Following the moderate success of
Still Holdin' On, original
Marshall Tucker Band members
Doug Gray and
Jerry Eubanks broke ties with the Nashville studio musicians they had used for a little over a year, and came back home to Spartanburg to hire a fresh new set of musicians who had grown up in the shadow of
the Marshall Tucker Band, making the entire band, except for keyboardist
Don Cameron, hometown boys. Perhaps familiarity breeds creativity, because
Southern Spirit is filled with the good old-fashioned Southern energy and down-home sound that
the Tuckers cut their teeth on. All 12 songs were written by the band, including the country and adult contemporary charting "Stay in the Country," penned by bassist
Tim Lawter. Other outstanding tracks include
Rusty Milner's "Destruction," a heavy electric blues offering, and the harmonizing gospel number that closes the set, "Closer Today," written by Gray. A fine set of musicians coupled with some very pleasing songs make
Southern Spirit a very listenable
Marshall Tucker Band record.