HENRY PAUL BAND – Grey Ghost [Rock Candy remastered] (2016)

The HENRY PAUL BAND is considered the first group to mix American Rock from the South with Californian West Coast harmonies, and their debut album “Grey Ghost” its faithful exponent, remastered by Rock Candy Records with a crystal clear sound.

Guitarist / Vocalist was part of The Outlaws, a fiery guitar driven ensemble from Tampa, Florida which took the same blue print of Lynyrd Skynyrd & the Allman Brothers Band and in the second half of the Seventies blazed their way from the clubs and bars to headline status in some of the largest venues in the US.
Paul was an integral member of the band as a songwriter and vocalist, until he struck out on his own. Enlisting the help of several gifted friends he formed his own band and signed an impressive contract with Atlantic Records, going on to craft a record that has continued to garner a dedicated following and much critical acclaim.

Titled “Grey Ghost”, the band’s debut is drenched in Southern Rock influences as well as those of ’70s West Coast bands such as the Eagles. The opening cut, ‘So Long’ combines Americana, Blues, Classic Rock and the over the top guitar punch of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, while ‘Crossfire’ rocks sounding like the Joe Walsh-era Eagles jamming with the Pure Prairie League.
But to say that Paul and his band merely copied what was out there wouldn’t be fair. “Grey Ghost” is a fine album; the songcraft is tight and crisp, the lead and harmony vocals are crystalline, and the production is unobtrusive.

Crammed full of well written and arranged songs, including ‘Foolin’ and the beautifully multi-part harmony of ‘All I Need’, the album’s unquestionable highlight is the title track itself, a poignant epic written very much as a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd and in particular frontman Ronnie Van Zant who had perished two years earlier in a plane crash.
It’s a track that has it all; heart wrenching lyrics, a brilliant arrangement and a lengthy guitar solo in the finest southern rock tradition. Truly a milestone in the genre’s long and proud history.

Despite the close harmonies and softer edges of the first half of the disc, the second half entrenches itself more in the raw Southern boogie and hard honky tonk rock that defines the genre, from ‘I Don’t Need You No More’ to ‘Lonely Dreamer’ and the crunchy ‘You Really Know (What I Mean)’, and the even close to hard rock ‘One Night Stands’.

“Grey Ghost” is a pretty unique record blending styles like few, plenty of wonderful melodies but a rockin’ spirit as well. The Henry Paul Band recorded a couple of albums more then disbanded in 1983 with Paul reunited with Hughie Thomasson of the Outlaws again. He remained with the band until 1989 when he left again to start the group BlackHawk alongside the great Van Stephenson.
But the ‘must have’ Henry Paul Band album is this “Grey Ghost”, very well remastered by Rock Candy with a warm sound.
Lovely music for the ears.

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01 – So Long
02 – Crossfire
03 – Foolin’
04 – Wood Wind
05 – Grey Ghost
06 – I Don’t Need You No More
07 – Lonely Dreamer
08 – One Night Stands
09 – You Really Know (What I Mean)
10 – All I Need

Henry Paul – Vocals, Guitar
Billy Crain – Guitar
David Fiester – Guitar, Vocals
Jim Fish – Guitar, Vocals
Wally Dentz – Bass, Harmonica, Vocals
Barry Rapp – Composer, Keyboards, Vocals
Bill Hoffman, Monte Yoho – Drums
Eddie Green – Keyboards
Joe Lala – Percussion, Percussion Programming

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