Customer Reviews

Flirtin With Disaster (Exp)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was one of Molly Hatchest's more popular l.p.'s from the late 70's (1979). Certainly by the late 70's with new wave/punk becoming popular had a major effect on southern rock. Artists such as Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot, The Outlaws and Charlie Daniels were the last of the southern groups to still play dedicated southern powered rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd was no more due to the terrible plane crash that killed several members of the group. Other southern rock groups had either changed their style or had broken up. Still Molly Hatchet continued to use their three guitar attack to put out great southern rock with the help of Danny Joe Brown's vocals. This l.p. included some great songs such as the title track, Whiskey Man, Boogie No More as well as their rendition of The Rolling Stone's 60's hit "It's all over Now"! This expanded edition also includes live versions of "Flirtin' with Disaster" as well as Molly Hatchet's version of Cream's live guitar driven version of "Crossroads". All in all this is a nicely packaged edition of a great cd. REmastering is excellent and is superior to the first version of this cd which may have used second generation tapes.

This is a great record. The band picks up where Lynyrd Skynyrd left off. The boogie crunch guitar riffs are cool. The sound is heavy southern rock. It has some catchy songs on it like the title track, "Jukin' City",and every other song on this disc. If you like southern rock, this is a must for your collection.

Those who read my other reviews may note that I haven't gotten into Southern rock. I suppose it's because number one, the Allman Brothers put me to sleep (with the exception of "Dreams") and Lynyrd Skynrd are too overplayed. I don't care if I NEVER hear "Sweet Home Alabama" again.
Southern rock has always tread on the boundary with country, which gives most of it the swing that defines it. We hear a healthy dose of blues and (usually) anthems of boozing, womanizing and basically kicking somebody's ass.
What sets the original Molly Hatchet apart from the rest is their heavy sound. Three guitars up front, triple leads, wicked slide and a boozy vocalist combine for the hardest of all Southern rock albums, "Flirting With Disaster."
Led by guitarist Dave Hlubek, this rowdy bunch swings and has a great time throughout. It's like having a good time at a bar but hoping you don't piss these guys off because they won't hesitate to mop up the floor with you, especially Duane Roland, he of the muttonchops and shades. This is a band that would intimidate the Hells Angels.
Still, it's a friendly outing. "One Man's Pleasure" bumps headlong into country territory and then obliterates it with scorching lead breaks and the wickedest slide you'll hear this side of Oz. "Jukin' City" is a nod to the Allman Brothers, and the title track reigns supreme as the best Southern rock song of all time (second place goes to "Train, Train" from Blackfoot.)
It moves quick and stays heavy enough to satisfy metalheads as well as good ol' boys. Plus, there are four additional tracks, three live, including a great reading of "Crossroad Blues."
Molly Hatchet exists today with no original band members, relegating them basically as a cover band. If you want the classic triple threat lineup of Hlubeck, Roland and Steve Holland, not to mention the unmistakable voice of Danny Joe Brown, get the debut "Molly Hatchet" and this one. And set your cruise control if you listen in the truck unless you want a speeding ticket.

I had an 8-track of this album back in 1979. It was a great cruising tape in a Trans Am. Love the guitars.

I first heard Molly Hatchet on the radio in 1980. I actually got Flirtin' With Disaster on vinyl at a garage sale a few years later. Why anybody would let this album go is a mystery to me, but I'm glad they did. I love good southern rock and this album is just that. A good mix of hard rockin' jams and down home diddies. All done with Molly Hatchet's unique style. This expanded version is awesome!The live cuts from a Jacksonville, FL show in 1980 are especially cool to hear. A must have for southern rockers of all ages!!

It seems every southern rock band had a distinct style, though many times it was subtle and hardly noticeable until you'd take the time to listen to them repeatedly. However, Molly Hatchet does NOT fall under this category. Right away you can tell Molly Hatchet is different from the rest. These songs are not only incredibly catchy, they downright *rock*. In terms of sheer rock and roll, this band isn't even in the same category as the Allman Brothers Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd. I guess you can say Molly Hatchet is part of the heaviest aspect of the southern rock genre. That's pretty much a fact.

Now I personally don't feel this is *quite* heavy enough to be considered heavy metal, but if someone wants to disagree I'd totally understand. It's really close whether they are or not.

I haven't heard an album make such an important statement like this one does in a long time. "Whiskey Man" opens with a bang, and that's an understatement. The rhythm resembles the Aerosmith classic "Same Old Song and Dance" but this is honestly much MUCH better than that song ever was. A fantastic chorus and guitar soloing that... well I guess the guitar work *is* pretty heavy metal-like after all. I stand corrected! "It's All Over Now" is a cover song. I believe Rod Stewart's version is my favorite, but who knows really. This is a fast-paced, totally rocking out version. It's highly memorable. I can't help but compare the final minute of guitar and bass work to that of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me". Just a slight resemblance there.

"One Man's Pleasure" is sort of like one mans treasure, but relating to women and love of course! I really like the funky rhythm and the guitar solo. Probably not one of my favorite songs on here, but if you can fault it, you'd be absolutely *crazy*. In fact I regret calling it a weak point when in actuality I like it quite a bit! The chorus has grown on me even more since writing my original feelings. "Jukin' City" is a great handclap song. You'll be tapping your feet to the catchy rhythm, I guarantee it! If I haven't mentioned it yet, the lead singer is terrific. His performance on this track is especially appealing to me because he sings it so naturally.

My favorite two songs are up next. "Boogie No More" is a splendid slice of boogie rock with a wonderful guitar jam during the second half. I love every second of this guitar jam. The way it builds and never loses its sense of melody is simply amazing! Only the most talented of rock artists from the 70's were able to sustain such an extended workout without losing any momentum. Of course the title song is my favorite song on the entire album. The greatest verse melody in history! Alright maybe not quite *that* impressive, but it has quite the fantastic rhythm, vocal melody and guitar riff to make it an instant classic. I never really thought about it until now, but it's pretty funky too isn't it? It's hard to distinguish if the guitar playing is more like heavy metal or boogie rock. Somewhere in between.

"Good Rockin" is ANOTHER awesome gem. This song is unfortunately overshadowed by the previous two songs, but trust me, this song has an underrated quality in the verse melody that simply leaves me wanting more. This isn't related to a Sammy Hagar song of *almost* the same title either, hehe. "Gunsmoke" is perhaps not recognized like the rest of the tunes because it's another boogie rocker with piano and a mid-tempo verse melody, but it's alright. Actually it's better than alright! Of course it is! Otherwise I wouldn't be giving the album 5 stars! "Long Time" is a lonesome cowboy favorite I imagine. Great vocal melody. It's actually pretty unique because it's sort of funky and adventurous combined. REALLY incredible guitar solo as well. A funky version of "Let the Good Times Roll" closes the album but... it's not a cover version. If it is, it doesn't resemble the popular song by the same title in the least. Interesting.

Molly Hatchet is a terrific band, folks. Let this be your first exposure to them. If you don't believe this album is awesome, just take a look at the cover. It illustrates what to expect! If you don't listen to this album... that axe-wielding man on the cover will get ya!

Back in the day, metalhead rednecks treasured this album for it's relentless three prong guitar attack and Danny Joe's gruff and gravelly whiskey ladden voice. The killer Frank Frazetta album cover art was a bonus and perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the album as a whole. This album is their only essential work, IMO, and surpasses their Greatest Hits collections. There are great songs and really great songs on this CD. This is one of those albums we used to stick in the cassette deck and crank it up while driving around town. Boogie No More is the closest any group has come to a guitar diatribe where angry guitars do the talking. Long time is the only ballad on this album and it really packs a whallop. The entire album goes down like a shot of good bourbon. Bottoms up!

Flirting With Disaster was the pinnacle of Molly Hatchet's success and is a darn good Southern rock album. The band came in with a solid collection of tunes and Danny Joe Brown's charismatic vocals were in fine form. The title track is their best and most exciting song, bar none, better than "Gator Country" and their cover of the Allman Brothers classic "Dreams". This is five minutes of Southern rock heaven with wicked guitar solos, a great unison guitar line after the solo, and just a strong performance from the band and a rip roaring vocal from Brown that grabbed you by the throat. This was their finest moment. However, there are a lot of other highlights including the fiery opener "Whiskey Man", a very good cover of "It's All Over Now", and catchy melodic tunes like "Gunsmoke", "One Man's Pleasure" and "Jukin' City". The rest of the tunes are decent as "Boogie No More" has some great solos during its outro while "Long Time" is an emotional longing of lost love. The remaining songs are okay. All told, this is a very good Southern rock album and if you haven't heard it, it's worth checking out just even just for the killer title track.

The first album had "Dreams," and the jury's still out on that one. Gregg Allman hated Molly Hatchet's version...when asked about it in an interview, he made it pretty clear that he was neither flattered by nor pleased with Molly Hatchet's treatment of the song. And if you look at the output of the post-Danny Brown band, it seems to show up on pretty much every other album.

I'd be in a state of shock if anyone described Molly Hatchet...even at their peak...as "original" or "trailblazers." Sometimes that matters. Other times, it's only rock & roll, you know? And if there's one thing the ORIGINAL Molly Hatchet knew how to do, it was ROCK.

They had the first album for a warm up, and by the time of this one, they were dangerous. This sucker DID NOT sell at a double platinum level by accident. It sold because it delivered the goods.

There's a cover of Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now" (It is NOT a "Rolling Stones song." It is a Bobby Womack song that was COVERED by the Stones)...but the other 9 tracks are Hatchet originals. Their own songs were ALWAYS better than ANY cover versions they attempted.

The band at this time consisted of Danny Joe Brown - vocals, Dave Hlubek - guitar, Steve Holland - guitar, Duane Roland - guitar, Banner Thomas - bass, and Bruce Crump - drums.

Unlike Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet seldom used the three guitar attack for texture or nuance. It was a display of power, of shock & awe, of carpet bombing the audience with sheer testosterone-driven boogie. And back in the day, when these guys were at their peak, the appetite for their music was insatiable.

There are two certified "FM / Album Oriented Radio" classics on this one...the title track, and "Boogie No More."

Molly Hatchet definitely channeled Lynyrd Skynyrd in their attack...to the point of their questionable inclusion of "Free Bird" on their live album, Double Trouble.

But Skynyrd was NEVER a "Southern Rock Band." They were FROM the South, but they were hardly an Allman Brothers clone. If you want to know their TRUE roots, listen to Free's Fire & Water and Skynyrd's Nuthin Fancy. Ronnie Van Zandt was influenced to a MUCH greater degree by the classic Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff Free jams than he was by the Allmans.

Hatchet was basically a Skynyrd-influenced, boogie-based jam band, with some of Ronnie's "populist" subject matter in the songs (like their later hit "Fall of the Peacemakers")...but their real strength was in "turning those boys loose," as Danny asserts on "Boogie No More."

It is what it is. And on this album, what it was ROCKED.

this just might be the best southern rock album . not the best band as in career. but one single cd, this is it.