MOLLY HATCHET – Battleground (2019)
It’s no secret that a lot of fans measure the artistic value of a rock band mainly by the quality of a group’s live performance. While MOLLY HATCHET had some awesome studio albums throughout their career, the band’s full potential comes into effect live on stage.
Again and again, the musicians surrounding guitarist Bobby Ingram have reinforced their reputation as an awesome live act in brilliant ‘live battles’, so it comes as no surprise that requests by their international fan base for a new live recording have been growing increasingly insistent for a number of years.
“Battleground” was recorded in Pratteln, Switzerland, in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and during MOLLY HATCHET’s 40th-anniversary tour in the United States.
Starting out with the mighty double-hit of ‘Bounty Hunter’ and ‘Whiskey Man’ should be all fans and newbies need, and the patriotic ‘Son of the South’ and ‘American Pride’ tell you where these boys are coming from.
There are of course moments of great depth and emotion like ‘Fall of the Peacemakers’ and also of course some wonderful boogie in the shape of ‘Beatin’ The Odds’ and ‘Flirtin’ With Disaster.’ It’s the wonderful rendition of the epic ballad ‘Dreams I’ll Never See’ though that tips this from being just a good album to a very good one.
My only disappointment here is that ‘Boogie No More’ fails to find a place on this 2 CD, or 3 LP gatefold vinyl live outing. All the rest of the songs that built this band wonderful reputation though are present, and as whole, “Battleground” remind you just why Hatchet deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as their more illustrious Jacksonville contemporaries.
“Battleground” is a well-balanced and all-encompassing taste of the charm that Molly Hatchet has carried with them through the decades, balancing the flair of old-school rockstars with a tasteful twang in both voices and instrumentals. The set was comprised of a fan-driven track-list of both deep tracks and longtime favorites alike.
It is refreshing to hear these old classics with the high quality standards of modern live recording. There is no doubt that this is a project spurred from passion and celebration, and that it is one that employs a deeply fan-oriented perspective.
After nineteen tracks of aging rock-stars playing their hearts out, no matter how thrilled the crowd may seem, it still distills to a talented showcase of yearning for long-past glory days.
Disc 1
01 – Bounty Hunter (Live)
02 – Whiskey Man (Live)
03 – Why Woun’t You Take Me Home (Live)
04 – Son of the South (Live)
05 – American Pride (Live)
06 – Edge of Sundown (Live)
07 – Fall of the Peacemakers (Live)
08 – Devil’s Canyon (Live)
09 – One Man’s Pleasure (Live)
10 – The Creeper (Live)
11 – In the Darkness of the Night (Live)
Disc 2
01 – Justice (Live)
02 – As Heaven is Forever (Live)
03 – I’m Gonna Live Til I Die (Live)
04 – Beatin’ the Odds (Live)
05 – Junkin’ City (Live)
06 – Dreams I’ll Never See (Live)
07 – The Journey (Live)
08 – Flirtin’ with Disaster (Live)
Bobby Ingram – guitars
John Galvin – keyboards
Shawn Beamer – drums
Tim Lindsey – bass
Jimmy Elkins – vocals
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www.amazon.co.uk/Battleground-2cd-Molly-Hatchet/dp/B07RSZZGRF
