Customer Reviews

No Guts No Glory

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This has got to be one the most underrated albums of all. I don't know if it didn't get promoted well or what but it is well worth the price. It marked the return of Danny Joe Brown to the group after a couple of unsuccessful albums (Beatin' the Odds and Take No Prisoners).

It starts off blazing with "What Does It Matter?", which gives the illusion that 2 guitarists are switching off the leads. But actually Duane Roland played all of the solo work himself.

"Sweet Dixie" is pure southern boogie, with somewhat of a harmony guitar line and great solo (Dave Hlubek).

"Fall of the Peacemakers" is a true southern rock gem with an accoustic opening, great lead vocals, and soulful intro and middle lead guitars. The stage is set though, and you will realize this is a wolf in sheeps clothing when the jam starts to kick in. You may even think the song is ending after the vocals stop. Oh boy, dead wrong. The "tripple ripple" guitar attack howls with a two then three guitar harmony lead, followed by separate leads by each guitarists (Roland, Hlubek, and Steve Holland). It's one of those songs that sounds so good you wish it didn't end.

The hit off of this album was "Kinda Like Love". "On the Prowl" features some tasteful slide guitar work. "Both Sides" is a great instrumental jam. "Under the Gun" is a roaring fast song with some excellent guitar tradeoffs by Hlubek and Roland. "What's It Gonna Take?" and "Ain't Even Close" jam as well. This is a very powerful album.

IF YOU LOVE SOUTHERN ROCK GUITAR AT IT'S BEST...'NO GUTS, NO GLORY' IS ONE OF HATCHET'S BEST. DANNY JOE BROWN'S HOWLING VOICE IS IN FINE FORM HERE. JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY A DYING GENRE..SOUTHERN BOOGIE. .

O.K., I know that this wasn't their most commercially successful album, but it is every bit as good as their first two albums "Molly Hatchet" and "Flirtin' With Disaster". This was the first album recorded after lead singer Danny Joe Brown's return to the band, and you can tell he was full of energy and out to prove that Hatchet was back, bigger than ever! This album is a feather in his cap, as the true voice of Molly Hatchet. I really liked the previous two albums with Jimmy Farrar on vocals, but his style was vastly different from D.J.B. Right away on the first track "What Does It Matter?", in the opening riffs, Danny lets loose with his banter, and there's no mistaking who's on vocals. Dave Hlubek's master piece "Fall of the Peacemakers" fits nicely in the middle of the album, but probably the track with the most drive is "What's it Gonna Take". Awesome dual harmony guitar leads and sang with conviction. You will not be disappointed with your purchase. This has the true Hatchet sound!

This album kinda reminds me of AC/DCs Flick of the Switch- both came out in 1983(a year when southern rock was withering on the vine) and they are both full of relentless toe tappers. This is the sound of honest hard driving redneck(that's a good thing) rock. Ain't Even Close, Under the Gun, and On the Prowl are no frills bar room slabs of southern rock chuck. Ain't nothing deep in most of these lyrics, and I like it. Just good ole swagger rock(remember that). Danny Joe sings like he means it on Sweet Dixie. Fall Of The Peacemakers was the best song this band ever wrote with some nice references to John Lennon. Three guitars, a driving beat, and the soulful howl of Danny Joe Brown. I'll drink to that.

Another great Molly Hatchet lp that was over looked when it first came out but who knows ,it could end up to be a very well known one like their first two lps.Anything by Molly is great but this one fell by the wayside ,but if you listen to it now ,you will be thinking how did this one get so overlooked.Molly Hatchet is just plain kick butt southern music,"HEY Mr.DJ WON'T YOU PLAY THAT SOUTHERN ROCK & ROLL ."Fall of the Peace Makers "will bring a tear to your eye,man that is some great songwriting.The original Molly is basclly history now ,but their lps will get bigger over time. Believe it,they will not fade

Did I read some clown in here say that this album was "wimpy"? What the hell album were you listening to? I was quite shocked at how good this album was. Even with DJB back, I did not think they would be able to recreate the magic of their first albums, but they do. This is good Ol' Southern Boogie!

Chances are if you like Southern Rock and/or Molly Hatchet, you'll like this album; I've played it in it's entirely many many times in the car, it's a good one to listen to while driving. Everything works, there's no clinkers to want to skip over like some other bands have. But by 1983 the genre was dying out and for whatever reason Hatchet in general doesn't get a lot of respect. It should be noted that a version of Peacemakers is still played by the current band in their live shows.

This album highlights possibly the best work of the early Hatchet lineups. "What Does It Matter," and, "What's It Gonna Take," feature some roaring Hatchet guitar sounds, but, "Ain't Even Close," is arguably the best Hatchet song ever, featuring their signature guitar attack and vocals. This album also features an excellent instrumental in, "Both Sides," and a Hatchet classic ballad, "Fall of the Peacemakers," a tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King and the legacy of John F. Kennedy. So, hey, some southern fried stuff with meaning, what more could you ask for?

MOLLY HATCHET CAN DO IT. LOT`S OF GOOD SONG`S ON THIS CD.The best on on here for me is (WHAT DOES IT MATTER) a good fast rock out song.and I like (ON THE PROWL). this cd came right on time and a good price!!!. I wish thy had more then 9 song`s on here but hey it`s all good. MOLLY HATCHET IS A BAND THAT ROCK OUT`S. I LIKE IT. thank you.

I do believe this album has some value. Surely "Fall of the Peacemakers" is a cool song, even if it sounds very much like the band is trying to create a memorable band anthem such as "Freebird". "What's it Gonna Take" isn't a bad song, but then again it isn't a great song either. It is just one of the better songs on this album. "Sweet Dixie" is very uninspired and hard to listen to. "Kinda Like Love" is kinda sappy and corny and hard to listen to. Since when is Molly Hatchet about love songs or the yearning to be loved? "Both Sides" is the band trying to channel Dickey Betts, who is famous for his instrumentals. But even Dickey Betts has written some lesser instrumentals. But Dickey's worst instrmentals are more interesting than "Both Sides".

I don't know the history of Molly Hatchet. I don't know why Danny Joe Brown up and left the band. I don't know what his stand in had to offer since I've never listened to those albums. But the return of Danny Joe Brown to the band in no way ushered the glory days back in. If you watch "Rock and Roll Tonite" from 1983, a tv special, you see a very buff and mean looking Danny Joe Brown and band going through the motions. They try to sell some poor songs like "Sweet Dixie" for instance. Most telling is in how badly the band played "Gator Country" and even "Dream's I'll Never See". And who are these guys at this point in time. "SOUTHERN ROCK" had been deemed to be a very UNCOOL designation. Actually it was probably Molly Hatchet who made other bands want to distance themselves from such a term. These guys were embarrassing. Internally it seems there was a good bit of disarray or strife. The lineup had changed and the band tried to change their image too. Dave Hluebek cut his hair and also got FAT. Duane Roland cut off his mustache and beard. The guys went from cowboy boots to sneakers. The band also got a new bass player in Riff West. And who is that plodding away on drums on "Rock and Roll Tonite"? That was simply some dreadful drumming. The band sounded so lame. I can compare this concert to the three songs taped from 1978 when the original band lineup played on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert". At that concert the band looked FIERCE and MEAN. Dave Hluebek looks like a Viking and played some AWESOME guitar on "Gator Country".Duane Roland also looked FIERCE and played mean. The band was TIGHT and HARD. And then five years later the band looked to be shooting blanks being afraid to look like rock and roll Southern Hell Raisers.

No Guts No Glory has nostalgic value. It was the return of Danny Joe Brown. However, many of us find it hard to remember what happened to the band next. This album was a creative YAWN which seemingly put many fans to sleep. Molly Hatchet simply wasn't a cool band anymore. The band was simply exploiting a trend or a theme in music. This band had the gaul to play "Freebird" in concert, and "Gimmie Three Steps" and also "Crossroads". If ever a band tried to rip off a genre it was Molly Hatchet. This is SAD because the band originally offerred up some decent music. And as a collector of live recordings I have compared Molly Hatchet to other bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker Band and so on. Molly Hatchet was LAZY. Half way through a set the band seemingly would get bored and start offering up some CHEESE. The band seemed incapable of ROCKING through a set with out clowning around. Think Hank Williams on The Grand Ol' Opry. Hank was who he was but on tv or radio one had to offer up some comedic relief. Danny Joe Brown seemingly had to start a PAR-TAY at ever live gig. If only the band could have ROCKED from start to finish and stop ASSUMING they were such a SERIOUS BAND, a SERIOUS BAND who could CONTINUE to carry on the style of SOUTHERN ROCK.


1. What Does It Matter?
2. Ain't Even Close
3. Sweet Dixie
4. Fall of the Peacemakers
5. What's It Gonna Take?
6. Kinda Like Love
7. Under the Gun
8. On the Prowl
9. Both Sides