Missouri based Southern Rock band The Macks Creek Band‘s single “Take It Or Leave It” taken from self-titled album, reissue by RudingEasy Records on January 26, 2024. Stream the track through the YouTube player below:
The Macks Creek Band out of Missouri are a working band still ripping it up decades after this rare private press LP was unleashed. This is primarily a live band, the scorching dual guitar action and propulsive rhythms captured here leave zero doubt they can jam your mind right out of your body at a show. Laid down at Parallax Recording Studios in Willow Springs, Missouri in 1980, the LP contains all original material loaded with riverboats, reefer, catfish, nasty ladies dressed to kill, characters like Diamond Jim and Bertha Bryan… Southern Rock potent enough to up the ante for the Allmans and other Southern Rockers they shared the stage with back in the day. They primarily worked the St. Louis / Southern Illinois area and are a reminder that some regional bands who made their bread and butter killing it live with cover versions of Classic Southern Rock made the smart move to do all original material when it came time to make their own record. Don’t confuse them with the lighter country rock band out of Chicago who use the exact same name, or of course, that other Max Creek out of Connecticut who worked the Grateful Dead angle… this is a deep fried dose of Americana with wide open dual guitar spaces where smokin’ beer soaked roadhouses or lazy day fishin’ holes both can set you free!
Terry Midkiff and Ron Roskowske simply kill it with their guitar moves, every track loaded with screaming leads flying all over the fretboard, confidence and precision. No mindless wanking, their vivid power is focused and deadly, especially when they pull together into classic southern rock twin guitar harmonic interplay. Lead singer Paul Cockrum is the primary writer, his hard edged style blends with simultaneously tight but loose background vocals filled with feeling. Tom Denman shines on keyboards, delicious gushy flow organ action effortlessly integrated into the rhythm section… Steve Hughes on bass and Bob Klaeger on drums. The guitars here dominate but are all the more effective riding the solid but on the move foundation these dudes provide. Proof there was way more talent out there than room on the radio back when the ’70s Southern Rock sound was going global. Macks Creek Band bring it to life on this LP in a way only people who live it for real can. Fate may have kept them out of your ears until now, but it’s time to get down!
Smili’ Again is the other humor move on the LP and it is an intentionally hilarious bonehead Rocker on the timeless topic of running out of weed… or in this case “reefer,” a properly archaic word for it when in these guys hands. Speaking of hands, the singer urgently details the need to get his on some smoke in the first verse and has a joyous “born again Bolivian grin” on his face in verse two after he scores…ranting that “you can smoke your brains out and blow your face out” as the slide guitar mimics that vibe.
Purchase and Stream the album here: https://ridingeasy.ffm.to/mackscreek
Trcklist:
01. Rio 03:36
02. Bertha Bryan 05:54
03. Catfishin 04:22
04. Can’t Make It Alone 02:41
05. On The Missouri 05:13
06. Move To The Country 04:01
07. El Dansante 05:36
08. Smilin’ Again 03:11
09. Take It Or Leave It 06:17
Creadits:
This album is dedicated to Michael Dulany
Paul Cockrum / Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Tom Denman / Vocals, Piano, Organ and Chamberlin
Steve Hughes / Bass guitar
Bob Klaeger / Vocals, Drums, Congas
Terry Midkiff / Vocals, Lead Guitar
Ron Roskowske / Lead and Slide Guitar
