# Greatest Southerin Rock Band Ever!



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I say it is Lynyrd Skynyrd!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Not a genre (?) I'm particularly interested in tbh. There's not a single album of Southern Rock that I deem essential or even desirable (in terms of my taste), but I do have two Allman Brothers Band songs on the car USB stick (and none by other SR bands), so by default they would get my vote.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

SixFootScowl said:


> I say it is Lynyrd Skynyrd!


Me too. Easy pick. Allmans very good, Tom Petty even better, though in a previous thread some opined that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were not "southern enough". I assert Petty transcended the genre.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Strange Magic said:


> Me too. Easy pick. Allmans very good, Tom Petty even better, though in a previous thread some opined that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were not "southern enough". I assert Petty transcended the genre.


I like all three a lot.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

Free bird!!!!!!!


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Is *Creedence Clearwater Revival* considered Country Rock? Or do they fall into the Swamp Rock genre?


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

The Little Allman Skynyrd Feat Band - simple!


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

** Litle Feat **


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Little Feat was a California band. They were formed by ex Zappa Mothers members. CCR was from San Francisco. I'm not a fan of southern rock bands flying Confederate flags so I'll go with the Allman Brothers.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

pianozach said:


> Is *Creedence Clearwater Revival* considered Country Rock? Or do they fall into the Swamp Rock genre?


The Eagles are country rock, but they're from California. If "Southern" California counts as southern, there you go.


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

starthrower said:


> Little Feat was a California band. They were formed by ex Zappa Mothers members. CCR was from San Francisco. I'm not a fan of southern rock bands flying Confederate flags so I'll go with the Allman Brothers.


California eh? Well, they sound swampy.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

starthrower said:


> Little Feat was a California band. They were formed by ex Zappa Mothers members. CCR was from San Francisco. I'm not a fan of southern rock bands flying Confederate flags so I'll go with the Allman Brothers.


Can't argue with facts - but to my untrained British/Scottish ears their music had what I considered a distinctive southern sound - a Muscle Shoals kinda sound if you catch my drift. I am prepared to be educated if I am wide of the mark.

What I do know is they were a very fine live band having seen them twice when they visited the UK.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Are you referring to Little Feat or CCR? Little Feat was a great live band. In fact I rarely ever listen to their studio albums. I always spin the Waiting For Columbus live set. But I still don't think of them as Southern Rock. They aren't from the south and they don't have southern accents. Bands from the south would be Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, and The Outlaws.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Probably not "the best" (especially where the rock press were concerned), but my favourites are definitely Black Oak Arkansas. And they had a "three guitar army" before Lynyrd Skynyrd.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

starthrower said:


> Are you referring to Little Feat or CCR? Little Feat was a great live band. In fact I rarely ever listen to their studio albums. I always spin the Waiting For Columbus live set. But I still don't think of them as Southern Rock. They aren't from the south and they don't have southern accents. Bands from the south would be Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, and The Outlaws.


Sorry I was referring to Little Feat.

To take things a little sideways - are the Ozark Mountain Daredevils regarded as Southern, I often get confused where the line for Southern States is drawn in the USA - is it largely based on what were previously the Confederate States?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I always liked the Outlaws. They were great guitar players and they have more of a country influence to their music. When they played here in Syracuse along time ago, Hughie Thomasson used my buddy's Mesa Boogie amp.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

starthrower said:


> I always liked the Outlaws. They were great guitar players and they have more of a country influence to their music. When they played here in Syracuse along time ago, Hughie Thomasson used my buddy's Mesa Boogie amp.


I saw the Outlaws on the same bill as Little Feat June 1976 at Celtic Park Glasgow.
The line up on the day was:

The Who
Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Little Feat
Outlaws
Streetwalkers

Sorry for diverting the thread I will now desist.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

It has got to be a _sine qua non_ that Southern Rock bands be mostly from the American South and/or those states from whom the majority of Country & Western artists are drawn. For our non-USA members, this should rule out many bands--from California or other non-southern states.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Sounds like a great festival, Malx! When I was finally old enough to see The Who it was on that tour in '79 when they had that tragic event in Cincinnati. I never did see them. I did see the Allman Brothers in 1991. That was a great show. Their sound was huge. People went nuts when Dickie Betts launched into his solo on Jessica. He got kicked out of the band a few years later due to his alcohol abuse.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I would have crawled a mile over broken glass to see a line-up like that. I wonder how Little Feat and the Outlaws enjoyed the North British weather - you don't see too much Spanish Moss hanging from the trees of Parkhead. The only Southern Rock bands I ever saw were Blackfoot (Donnington Park 1981) and - if they can come under the Southern Rock category - Black Crowes in 1999 (Wembley Stadium). Both great, but the Crowes were without keyboard player Ed Harsch that day.


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## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Malx said:


> Sorry I was referring to Little Feat.
> 
> To take things a little sideways - are the Ozark Mountain Daredevils regarded as Southern, I often get confused where the line for Southern States is drawn in the USA - is it largely based on what were previously the Confederate States?


Largely, but many border states/territories are now regarded as part of the south, at least parts of them. Texas is generally included too, though arguably only east Texas truly is southern. Most of Maryland and anything connected to the DC entity in VA are most definitely not southern any longer.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Moloch!...................


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Another good one is 38 Special.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> Probably not "the best" (especially where the rock press were concerned), but my favourites are definitely *Black Oak Arkansas*. And they had a "three guitar army" before Lynyrd Skynyrd.


I was waiting for someone to mention *BOA*. They seemed like a fun time, but to me they always sounded a bit too sloppy.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

starthrower said:


> I always liked the Outlaws. They were great guitar players and they have more of a country influence to their music. When they played here in Syracuse along time ago, Hughie Thomasson used my buddy's Mesa Boogie amp.


Cool!

Three guitarists, and three lead vocalists. They harmonized very well. Wrote their own material. Yeah, I'd rate 'em very highly, like 10/10 highly.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

2 great recent southern/roots bands are Alabama Shakes, and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek Trucks played with Allman Brothers for a while, "filling" the unfillable shoes of Duane...as much as humanly possible.



pianozach said:


> elgars ghost said:
> 
> 
> > Probably not "the best" (especially where the rock press were concerned), but my favourites are definitely Black Oak Arkansas. And they had a "three guitar army" before Lynyrd Skynyrd.
> ...


I remember BOA being caught up in the "Satanic" scare of the early 80s. When everyone started playing Stairway to Heaven backward, Jim Dandy actually spoke backward in concert. Perhaps poking fun at the entire ridiculousness?


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

pianozach said:


> I was waiting for someone to mention *BOA*. They seemed like a fun time, but to me they always sounded a bit to sloppy.


They could be very tight when they needed to be. In my experience Jim Dandy's foghorn vocals seemed more of a turn off for potential fans than whatever musical limitations the band may or may not have had. But JD played a washboard - extra kudos for that. He doesn't on the video below, but this is a good funky song with some equally good guitar interplay.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Of course the best SR band will always be The Allman Brothers, but some other bands come to mind:

Marshall Tucker
Charlie Daniels Band
Molly Hatchet
Gov't Mule
North Mississippi Allstars

And to some extent Hank Williams, Jr.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I was a massive fan of Southern Rock back in the late 70s and early 80s. My first southern band was probably the same as most people (Skynyrd) but then I started collecting all sorts of southern artists. I had a huge southern collection on vinyl and still have a sizeable collection left as its hard to shift but have replaced ALL my southern vinyl with digital tracks. Here's just some of the southern (or southern-sounding) bands I was into (some are newer) ... 

Marshall Tucker Band
Charlie Daniels
Dickie Betts
Allman Bros
Blackfoot
Bottle Rockets
Backberry Smoke
Little Feat
38 Special
Les Dudek
North Mississippi Allstars
Mamas Pride
Grinderswitch
Doobie Bros
Drive-by Truckers
Henry Paul
Elvin Bishop
Molly Hatchet
Zz Top
Van Zant
Stillwater
Point Blank
Wet Willie
Outlaws
Doc Holiday
Firefall
Poco
Rossington Collins Band
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Winters Brothers Band
Widespread Panic
Johnny Winter
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Dixie Dreggs
George Hatcher Band

There are some southern rock albums I view as classics (some are rarer) but amongst the best known ones anyone who likes southern rock has to have a copy of...

*Outlaws - Outlaws* (Stay with Me and GG&HT are wonderful)
*Skynyrd - Street Survivors *(just for That Smell and I Never Dreamed but Gaines made this their finest IMO)
*Johnny Winter - Still Alive and Well or Captured Live
Zz Top - Tres Hombres *(Jesus just left Chicago) *
Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus
Blackfoot - Marauder* (Diary of a Working Man, Good Morning and Fly Away)
*Marshall Tucker Band - Greatest Hits* 
just for Heard it in a Love Song, Can't you See and Fire on the Mountain)
*Molly Hatchet - Flirtin with Disaster
Charlie Daniel - Saddletramp* (Cumberland Mountain #9)
*Allman Bothers - Fillmore East / Eat a Peach Brothers and Sisters
38 Special - Wild Eyed Southern Boys *(Fantasy Girl & especially Hold on Loosely)

Of the rarer bands/artists on my list I think there are a few that every Southern rock enthusiast should definitely hear

*Les Dudek - Ghost Town Parade*
Friend and contributor to the Allmans, Dudek was an amazing guitarist in his own right and released this unbelievably great guitar-heavy album in the late 70s. If you like a good guitar solo then Friend of Mine and Central Park are wonderful tracks but my fave is the the catchy and funky Gonna Move.

*Wet Willie - Left Coast Live*
caught in their pomp this is a top live album in a smaller venue with the highlight being the lengthy funky/bluesy 'Lucy was in Trouble'.

*Point Blank - * Both their first two albums were mixed bags of brilliant and filler but sample 'Free Man', the infectious boogie of 'Bad Bees' and the wonderful laid back 'Stars and Bars' for different reasons.

*Stillwater - Stillwater & I Reserve the Right*
Another one with patchy albums (and not to be confused with the fictional band from the Almost Famous movie) if you like an extended guitar workout then there's two tracks you must hear, I Reserve the Right and especially the mammoth Sam's Jam.

*Bottle Rockets - Brooklyn Side*
More recent than many of the others but they hardly ever put out a duff album and this was their best. If you've never enjoyed the wonderfullly sardonic and catchy 'Thousand Dollar Car' then get your backside over to youtube and give it a listen.
*
Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera*
An amazing and intriguing concept album about the duality of growing up in the South. Sounds crap? Far from it. The album was described as an all time classic album by Rolling Stone. The wonderful spoken word 'Three Great Alabama icons' is a highlight for me. A fascinating album.

I'm leaving my favourite band of the era till last. Regular visitors to this area of the site will know I was nuts on *Black Oak Arkansas.* If you know their music you know what to expect. Plain southern rock with Jim Dandy's wonderfully deep vocals. For many the peak of their achievement was the first 6 albums (excluding the Early Times compilation) and there's no doubt that the first eponymous album, *High on the Hog *and the Live *Raunch and Roll *(dont you just love that spoken intro to 'Hot Rod') are classics but for me the 1975 album *Ain't Life Grand* is them at their best. The album recording was great, they had their best guitarist on board (Jimmy Henderson) and it was a great bunch of songs. I have a real love for Dandy's voice on Backdoor Man and Let Life be Good to You.

There ya go....sorry for waffling on


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I've listened to the Dixie Dregs more than any other band formed in the south. Although they don't play "southern rock" they were more like a chamber rock group playing Steve Morse's brilliant compositions.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Allman Brothers
no contest


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

starthrower said:


> I've listened to the Dixie Dregs more than any other band formed in the south. Although they don't play "southern rock" they were more like a chamber rock group playing Steve Morse's brilliant compositions.


And incredible musicians. Rod Morgenstein was a helluva drummer.
Btw, many of the bands I mentioned above didn't play southern rock, they're just bands from the South. People like Wet Willie and Elvin Bishop had jazz, funk and blues roots and this showedin their music. That's why I love that Les Dudek album. There's so many influences on that album (and some mean solos).

Les Dudek - Central Park


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have a compilation of the old Elvin Bishop stuff. He has a great sense of humor and he loves soul music.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

I made a "Southern Rock" compilation CD a few years ago and included a track from Foghat -- though I think they were from England?


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Whilst Foghat were British they relocated to the US early in their career as they were all veterans of the blues-rock boom. Their brand of hard-Rock boogie went down a storm with many fans of southern rock. Whilst their studio output was often erratic their 1977 live album is a boogie wonderland of killer tunes like Road Fever, Home in my Hand and Fool for the City. It went down a storm in America, going double platinum. I actually played it in the car a few weeks ago for the first time in years and thoroughly enjoyed it all over again. I still have the vinyl in a box under the stairs somewhere.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I was never too crazy about Foghat but I like Savoy Brown. Lonesome Dave of Foghat was a member of Savoy Brown before he left to start the band.


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