Customer Reviews

Halos & Good Buys

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

 

 

For a band with such a solid history - seventeen years together and eight albums (including two live releases) - it's surprising that this South Carolina group has yet to break out on a national label. Perhaps there are a lot of undiscovered combos like this, plying their trade in local clubs and on regional tours, but rarely do they issue recordings of such quality and polish. The band cooks with Southern rock energy, but edges their work with country and bluegrass touches - mandolin here, homey lyrics there - that elevate this well beyond the typical bar band.

The roots rock foundation - think Mellencamp (whose one-time producer Don Gehman helped shape this) and Springsteen with the Southern edge of Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Outlaws. Vocalist Bobby Houck has the sort of raspy power that fits mid-tempo ballads like "Janie and Me" to a tee, and the band's guitar-bass-drums backings are nicely augmented with tight harmonies and mandolin flourishes. It's the sound of a solid rock band taking on some of the country sounds of Nashville - an ever more successful direction than the typical Nashville country band's crossover into pop and rock.

This album should just as easily please the No Depression crowd as it does MOR radio stations that play Hootie & The Blowfish or John Mellencamp. Perhaps it's too upbeat for the former, and too twangy for the latter, which would be a shame, because it's incredibly tuneful, it rocks, and it has a down home heart and soul. For anyone unfamiliar with the band, this is sure to be one of 2004's unexpected surprises.

If you're a fan of the Blue Dogs, you already know that they are a very good band. That is, up until the release of Halos & Good Buys. With this release, they will now become a great band and this is the record that's going to make great things happen for this band.

My prediction is that this record will be picked up by a major label very soon. There's not a bad song on the entire CD. As a matter of fact, every song on here is outstanding. If you're a fan of rock, country, folk, etc, you won't be disappointed with this effot. It far surpasses even my greatest expectation. Buy it and sit back and enjoy it!

While the Blue Dogs have rarely made a bad album, at least in my humble opinion, the band's latest "Halos and Good Buys," is the best collection of songs yet. Almost every song on the CD stands on its own, from the catchy "What's Wrong with Love Songs," to the clever "Cosmic Cowboy," to the beautiful "My Forever You."
Legendary producer Don Gehman (John Mellencamp's "American Fool", Hootie & the Blowfish's "Cracked Rear View") produced the CD, and like those two huge albums, I predict that "Halos and Good Buys" will be the album that finally catipults the Blue Dogs to stardom. If you are familiar with the band already, then you know you want this CD. If you've never heard of the band, then take a chance and check them out, especially if you like a good combination of country, rock and bluegrass.

The Blue Dogs have out done themselves with this CD. Anyone at any age will love all of these songs. I love "Make your Mama Proud" and "Love Songs". You won't be disappointed with this purchase.

Best CD I've heard in years. Not just one, but all songs. Who knew the mandolin could rock? But it does..."Janie & me" will take you away...Love that Cosmic Cowboy too. Southern rock at it's best! Buy the CD... all of them, you won't be disappointed!

I finally received my copy of Halos and Good Buys from Amazon in yesterday's mail. I immediately opened it and
listened to it right away.

I have always loved this Charleston,SC based band, but I was absolutely blown away by this album. Having heard
most of the songs live, I knew I was going to love the
cd, but was stunned to discover that it surpassed even
my preconceived notion of it. Halos and Good Buys is
simply phenomenal.

The Blue Dogs have never sounded better. Their

playing is the tightest it has ever been. Both Bobby Houck
and Hank Futch's lead vocals are their best yet, and Don
Gehman's production takes them to a new level of
professionalism that clearly surpasses that of their
previous studios albums. Usually, I can listen to a
new cd and immediately pick out a favorite track or
two, but I have not been able to do so after listening to
it twice. Every song on Halos and Good Buys is
strong.

This should be the album that finally nets the Blue Dogs a long overdue contract with a major label. I believe that after listening to Halos and Good Buys, the talent scouts at the major recording studios will no longer be able to ignore this band.

Randolph Pritchard
Raleigh, NC