Another plus in my book.īlack Oak Arkansas is a band I've always been curious about.
Of course, they'd probably have to rework the lyrics to Happy Hooker off the album. It makes me ponder what the chooglin' Movin' or gentle High 'N' Dry" might sound like with Starr as the star. The other songs might have fared better with a better singer, like, say, Ruby Starr, who just about steals Jim Dandy away from Mangrum with her brassy, sassy holler. The other song is Moonshine Sonata, which outside of one shout of "MOONSHINE!" is Mangrum-free. Jim Dandy is a randy dandy of a song that sticks out like one of two good thumbs on two handfuls of otherwise sore fingers. That menace gets overused on Mad Man though, which appears to repeat the chorus once for every citizen of Black Oak, Arkansas.įortune is fickle for musicians whose biggest hit is a cover song. Aside from that song, I like his voice when he sounds menacing as on opener, Swimmin' In Quicksand or Why Shouldn't I Smile. On record, his voice rarely rises above a shtick that has more in common with the old country variety show Hee Haw than Southern Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd or Blackfoot. I have watched YouTube clips of BOA live and Mangrum is definitely more in his element as a showman than a singer. It's what I imagine Captain Beefheart would sound like if he had commercial aspirations rather than being the point guard of the avant-garde. For me, it turns out to be less than I thought. But is there more to High On The Hog and Black Oak Arkansas than the song Jim Dandy?Īs other club members have written, a lot of it depends on how much you can handle the voice of lead singer Jim "Dandy" Mangrum and his good ol' country boy persona. Mike Canoe: The album with the song that made the band and made the man. Possessing neither the sophistication of an Allmans or attitude of Skynrd, High On The Hog is yer basic roll in the mud through a set of lowbrow rube-rock, worth checking out for fans of the genre." ( Jive Time Records)
" High on the Hog is redeemed by the inclusion of nasty southern-livin’ rockers like the funky opener Swimmin’ in Quicksand, the churning Red Hot Lovin’, and Mad Man, while Moonshine Sonata is a vintage guitarmony laced instrumental. Black Oak’s fifth album, High on the Hog, is typically unnecessary." (Cameron Crowe, LA Times) Hopefully, the gas shortage will curtail its constant “on the road” status. Its stage presence is obnoxiously groin-oriented and its music has consistently proven to be needless racket. "There is little to be said in favour of this band. In the end, High On The Hog probably won't appeal to anyone who isn't already a Southern rock fan, but anyone who enjoys this genre will find plenty to like on this album." ( AllMusic) "The band also gets a solid showcase for their chops on Moonshine Sonata, a tasty little instrumental that starts off as sprightly country-rock rave-up before shifting into a down-home ballad tempo for a surprisingly lovely and mellow finale.
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