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Dallas Moore Band – Hank to Thank
By ville on	 September 1, 2015 Album Reviews
Southern rock may have emerged out of the steaming heat of the south but is alive and well in the heartland across the flat plains of Indiana. Dallas Moore plays a brand of outlaw country rock and roll that David Allan Coe plays, as does Hank Jr., but so do many of the great southern rock bands. The two forms of music have merged into a new form of music that holds true to the roots of country but rocks it up southern rock style when they shift gears. Hank Jr is the progenitor of this style with his roots deep in country but living his life in the changing reality of existence.
Dallas Moore Band could be called a country band, but it would miss the point, they can play straight country or they can walk down the path of a southern rock band. Hank to Thank dips more in the classic outlaw country style with the singing and song choices but you can hear strains of progenitors of southern rock. The song Hank to Thankis pure country. However the next track Rollin' on is a little bit of country and little bit of rock, a jumbo stew of music called outlaw country by some, southern rock by others and the new XXX, to country for rock to rock for country is a perfect description. Great Big Woman is a foot stomper no matter what you call it, your feet start moving and your body starts shaking and you do not care what the music is called because it makes you feel good.
Live albums are notoriously hard to get a combination of good recording and excellent performance. Well Dallas and the band were in fine form on that night, obviously in high spirits and they simply rock the joint. Reelin'em In is a fine combination of country and rock and roll, Elvin Bishop Band comes to mind with the country-ish style dominating the song. Dallas Moore Band has what it takes to make music that grabs the listener and pulls them out onto the dance floor. Come on you wanna dance, its Saturday night and the bars' full, the good times are flowing and the bands nailing it song after song.
In 1975 Hank Jr put out his And Friends album with some of the top names from Southern Rock playing with him, if you go back and listen to that LP you can hear the roots of what Dallas Moore is now playing. It is so interesting to hear artist like the DMB who have been playing the honky tonks around their area for years and learning with every performance. I bet DM has never even heard that lp yet its roots are drawn directly from that well of playing it my way attitude. Hank Sr did it, Willie did it, Waylon, Sir Douglas, Tompall Glaser, David Allan Coe and of course Hank Jr and many others but today this outlaw country do it my way is moving into the foreground of the music scene.
My hat is off to Dallas Moore Band for putting out a true roots country record that draws much of its influence from southern rock and the story goes on. Here it is; another excellent lp from Dallas Moore Band and Sol Records.
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