★★★★★
If these guys actually sounded as if their studio were located (as it is) in a Georgia industrial park--fluorescent light through the pines and so forth--the general improvement in clarity and inventiveness might be interesting. But it's industrial only in the most predictable sense--more product. Even Charlie Daniels obviously has something to sing about; the vocalist here--why should I bother to look up his name?--might just as well be cuttin' another dog-food spot.
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-10
★★★★★
It's said that if you play "Imaginary Lover" at about 38 rpm, the Atlanta Rhythm Section sounds just like Fleetwood Mac, which really isn't too surprising since both bands spin their mellow-rock concoctions around a thickly accented snare beat. But that's only half the story. If you listen to Champagne Jam without paying too much attention, it sounds just like any other ARS album.Which explains both the strengths and weaknesses of the group...
- www.rollingstone.com
2009-06-08
★★★★★
You can tell these guys are from Atlanta--it says so right in the name. So why do they sound like lazy Eagles? Why have they concocted a title that is the rock and roll equivalent of "cocktail jazz"? And when are they going to change their name officially to ARS, as in AWB?
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-02-27
★★★★★
A rather ordinary-sounding white Southern boogie band, except that this one has its roots in pop--they began as the Candymen, the greatest cover band in history. Only they actually began as Roy Orbison's backup band. As you might imagine, they're tighter and slicker than your ordinary boogie band, which all things considered is a small boon. I hope somebody on Capricorn covers "Wrong." And I hope they find something as good as, oh, "Good Vibrations" to cover themselves.
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-02-27
★★★★★
Ever wondered what it would have been like to be front row at a Led Zeppelin concert in 1973 or close enough to reach out and touch Mick during the Rolling Stones 1975 Tour of the Americas? Maybe you weren't quite old enough to see Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1977 or perhaps that 1978 Kiss show was sold out, leaving you left out in the cold.
Well, guess what...
- www.popmatters.com
2008-11-11
★★★★★
Once part of Roy Orbison's backing band and contributors to Georgia's thriving studio scene, the members of the Atlanta Rhythm Section married their polished chops to the rough-and-tumble blues and Southern-fried rock of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. And while the Allmans themselves espoused a jazz-tinged style, the Atlanta Rhythm Section took their boogie swing to almost MOR levels. Their slick style finally turned to gold with the 1976 hit "So Into You...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
The group's only release for Columbia is a superb piece of southern rock, timeless in its lyrical sensibilities, which are all voiced in a smoothly raspy manner by lead singer Ronnie Hammond (backed by his own overdubs and Buddy Buie). Barry Bailey's and J.R. Cobb's guitars grind and crunch along and Paul Goddard and Roy Yeager's bass and drums provide a rock-hard foundation to this celebration of southern man(and woman)hood...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
For their third album, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, newly signed to Polydor after a couple of releases for Decca, put their best foot forward with some good-time southern-flavored rock 'n' roll for the album's opener, "Doraville", a catchy tribute to their hometown. They also weave a subtler spell with "Jesus Hearted People", which presents their love of southern culture in more general terms...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
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