Blackfoot Albums (12)
'Rick Medlocke & Blackfoot'
Release Date 2/25/2003
Tracks 10
Label Wounded Bird
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live'
Release Date 5/4/2000
Tracks 9
Label EMI-Capitol Special Markets
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
While Blackfoot never gained significant success outside of becoming regional favorites throughout the Southeastern United States, their musical connection with Lynyrd Skynyrd gave them a primary push via multi-instrumentalist Rickey Medlocke (guitar/vocals). He was among Skynyrd's primordial members, going so far as to record with them during their first studio sessions -- which can be heard on the highly recommended Skynyrd's First: Complete Muscle Shoals (1998) compilation. After a more or less permanent lineup was established, Medlocke co-founded the all-Native American band, Blackfoot. Live (2000) -- which was initially broadcast on the nationally syndicated King Biscuit Flower Hour radio concert series -- captures the band at the Palladium in Hollywood on August 10, 1983. This was undoubtedly the height of Blackfoot's concurrent upswing, which came hot on the heels of triumphant headlining tours in the U.S. and Europe. They had likewise just issued Siogo (1983), their sixth LP, and as such their set list is reflective of this repertoire, with a healthy sampling from earlier albums Strikes (1979) and Marauder (1981). Highlights include the typical early-'80s corporate rock of "Teenage Idol" from Siogo, as well as the pile-driving "On the Run" from Tomcattin' (1980). Perhaps due to the dearth of suitably self-penned material, they resort to covering Uriah Heep's "Easy Livin'." Among the standout originals are the rabble-rousing seven-plus-minute "Train, Train," "Livin' in the City," and the Skynyrd soundalike "Highway Song." ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After systematically running Blackfoot into the ground during the late '80s, when he succumbed to record company pressures and agreed to water down the group's once potent Southern hard rock, Rickey Medlocke had finally come to his senses and attempted a tentative return to form with 1991's Medicine Man LP. But it all came as too little, too late (especially for ousted original Blackfooters Jakson Spires, Charlie Hargrett, and Greg T. Walker), and with grunge ushering in an entirely new rock & roll order, there was no room on the pop charts for old-school music like this, so Medlocke wisely went into hiding following this latest commercial failure. By the time he finally re-emerged, all of three years later, with the aptly named, conspicuously mellow, and blues-infused After the Reign, Medlocke seemed to finally be at peace with himself -- the artist -- although that gave little consolation to fans who craved a reunion of the classic Blackfoot lineup, since he was once again surrounded by unknown hired henchmen here. It might as well have been a solo album, in other words, and probably should have been labeled that way -- a feeling that's compounded by Medlocke's decision to start things off with a personal stab at the timeless blues standard "Sitting on Top of the World," followed by two more covers later on, Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey" (rendered in unsurprising but effectively wistful fashion) and Bonnie Raitt's "The Road's My Middle Name" (which arguably sounds even tamer than the original). The remaining seven originals didn't exactly bust a nut, either, and even though standout moments like "Nobody Rides for Free," "It's All Over Now," and the title track radiated earthy, earnest, Southern rock vibes, none came anywhere close to recalling the quasi-metallic bombast of Blackfoot's glory years. (Also worth mentioning, although it landed even further away from the tree, was the wistful instrumental acoustic guitar piece "Bandelaro.") In the end, the fact that these numbers were at least superior to those late-'80s fiascoes certainly helped matters, but it doesn't spare After the Reign from feeling like an unofficial afterthought to a career already ten years in the books. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Blackfoot was always the heaviest of the great Southern rock movement, and on Siogo(reputedly either a Native American word for "closeness" or a crude groupie acronym, probably the latter) the boys try to break into the metal market and regain their brief hold on American audiences. Staunch metallists will recognize the touch of producer Al Nalli (from Axe's similarly excellent Nemesis) and a new bit of European muscle from Uriah Heep's Ken Hensley on the keyboards. Although cliched throughout, powerful performances send openers "Send Me an Angel," "Run for Cover," and Drivin' Fool" to lofty hard rock heights. "We're Goin' Down" nips the riff from "Double Vision," while "Goin' in Circles" and the micro-hit "Teenage Idol" thunder like late Rainbow. "Heart's Grown Cold" treats the Nazareth dirge like a lost classic, and virtually transforms it into one as a result (The next and basically last Blackfoot burner, Vertical Smiles, houses another Nazareth standard in "Morning Dew," as well as the lost Peter Cetera nugget "Livin' in the Limelight," but that's another album.). Siogo would be founding guitarist Charlie Hargrett's finale; he was disgruntled at the band's bandwagon-jumping; but the record remains a great blast of hard-working heaviness, which definitely deserves restoration on CD. ~ Whitney Z. Gomes, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Like their Native American ancestors before them, the members of Blackfoot must have known what it felt like to be exiled from their homeland. Only, rather than being forced into an Indian reservation, the world's first all-Native American hard rock band found itself trying to scrape together a good wage across the pond, where U.K. audiences couldn't seem to get enough of its uniquely metallic, Skynyrd-derived Southern rock. Despite experiencing diminishing returns in the good ol' U.S. of A., all three of their studio albums for Atco had been warmly embraced here, leading to nearly two years of incessant touring. Such acclaim eventually led to demands for a live album, which the band duly recorded with the help of the Rolling Stones' mobile studio during a three-month jaunt across the British Isles in 1982. Named Highway Song Live after the band's biggest (and most "Freebird"-like) hit, it was recorded in the spirit of the classic live albums of the '70s, with explosive performances of such Blackfoot favorites as "Road Fever," "Every Man Should Know (Queenie)," "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme," and the title track. Additional highlights include a couple of supercharged blues numbers ("Rollin' and Tumblin'," "Trouble in Mind") and frontman Rick Medlocke's friendly rapport with the audience. Sadly, the album wasn't issued in America until 20 years later -- long after Blackfoot's bright promise had faded into anonymity. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
By the time of 1981's Marauder album, Blackfoot's career had effectively stalled in America, as the band's hard rock sound evolved further and further from the Skynyrd-derived Southern rock sound of their successful 1979 opus, Strikes. Still, while continuing to rely on hard-driving numbers such as "Good Morning" and "Dry County," Marauder also saw Blackfoot attempting a compromise with the dramatic "Diary of a Workingman." Though it showcased the band at their melodic Southern rock best, the track failed to chart in America and Blackfoot decided to concentrate their touring efforts in Britain and Europe, where their popularity continued to skyrocket. As for the album, Shorty Medlocke makes his by-now-expected contribution to the intro of "Rattlesnake Rock 'N' Roller," which goes on to feature some upbeat piano tinkling and a horn section. Likewise, the unexpected breakdown (with Mexican horns and tango guitar rhythms) in the middle of "Too Hard to Handle" makes it one of the band's best hard rockers to date, and "Searchin'" is another Southern rock hit that might have been. Unfortunately, mounting inner-band tensions and record company indifference marked this as the last great Blackfoot album. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Blackfoot's second major-label effort, 1980s Tomcattin', continued pushing the envelope of Southern rock, and despite the absence of an obvious hit, fans of the band's heavier aspirations weren't disappointed. As usual, the album opens at full throttle with "Warped" before finding a mid-paced groove on songs such as "On the Run" and "Dream On." "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" is another stomper, and "Every Man Should Know (Queenie)" is probably the record's all-around highlight, thanks to its clever combination of slide guitar, tough riffs, and a catchy chorus. Save for its interesting harmonica, the ballad "In the Night" feels rather forced, but band leader Rickey Medlocke is especially inspired on the bluesy hobo tale "Spendin' Cabbage." For the finale, the band once again calls upon Medlocke's dad Shorty to introduce the barnstorming, double entendre-laden "Fox Chase." ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After missing the boat with Lynyrd Skynyrd (for whom he played drums early on), guitarist/singer Rick Medlocke formed Blackfoot, arguably the first all-Native American rock group. The band struggled for almost a decade, playing run-of-the-mill Southern rock that they eventually injected with extra volume and attitude before signing with Atco, for whom they recorded their 1979 breakthrough Strikes. Known as a ferocious live unit and probably the heaviest of Southern rock bands (see opener "Road Fever"), Strikes also proved that Blackfoot could write great melodies for the gloomy "Left Turn on a Red Light" and the inspired cover version of Free's "Wishing Well." But the band's biggest hit would come in the form of the seven-minute "Highway Song," a tune that was admittedly very reminiscent of Skynyrd's "Freebird" and that helped drive the album to gold status. Also of note is the harmonica performance of Shorty Medlocke (Rick's dad) on his own blues, "Train Train." ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
