Keep on Smilin'/Dixie Rock

by Wet Willie

Overview

Geography alone conspired to lump Wet Willie in with the Southern rockers who waved the rebel flag across the '70s. Sure, they called sweet "Alabama" home, and Macon, GA, was where they gradually built their reputation, but these good ol' boys were attuned to a somewhat different Southern tradition than the likes of the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, et al. Sure, the pretty ode to their native state was a pure and patriotic Southern rock ballad, while "Spanish Moss" had that lovely guitar picking so essential to the genre, but the rest of Keep on Smilin', their fourth album, hammers their banner to another flagpole entirely. "Soul Sister" crisply salutes mid-'60s Stax and "Soul Jones" follows that label straight into funk, as does the Southern-fried "Country Side of Life." "Trust in the Lord" heads straight to church, with the band's backing Williettes providing the gospel chorus to the group's boogie revival. "In Our Hearts" is built to boogie as well, but interlaced with contemporary jazz. In contrast, numbers like "Lucy Was in Trouble" and "Don't Wait Too Long" shift into the smoother sounds of the then-current R&B scene. With its unique blend of white rock and black R&B, 1974's Keep on Smilin' proved to be Wet Willie's breakout, taking them for the first (and only time) into the Top 50, and the Willies' follow-up, 1975's Dixie Rock, continued to plow this fertile but rarely tilled musical field. The title track, as one would expect, was precisely as advertised, except for Jimmy Hall's soulful Otis Redding-inspired vocals; "Leona" was the set's other Southern rocker; and "It's Gonna Stop Rainin' Soon" showcased their country skills. Intriguingly, the set's one religious number, "He Set Me Free," is this time delivered via a hymnal chorus, instead of the rollicking gospel featured on their last set. A number of other tracks favors flashy R&B in all its garbs, with funky rhythms raging from the Stax-styled to the Stylistics-inspired. They'd reaped much of this harvest the last time around, but now they sow new fields on the slide guitar-laced "It's Gonna Stop Rainin' Soon" and 12-bar blues of "Mama Didn't Raise No Fools," before sitting down on the porch for a well-deserved rest across the pure fingerpicking and harmonica-laced blues of "Jailhouse Moan." Both these albums were superb, although the latter set inexplicably didn't even break the Top 100. Bringing the pair together on one CD is a no-brainer, capturing the Willies at their most inspired heights. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

Product Details

Release Date:	06/16/2009
Label:	Beat Goes On
UPC:	5017261208736

Tracks

1. Country Side of Life
2. Keep on Smilin'
3. Trust in the Lord
4. Soul Sister
5. Alabama
6. Lucy Was in Trouble
7. Soul Jones
8. Don't Wait Too Long
9. Spanish Moss
10. In Our Hearts
11. She's My Lady
12. Ain't He a Mess
13. Dixie Rock
14. Poor Judge of Character
15. Mama Didn't Raise No Fools
16. It's Gonna Stop Rainin' Soon
17. Jailhouse Moan
18. He Set Me Free
19. Leona
20. Take It to the Music

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Wet Willie   Primary Artist
The Hall Country Singers   Vocals,Featured Artist
Earl 'Bone' Ford   Trombone
Joyce Knight   Vocals (Background),Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Williettes   Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Hall & the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Collective   Sax (Alto),Vocals,Harmonica,Percussion
Ricky Hirsch   Vocals (Background),Guitar,Bottleneck Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Mike Duke   Vocals (Background)
John Anthony   Keyboards,Percussion,Guitar (Rhythm),Vocals (Background)
Lewis Ross   Drums,Congas,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Hall   Vocals,Harmonica,Percussion,Sax (Alto)
Tom Dowd   Percussion
Mama Hall   Piano,Piano
Ella Avery   Vocals
Susan Hall   Vocals
Jack Hall   Bass,Banjo,Vocals (Background)
Rick Hirsch   Guitar,Bottleneck Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Donna Hall   Vocals

Technical Credits

Tony Humphries   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Tom Dowd   Audio Production,Producer
Ovie Sparks   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Chez Dowd   Audio Production
Sam Whiteside   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Jimmy Hall & the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Collective   Group Member
Al Clayton   Photography
Andrew Thompson   Remastering
John Anthony   Composer,Group Member
Lewis Ross   Composer,Group Member
Ricky Hirsch   Composer,Group Member
Jimmy Hall   Composer,Group Member
Brumley   Composer
Hirsch   Composer
Ella Avery   Composer,Group Member
Susan Hall   Group Member
Bruce Eder   Liner Notes
Jack Hall   Composer,Group Member
Rick Hirsch   Group Member
Donna Hall   Group Member
Richard Mantel   Design,Art Direction