The follow-up to
Wet Willie's breakthrough benchmark release,
Keep On Smilin', didn't match its predecessor in sales, and began a commercial decline from which they never recovered. But although there's nothing as catchy as the previous album's title track,
Dixie Rock is a worthy successor and another excellent yet underrated entry in the band's catalog. With their picture dominating the back cover, backing singers the Williettes (
Ella Avery and
Donna Hall) receive featured treatment, and their contribution adds substantial gospel flavor to the group's approach.
Avery's duet with frontman
Jimmy Hall on "Mama Don't Raise No Fools" is one of the disc's highlights, and the stripped-down version of Albert Brumly's "He Set Me Free" could have come directly off a traditional spiritual album. But "Leona" (a minor hit single), is pure greasy Southern singalong funk and rock that, along with the title cut, slots into
Willie's established sound. The R&B-drenched "It's Gonna Stop Rainin' Soon," featuring sublime slide work from
Ricky Hirsch and
Jimmy Hall's mournful harp along with the deep Delta blues of "Jailhouse Moan," help make this one of the band's most cohesive works, although it takes a few spins for their charms to be appreciated. Those who enjoy
Wet Willie's gritty Southern soul will find lots to like on this low-key, predominantly hitless gem, which, as of 2002, had been taken out of print after being digitally remastered and reissued in 1999. ~ Hal Horowitz