Search - Dregs :: Unsung Heroes

The Dregs' best album, and few bands were ever better

woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 05/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The name Dixie Dregs was misleading--it always made people assume the band would sound like the Charlie Daniels Band or Molly Hatchett. So for "Unsung Heroes" the name was changed to "The Dregs". The music remained the same, instrumental rock played by five virtuoso musicians in a dizzying array of styles, with music and arrangements as intricate yet insanely catchy as anything either progressive rock or fusion has ever produced. Solos are kept short, and at some point during an album you're bound to hear every possible combination of two instruments play in unison (listen for the violin and bass on "Attila the Hun"). This is the Dregs' best studio album, with a fantastic set of compositions by Steve Morse, the world's greatest guitarist. By now, the formula for a Dregs album was pretty well established: a couple of rockers ("Cruise Control" and "Rock & Roll Park"), a couple of progressive rock tracks ("Divided We Stand" and "Attila the Hun"), a ballad ("Day 444"), and some bluegrass ("I'll Just Pick"), funk ("Kat Food"), and baroque ("Go for Baroque"). "Divided We Stand", "Kat Food", "I'll Just Pick", and "Go for Baroque" are the best songs the Dregs have done in each of their respective genres. In fact, "Divided We Stand" is perhaps the Dregs' best track ever, and unlike anything else you've ever heard. "Cruise Control", which had previously appeared on the "Freefall" album, is reborn in a stripped-down, harder rocking version. "Rock & Roll Park" gives keyboardist T Lavitz a chance to show that he can also play soprano sax. The climax of "I'll Just Pick" has Morse repeating an 8-bar melody, as one by one, bassist Andy West, Lavitz, and violinist Allen Sloan join in with counterpoint melodies. This was Sloan's last album before leaving to become an anesthesiologist, and his simple yet gorgeous solo on "Day 444" is the highlight of that song.(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)"

EXCELLENT!

Baddstuff | astoria, ny United States | 10/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen The Dregs about 5 times and as someone who has been going to concerts for 30 years and has seen many of the best, The Dregs remain one of the premier live bands I have seen. This kind of music just doesn't get much better and I enjoy it even more because I know there is no studio trickery involved, they can pull this off live with gusto!



The version of 'Cruise Control' that they do in concert is extended and contains a middle part where the guitar, bass, violin and keys trade riffs and it is a site to behold. As the solos go around they get shorter and shorter until it seems they are passing a hot potato among them, and they never miss a beat. An incredible display of superior musicianship!



One of my favorite tracks from this disc is 'I'll Just Pick', a sweet country/bluegrass track that will have you toe-tapping in no time. You cannot go wrong with this CD, just get it already!!"

Stop Over

Anthony Cala | brick, nj USA | 09/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I guess it was back around 1982,The Dixie Dregs were performing in Philadelphia somewhere and had a future engagement in New York in a couple of days.When the owner of the establishment that I was employed by at the time(in the quiet little town of Kingston,NJ) managed to book them for a night- in the smokey little stripmall bar (that many of us at the time called home away from home)next to a Shop Rite supermarket.Back then everything was top 40 and
arena rock,I tell ya when I heard these guys for the first time I was blown away,I've never seen nor heard any band that was tighter than these guys,they were promoting "Unsung Heroes" at the time.After we heard them many of us ran out and collected there earlier work.When your in a small venue (600 legal limit 300)and you hear
Cruise Control,Twiggs Approved,Ice Cakes,Take it off the top,and Divided we Stand,you are spoiled from then on!the owner of the bar managed to book them the following year,and also the year Industry Standard was released,same little bar, Blood Sucking Leeches!! the rest is history,I have an autographed Unsung Heroes vinyl and an Industry Standard vinyl with Mark O'Connors'signature,if you follow country music at all he has become a fixture at the Grand Ol Oprey.
T.Cala, Brick,NJ"