Opening with the classic harmonica and steam train intro of ‘Train, Train’ originally recorded by Blackfoot you can’t go far wrong. Its a classic song already writ large in every Southern Rock fan’s memory and one of the best songs of the genre.
Ron Keel Band’s second album as you can probably guess is a covers record which to me is a little bittersweet after I went out on a limb and called their debut one of the best moments of Ron’s career. That was before I met Ron on his recent trip to Melbourne and realised he’s also once of the nicest and most hardworking guys out there, who takes time for everyone and always has a moment to chat or sign something for the fans.
So whilst we wait for the new original record here’s the one he told me was coming as we watched ‘Midnite City’ play in Melbourne back in March, and if I’m honest it’s half full of real favourites of mine, but like with any fan of the genre has a few songs by bands I’d have perhaps picked an alternate song, and even a few that are just a little too ‘Country’ for my ears.
Some of my favourites are when the band plays it straight and faithful to the original like on Molly Hatchet’s ‘Flirtin’ With Disaster,’ The Allman Brother Band’s ‘Ramblin’ Man’ and ‘Rockin’ Into The Night’ by 38 Special. But there’s plenty more to love here like Rossington Collins Band‘s ‘Don’t Misunderstand Me’ (a duet with Jasmin Cain) and whilst Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Red White and Blue’ I always felt was a little too cliched for me but I know others find it classic Skynyrd.
The band is good when it takes liberties too like on The Marshall Tucker Band’s ‘Fire On The Mountain’ which gets a Keel-style makeover or as Ron calls it a “Keelization treatment” – essentially just bringing forward the guitars and lifting the song into the present – as Steve Marriott always said, a great song is a great song however you dress it up – and this is a great song no doubt.
The album also includes two songs recorded by producer Henry Paul when the band formed in 2015 – ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’ and Atlanta Rhythm Section’s ‘Homesick’ – the latter particularly sounds great here.
We end with a great ‘Creedence Medley’- what a way to go. At the end of the day it is what it is – a covers album, but it’s a bloody good one even if I can’t even bring myself to mention ‘Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys’ the Ed Bruce song made even more famous by Waylon and Willie…
