Fly Like An Eagle
Heard It In A Love Song
I Should Have Never Started Lovin' You
Life In A Song
Desert Skies
Never Trust A Stranger
Tell It To The Devil
| Carolina Dreams Fly Like An Eagle | |
by Don Stevens
With five successful albums to their name in just four short years performing together, The Marshall Tucker Band's loyal following of AOR fans continued to grow. The success of familiar classics released since 1973, "Can't You See," "This Ol'Cowboy" "24 Hours At A Time," "Searchin' For A Rainbow," and "Fire On The Mountain" created a national following and sold out concerts across the country. In 1977 the group released its most successful album to date. Carolina Dreams, a platimun award winning album that reached #23 on the Billboard charts and catapulted the Marshall Tucker Band to a new level of national consciousness with the popularity of their biggest hit single, "Heard It In A Love Song."
Toy Caldwell's familiar guitar riff kicks off the album with "Fly Like An Eagle," a riverboat ramblin' song about gambling and escaping the clutches of a woman. Jerry's flute, Toy's guitar solos, and a Doug's strong lead vocals make this a classic Marshall Tucker song. However, it was track two on the album that became the biggest hit, the most popular song ever produced by the band.
The opening flute from Eubanks is recognizable to MTB fans everywhere on "Heard It In A Love Song," which climbed the pop rock charts in the Spring of 1977.
Paul Hornsby, who produced the LP and performs piano on the track, heard the song for the first time only a week before recording sessions began for the album. In an interview for the Capricorn Years CD notes, Hornsby remembers his reaction. "Hearing that song in the dressing room just floored me. It had 'hit record' written all over it," recalled Hornsby. "It had all the right ingredients and we tried to put all the right licks and hooks in the right places." The strategy worked, as Love Song rocketed the band to a #14 slot on the Billboard singles chart. It's a classic tale of a man� unable to make a
commitment because there's "always something greener on the other side of
that hill." The next song on the LP is the classic blues number written by McCorkle, Tommy Caldwell, and Doug Gray, "I Should Have Never Started Lovin' You." Like most of the great MTB songs, this one provides an opportunity for each of the band members to shine. Eubank's baritone sax sets the mood as Doug's vocals darken the scenario of a man whose tide turns in a lost relationship. Jerry's sax solo cries from the heart before giving way to Hornsby's piano. After Toy's guitar weeps through the interlude, "I Should've Never Started Lovin' You" comes to a near-standstill as Doug testifies his sorrow in one of the best seven minutes of Marshall Tucker music ever released by the band.
The last song on the side is the McCorkle/Eubanks tune, "Life In A Song." With a big band flavor that features Eubanks and Caldwell exhanging solos, this song descibes the love of two people, the strength of their understanding, and the love that sets them free.
Side Two begins with "Desert Skies," a cowboy tune featuring Doug's familar lead vocals, Charlie Daniels' fiddle and Toy's steel guitar in a tribute to the individual spirit, living "happy and free" on the western frontier. For Jerry Eubanks' fans, this song provides the perfect backdrop to showcase his talents on the big saxaphone. On the next track, Toy's steel guitar seems to creep cautiously
along the trail with Eubanks' flute close on his heels in "Never Trust A Stranger," an outlaw song about the "long road to freedom." Written by Tommy and sung by Doug, the song uses the full force of the band, and depicts a more complex interpretation of the term outlaw, "a man that takes care of his own." The final song on the album is a testimonial to the MTB spirit, "Tell That To The Devil," a song about respecting our fellow brothers, protecting our children, and helping those in need. With the release of Carolina Dreams, The Mashall Tucker Band produced a commercially appealing album without compromising the spirit and integrity of its musical roots. Using their familiar combination of percussion, brass, acoustic, electric, and steel guitars, this album displays a winning combination that satisfies both new and old fans alike.
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