Grinderswitch
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1973-80) - Rick Burnett -- drums, percussion - Larry Howard -- lead guitar - Dru Lombar (RIP 2005) -- vocals, rhythm guitar, slide guitar - Joe Dan Perry (RIP 2000)-- bass
supporting musicians: (1975) - Paul Hornsby -- keyboards
line up 2 (1980) - Rick Burnett -- drums, percussion - Dru Lombar (RIP 2005) -- vocals, rhythm guitar, slide guitar - Joe Dan Perry (RIP 200) -- bass
line up 3 (2004-2005) - Jack Cocaran -- lead guitar (replaced Larry Howard) - Wally Condon -- drums (replaced Rick Burnett) - Drum Lombar (RIP 2005) -- vocals, rhythm guitar - Eddie Stone -- keyboards - Steve Miller -- bass (replaced Joe Dan Perry)
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- Larry Howard (solo efforts) - Dr. Hector and the Groove Injectors (Dru Lomar)
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Macon Tracks Company: Capricorn Catalog: CP
0150 Country/State: Warner Robbins, Georgia Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 397 Price: $20.00
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Sad to say, but given the number of mid-'70s Southern rock outfits hitting the airwaves, there were bound to be some talented outfits that simply couldn't squeeze their way into the public's consciousness. A perfect example - Grinderswitch.
Formed in 1973, Grinderswitch (I'm guessing the oddball name didn't exactly help their marketing efforts), featured the talents of drummer Rick Burnett, lead guitarist Larry Howard, singer/rhythm guitarist Dru Lombar, and bassist (and former Allman Brothers guitar tech) Joe Dan Perry.
Having signed with Phil Waldon's Capricorn label, their sophomore release "Macon Tracks" teamed them with producer Paul Hornsby. Musically these nine, largely group penned originals tunes were prime Southern rock, though, like a lot of people, I've always had a hard time figuring out where they fit in the Southern rock spectrum. Showcasing Lombar's slinky voice and nice slide guitar moves, tracks like 'Happy Like Me' and the instrumental 'Pickin' the Blues' reflected a distinctive Allman Brothers feel. At the other end of the spectrum tracks like 'Put It All In Today' and 'The Best I Can 'showed the band were capable of more commercial moves - giving the set kind of a 38 Special vibe. Ironically, the lack of a unique sound made these guys both pedestrian and interesting at the same time. On one hand, why waste your time with a band that couldn't bring anything particularly original to the table. Still, they were quite talented and if you enjoy the Southern rock genre and like playing spot-the-influence, this set was a load of fun.
"Macon
Tracks" track listing: 1.) Mail Train Blues (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 3:55 One of their best known tunes, I'll readily admit 'Mail Train Blues' never really clicked with me. It was a prime slice of mid-'70s rock with a standard wild west lyric and a tasty Larry Howard guitar solo, but the whole package just sounded perfunctory to me. Charlie Daniels provided the fiddle. rating: *** stars 2.) Put It All In Today (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 4:09 The rollicking 'Put It All In Today' was one of the album's highlights, but was worth a couple of spins if for no other reason than getting to hear Lombar's wonderful slide guitar. I still can't figure out how this one didn't make them major radio stars. rating: **** stars 3.) Now I'm Lovin' You (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 4:04 Other than some tasty slide guitar, the ballad 'Now I'm Lovin' You' didn't have a lot going for it. rating: ** stars 4.) Happy Like Me (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 3:25 Every time I hear the twin lead guitar slide moves that open 'Happy Like Me' I think of The Allman Brothers. And since I'm a big Allman Brothers fan, that's a good thing. One of the album highlights - released as a single this one should have generated massive FM attention for the band. rating: **** stars 5.) The Best I Can (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 2:53 One of the album's most overtly commercial tunes, 'The Best I Can' saw the band abandoning some of their rock and blues moves for a wonderful top-40 mid-tempo number. Howard turned in one of his best ever solos. Should have been a massive hit for the band. rating: **** stars
(side
2) I always like albums that let you play spot-the-influence and in this case 'Let the South Wind Blow' has always reminded me of Marshall Tucker Band. Sporting one of the album's prettiest melodies the song also had a melodic lead guitar (which really echoed MTB) and some tasty keyboards courtesy of producer Hornsby. rating: **** stars 2.) Drifter (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 4:13 'Drifter' was a pretty, atmospheric ballad with some nice Spanish-tinged acoustic guitar from Howard. rating: *** stars 3.) Get It While It's Hot (Dru Lombar - Joe Dan Petty - Rick Burnett - Larry Howard) - 3:30 'Get It While It's Hot' found the band trotting out their blues roots - imagine Little Feat on a cookin' night. Great dance tune. rating: *** stars 4.) Pickin' the Blues (instrumental) (Lloyd Copas) - 5:01 The album's lone cover, 'Pickin' the Blues' was another Allman Brothers styled effort - in this case a bluesy instrumental jam number that gave each members including producer/keyboardist Hornsby a chance to showcase their wares. rating: *** stars
As mentioned, the album spun off a single:
- 1975's 'Happy Like Me' b/w 'Mail Train Blues' (Capricorn catalog number PRO 0599)
Maybe not their standout album, but a worthy addition to the catalog and well worth seeking out.
Talk about a band with a high mortality rate. Having just reactivated the Grinderswitch nameplate, Lombar suffered a massive heart attack in July 2005; went into a coma and died in September of that year. Bassist Perry died in an January 2000 plane crash.
The band has a web presence at: http://www.grinderswitch.com/index.php?action=content&op=view+content&val=2
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