WET WILLIE : KEEP ON SMILIN' / DIXIE ROCK

    Keep On Smilin'
  1. Country Side Of Life
  2. Keep On Smilin'
  3. Trust In The Lord
  4. Soul Sister
  5. Alabama
  6. Lucy Was In Trouble
  7. Soul Jones
  8. Don't Wait Too Long
  9. Spanish Moss
  10. In Our Hearts
    Dixie Rock
  11. She's My Lady
  12. Ain't He A Mess
  13. Dixie Rock
  14. Poor Judge Of Character
  15. Mama Didn't Raise No Fools
  16. It's Gonna Stop Rainin' Soon
  17. Jailhouse Moan
  18. He Set Me Free
  19. Leona
  20. Take It To The Music

Label : BGO Records

Release Date : 1974 (Keep On Smilin') / 1975 (Dixie Rock) / 2009 (remaster)

Length : 76:57

Review (Allmusic) for Keep On Smilin' : Keep on Smilin' is the definitive Wet Willie studio album, bluesier than a lot of their other work, and much of it also somewhat more laid-back. Beginning with "Country Side of Life," the band sounds tight, tuned, and in top form. Their playing is clean and crisp, and the vocals exude a bold confidence. The hit title track is a compelling reggae-country meld that's one of the more interesting and long-wearing country-rock hits of its period. It's surrounded by gospel-flavored material and also one of the neater Stax-influenced tracks ever put down by a white band, "Soul Sister," which is also a great showcase for the Williettes. Other highlights include the acoustic country ballad "Alabama," a major change of pace for this band with some clever lyrical conceits; the ultra-funky "Soul Jones" (which manages to work in a quote from the Allman Brothers), and the soulful rocker "Lucy Was in Trouble," which became a key part of the group's concert sets. The only drawback is that the group didn't quite have enough material to cover a whole album here, and also they're a little too loose compared with their live performances, as on Drippin' Wet. The 1998 Capricorn remastering has an especially full sound, improving significantly on the original LP.

Review (Allmusic) for Dixie Rock : The follow-up to Wet Willie's breakthrough benchmark release, Keep On Smilin', didn't match its predecessor in sales, and began a commercial decline from which they never recovered. But although there's nothing as catchy as the previous album's title track, Dixie Rock is a worthy successor and another excellent yet underrated entry in the band's catalog. With their picture dominating the back cover, backing singers the Williettes (Ella Avery and Donna Hall) receive featured treatment, and their contribution adds substantial gospel flavor to the group's approach. Avery's duet with frontman Jimmy Hall on "Mama Don't Raise No Fools" is one of the disc's highlights, and the stripped-down version of Albert Brumly's "He Set Me Free" could have come directly off a traditional spiritual album. But "Leona" (a minor hit single), is pure greasy Southern singalong funk and rock that, along with the title cut, slots into Willie's established sound. The R&B-drenched "It's Gonna Stop Rainin' Soon," featuring sublime slide work from Ricky Hirsch and Jimmy Hall's mournful harp along with the deep Delta blues of "Jailhouse Moan," help make this one of the band's most cohesive works, although it takes a few spins for their charms to be appreciated. Those who enjoy Wet Willie's gritty Southern soul will find lots to like on this low-key, predominantly hitless gem, which, as of 2002, had been taken out of print after being digitally remastered and reissued in 1999.