#griderswitch

Blue Jug: Blue Jug (1975)

Every record collector knows that a record bearing the Capricorn label, which was famously founded by legendary manager and promoter Phil Walden (*), almost certainly contains one thing: Southern rock. (**)

But not all Southern rock bands are created equal: they come in all kinds of stylistic varieties and tiers of creative talent, so I was still taking a chance when I scooped up this 50-year-old self-titled LP from Nashville, Tennessee's Blue Jug.

Well, turns out the six humble hillbillies pictured on the sleeve -- Ed Raetzloff (vocals/guitar), Clint Delong (vocals/guitar), Bill Little (keys/vocals), Bill Burnett (bass), Paul Walkley (drums), and Buddy Spicher (fiddle) -- accurately reflect the connotations implied by the word "jug" in their name.

Meaning, that Blue Jug's songs rely heavily on the rootsy, folksy, country, ingredients of Southern rock, aligning them, not with the Skynyrds, Hatchets, or Blackfoots of the genre, The Marshall Tucker and Charlie Daniels bands, Stillwater, and Grinderswitch.

But you know who these guys REALLY remind me of? The Band.

Just listen to the leisurely pace, subdued instrumentation, minimal production, and especially the three-part harmonies dominating cuts like "Education," "A Miner's Song," and "Come On to Town Ned" will take you straight back to Woodstock and Big Pink.

Exceptions to this undeniably derivative formula include "Hard Luck Jimmy" and "Sugar Man," which substitute some crunchy power chords, "It's a Fact," which adds an Appalachian swing behind Spicher's fiddle, and "Take a Little Time," which puts its weight behind a singalong chorus, complete with handclaps.

And, maybe it's just me, but I'm really not a fan of Raetzloff's strained higher registers, which waver and quaver to the point of distraction when pushed front and center on "Poor Virginia," "When the Moon Rises," and other tracks here.

Or maybe it wasn't just me, because the album didn't sell and Capricorn dropped the band, which wasn't heard from again until three years later, when a second album emerged through Ariola called Blue Jug Band.

But I'm afraid you'll have to listen to that one yourself, cos I've had my fill from this Blue Jug.

* I actually met Mr. Walden (R.I.P.) in the mid '90s, when he briefly revived Capricorn and visited the Polygram office in Chicago, but I was far too green to know about his incredible achievements with the label and as manager for Otis Redding and The Allman Brothers Band.

** Noteworthy outliers include occult rockers White Witch and heavy psych cult favorites Captain Beyond.