Atlanta Rhythm Section
Dog Days

Energetic and cohesive, the six boys from Atlanta's Rhythm Section insist on hitting the market once a year in this early stage of their career. This fourth work from 1975 reveals a slight hardening of the sound, more punch, some added distortion, even though the band's rock remains among the roundest and most melodic in the Southern realm.

The standout moments of these "Dog Days" are threefold: the first one encountered is the interminable boogie blues "Boogie Smoogie," which starts lazily and academically beyond description, but by the third minute, its trot becomes a resolute gallop, impressively so, only to stop five minutes later at the end of a succession of beautiful solo and rhythmic ideas by all six instrumentalists (including Hammond, the singer, on harmonica). Barry Bailey's Gibson takes no prisoners, as usual.

"It Just Ain't Your Moon" (great title) is their classic piece: upper-class Southern rock, very accessible, almost slick in its sung portion, but then it takes the path of an engaging jam in the instrumental middle, with excellent contributions from the two guitarists and the hefty but brilliant bassist Paul Goddard.

"Silent Treatment", another must in their concerts and the pinnacle of this work, is a rock blues with a tense and deadly riff, also flavored with mouth harmonica. Here ARS is at its absolute best. The rolling concatenation of bass/guitars/harmonica is sublime, the sweet, sweet bridge piloted by Hammond is poetry, before Bailey's solo glides in like a princess descending from her carriage, pauses for a rhythmic change, and then opens the valves completely, pouring class, grit, and measure from every note. Again, as in "Angel" on the previous album, production requirements fade out the solo and band, whereas live they would continue for another good while, stopping only when the audience was completely captivated.

Among the others, "Crazy" is an attempt not yet entirely successful at producing a chart-topping single. "Cuban Crisis" is obviously set to a rumba rhythm, complete with guiro and other percussion to reiterate. The title track of the album is in contrast, one belly-slide, zero Southern, in which the frontman tries to contribute to the potential conception of children by listeners; however, his companions grow tired and veer off into a, this time short, invigorating rock blues chase. "Bless My Soul" is another boogie, instrumental and filler to let Bailey have some fun with his six-string. The final "All Night Rain" is a subtle slow country blues, not unforgettable but nonetheless exquisite, with the singer's tear-jerking timbre in full effect.

The four stars, inaugurated by the previous album "Third Annual Pipe Dream," are already starting to feel tight; it won’t be long until they reach five.