Black Bettys handling backups. Both are stellar.
The band veers back to the Allman catalog for a hot version of “Revival” that will lift your mood and get your bones shaking. The Black Bettys contribute background vocals once again and add much to the sanctified feel of this timeless track. Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson knock the Duane-and-Dickie guitar parts out of the park and the rhythm section of Richard and Britt Turner make this one big celebration of music and happiness. Little Richard’s “Southern Child” finishes the record with a strutting rock and roll beat and soulful vibe that the recently-deceased Mr. Penniman, a Macon native, would surely have approved of. Live From Capricorn Sound Studios is a wonderful set of perfectly-curated Southern songs writ large by the always-mighty Blackberry Smoke. Clear out a spot in your listening rotation for it because you’re going to want to keep it around for the rest of the year. ~Mike O’Cull
Live From Capricorn Sound Studios MP3
Live From Capricorn Sound Studios FLAC
Size: 95.1 MB
Time: 40:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Blues Rock, Southern Rock
Art: Front
01. Ain't The Same (4:20)
02. All Rise Again (Feat. Warren Haynes) (4:12)
03. Hey Delilah (3:52)
04. Live It Down (4:05)
05. You Hear Georgia (4:04)
06. Lonesome For A Livin' (Feat. Jamey Johnson) (4:27)
07. Old Enough To Know (3:27)
08. Morningside (4:23)
09. All Over The Road (3:46)
10. Old Scarecrow (3:36)
Chart-topping American rockers Blackberry Smoke add another chapter to their already-impressive body of work with the brand new album You Hear Georgia. Set to explode into the world May 28th, 2021 by way of Thirty Tigers, the new record was produced by Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile) and marks the band’s 20th anniversary in the original music game. It also feels like an homage to Blackberry Smoke’s home, meant to convey the huge musical legacy that the great state of Georgia has contributed to American culture.
You Hear Georgia honors the people, places, and sounds that are the roots of the band as a unit and of its members. Band personnel Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards) turn in a slew of hot takes on these tracks. The album also features special guests Jamey Johnson and Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule) as well as background vocals from The Black Bettys.
Together since 2001, Blackberry Smoke has toured and made music relentlessly, building a massive following the real way. The band deftly blends influences including Tom Petty, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Hank Williams Jr. into a style of American music that is as much about meaningful songwriting as it is riffs and solos. They’ve worked with ZZ Top, The Zac Brown Band, and Eric Church, and have seen their last four albums breach the top ten on the Billboard Country Charts, two of them ascending to Number One, and appeared on NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly. Blackberry Smoke’s music has also been prominently included in the hit TV show Yellowstone.
Producer Cobb and the band tracked You Hear Georgia in Nashville’s famous RCA Studio. A live off the floor and down-and-dirty energy is evident from the first cut “Live It Down.” The guitars sound incredible, Starr’s vocals are stronger than ever, and the rhythm section is absolutely cracking. The entire crew goes hard out of the gate and you just know the rest of this set is going to burn the barn down.
The title song, “You Hear Georgia,” is a tight bit of classic Southern Rock that addresses the misguided stereotypes often inflicted upon people with roots in the American South. “Lyrically, the song is about the South being misunderstood,” Starr explains. “It started with the idea of how people might have a preconceived opinion of you because of a thick Southern accent, then expanded into the reality of how some people just seem to have such a hard time getting along, thanks to political or religious views, or simply what part of the country you come from.” Led by Starr and his instantly recognizable soulful vocals, the track is flush with tasteful guitar and the band’s trademark harmonies.
“Hey Delilah” is a funky mid-tempo dance floor filler in the New Orleans/Little Feat style. It’s a sweet and smooth good-time jam that shows the groove-a-licious side of this potent outfit. Little wonder it was picked as a single. Jamey Johnson takes a star turn on the honky-tonk anthem “Lonesome For A Living” and his fully-legit country vocals add grit and grace to an already-powerful song. The band even ices the cake for you with some heart-rending pedal steel licks that will put the tears in your beer. This is the strong stuff.
Warren Haynes is his usual hot-handed self on the optimistic “All Rise Again,” which he co-wrote with Charlie Starr. The track surges and grinds under Haynes’ authority and is one of the coolest guitar moments captured during these sessions. “Morningside” and “Old Scarecrow” are also must-hear cuts. Blackberry Smoke casts a long shadow with You Hear Georgia. It’s a wonderful album that fans of 100 proof American music will be spinning all Summer. ~Martine Ehrenclou
You Hear Georgia honors the people, places, and sounds that are the roots of the band as a unit and of its members. Band personnel Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards) turn in a slew of hot takes on these tracks. The album also features special guests Jamey Johnson and Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule) as well as background vocals from The Black Bettys.
Together since 2001, Blackberry Smoke has toured and made music relentlessly, building a massive following the real way. The band deftly blends influences including Tom Petty, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Hank Williams Jr. into a style of American music that is as much about meaningful songwriting as it is riffs and solos. They’ve worked with ZZ Top, The Zac Brown Band, and Eric Church, and have seen their last four albums breach the top ten on the Billboard Country Charts, two of them ascending to Number One, and appeared on NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly. Blackberry Smoke’s music has also been prominently included in the hit TV show Yellowstone.
Producer Cobb and the band tracked You Hear Georgia in Nashville’s famous RCA Studio. A live off the floor and down-and-dirty energy is evident from the first cut “Live It Down.” The guitars sound incredible, Starr’s vocals are stronger than ever, and the rhythm section is absolutely cracking. The entire crew goes hard out of the gate and you just know the rest of this set is going to burn the barn down.
The title song, “You Hear Georgia,” is a tight bit of classic Southern Rock that addresses the misguided stereotypes often inflicted upon people with roots in the American South. “Lyrically, the song is about the South being misunderstood,” Starr explains. “It started with the idea of how people might have a preconceived opinion of you because of a thick Southern accent, then expanded into the reality of how some people just seem to have such a hard time getting along, thanks to political or religious views, or simply what part of the country you come from.” Led by Starr and his instantly recognizable soulful vocals, the track is flush with tasteful guitar and the band’s trademark harmonies.
“Hey Delilah” is a funky mid-tempo dance floor filler in the New Orleans/Little Feat style. It’s a sweet and smooth good-time jam that shows the groove-a-licious side of this potent outfit. Little wonder it was picked as a single. Jamey Johnson takes a star turn on the honky-tonk anthem “Lonesome For A Living” and his fully-legit country vocals add grit and grace to an already-powerful song. The band even ices the cake for you with some heart-rending pedal steel licks that will put the tears in your beer. This is the strong stuff.
Warren Haynes is his usual hot-handed self on the optimistic “All Rise Again,” which he co-wrote with Charlie Starr. The track surges and grinds under Haynes’ authority and is one of the coolest guitar moments captured during these sessions. “Morningside” and “Old Scarecrow” are also must-hear cuts. Blackberry Smoke casts a long shadow with You Hear Georgia. It’s a wonderful album that fans of 100 proof American music will be spinning all Summer. ~Martine Ehrenclou
You Hear Georgia MP3
You Hear Georgia FLAC