2012 - Snortin Horse Records
By Phillip Smith;
May 31, 2014
Listening
to Rich Mahan’s ten track album, Blame Bobby Bare, is like hitching a
ride on a time machine headed back to the ending of an era when country music was
still raw and listened to on 8-track tapes.
Not only was the album inspired by the music of Country music legend Bobby Bare, it was recorded in
Nashville using vintage analog gear.
This, along with Mahan’s
brilliantly written verses make this a killer retro-country album.
Jimmy Buffet would be right at home performing
Tex-Mex friendly, “Tequilla Y Mota”, an ode to the weekend bender. I love the
sound of Steve Herman’s mariachi
trumpet coupled with Robby Turner’s pedal
steel and Arlan Oscar’s accordion.
That musical combination ties the song up into one big, tasty tamale. A strong Bruce Springsteen vibe is with Mahan as
he moves the party to another state in ‘Overserved in Alabam’.
Mahan has a great sense of humor,
and it shines through on his song of karmic backlash, “The Hills of South
Dakota”. He finds out the hard way, drinking
scotch and philandering with a bartender may just land him with a problem below
the belt and trouble with his wife.
Another song of good times gone bad, “Mama Found My Bong”, is a coming
of age country ditty. The wah-wah
provided by JD Simo puts a big ol’
smile on my face. Mahan’s “Rehab’s For Quitters” is bound to be a country classic,
with quirky lyrics that seem to have fallen off bumper stickers at a truck
stop. If I didn’t know, I would have
sworn this song was written by John
Prine or David Allen Coe.
Rich Mahan is the real deal, and Blame Bobby Bare is a hell of a good
listen. I highly recommend this album to
fans of classic and outlaw country.
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