Blog

Rich Mahan & The Cocktail Heroes, Mount Juliet, TN

- Maverick UK

Rich Mahan BLAME BOBBY BARE Snortin Horse Records 009

Impressive album that ticks all the right boxes for me …

A former and founding member of rock- country band Shurman, Rich Mahan’s solo debut is a pure delight from beginning to end. He tells us in the short liner-notes that his father used to play Bobby Bare records at full volume and that helped to inform the music you’ll hear here. He’s not talking about the country-folk Bare records of the 1960s, but the Silverstein and McDill-penned stuff of the 1970s that produced such great hits as Tequila Sheila and The Winner. He even closes this set with McDill’s Put A Little Lovin’ On Me, a minor success for Bare in 1976, but deserving of a top ten placing. At no time does Mahan ape the Bare style; he doesn’t need to. He’s a damn fine songwriter himself, and his vocal style is totally his very own, ranging from humorous when the song demands it, occasionally deadpan, and quite soulful at others.

There is also a nice variety of musical genres as you will hear with Favorite Shirt being pure southern soul employing r&b styled choruses (courtesy of Bekka Bramlett), swaggering slide guitar, soulful Hammond lines and rhythmic rhythm to die for. Money In The Bank moves more into southern rock, again with JD Simo’s slide to the fore and Randy Leago’s piano pounding away in the background. Overserved In Alabam is the kind of song you might expect to hear on a Dr Hook album, the harmonica-driven The Hills Of South Dakota takes us down the trail of Confederate Railroad and Rehab’s For Quitters, with Robby Turner’s Dobro blending with PT Gazell’s harmonica is pure vintage Bare magic—now that’s quite a collection.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the hilarious Tequila Y Mota, with Turner on pedal steel blending in with Arlan Oscar on accordion and Steve Herman adding Mariachi trumpets on this drunken romp. Overall, this is an impressive solo debut from Rich Mahan that, through the childhood memories of Bobby Bare and his own undoubted talents, could very well be his breakthrough.

Alan Cackett

Flyinshoes review

Nashville singer-songwriter, guitarist Rich Mahan comes through with the intriguingly entitled Blame It On Bobby Bare for his solo debut where he is joined by a set of established musicians. Produced by Brain Harrison (Shelby Lynne) pedal steel ace, Robby Turner (Waylon Jennings etc), Bryan Owings (drums), P.T Gazell (harmonica) and bassist David Phenecie among others support Mahan.

Inspired by his father’s love of Bobby Bare’s 1970s recording output Mahan goes down a similar road to Bare and it works. This was when Bare was recording countless songs from Shel Silverstein and Bob McDill. ‘Put A Little Lovin’ On Me’ by the latter gains inclusion alongside Mahan’s own efforts. But it is the work of Silverstein loaded in entertaining humour that gains the greater foothold in Mahan's songwriting style. As he reels off ‘Mama Found My Bong’, rock’n’roll track ‘Math’ and ‘Tequila Y Mota’ (that contains of echoes of Bare’s hit ‘Tequila Sheila’), and then with full-blown electric guitar opening plus Hammond C3 (Bill Burke) complete with an honest to goodness party feel ‘The Hills Of South Dakota’.

Mahan’s ability to utilise humour in his work and at the same time create a set of finely penned songs earns him numerous repeat listens. As ‘Favourite Shirt’ and then with some striking playing piano and lead guitar ‘Money In The Bank’ coupled with sporty ‘Rehab’s For Quitters’ set the standard. The latter is highlighted by good harmony vocal and effective harmonica from Gazell plus a sing-a-long chorus that adds to the general feel good quality of the record. There are more noteworthy cuts too as JD Simo works up a head of steam on lead guitar on ‘I'll Get Off The Booze’; as a result it pops and fizzes like crazy.

Performed in the style not too far away from West Coast country of the late 1970s the title may be novel, but the music and songs are well past like or leave It fare. For Rich Mahan does have what it takes.

                                                            Maurice Hope   

-Music News Nashville

As a child, Rich Mahan recalls how the free and easy sounds of Bobby Bare helped to serve as a healing stream of sorts to his father when he would get stressed. For his latest album, the California transplant name-checks Bare for the title, but also that quirky and irreverent style that he personified in his recordings.

Stylistically, Mahan shows his blues influence all over the place. There’s a hard driving sound to the opener, “Math,” and Mahan knocks it out of the ballpark with his sense of humor. It is a downright blast to listen to, and Mahan pulls it off with a heavy dose of charms.

He strikes a soulful tone on the Kid Rock-ish “Favorite Shirt,” which has gotten quite a bit of attention as of late, as he also does on “Money In The Bank.”

Mahan proves himself to be a top-notch singer, as evidenced on the cut “Tequila Y Mota,” but it’s his songwriting that I think is the most appealing aspect of this album. Kudos to him for writing “The Hills of South Dakota,” after all, the state doesn’t get a lot of musical airtime, does it? Maybe the best pair of songs on the album are the totally irreverent and politically incorrect “Mama Found My Bong” and “Rehab’s For Quitters.” The above-mentioned cuts showcase Mahan’s genius as a tunesmith.

Ironically, the song that might have the best chance for airplay is one from the Bare catalog, a late 70s gem titled “Put A Little Lovin’ On Me.” I could see this being really big in the Americana  / Texas market. I can’t wait to hear more from Mahan. He’s got the vocal chops, the writing, and the humor to pull them off. Take a listen to this, you’re going to love it!

By Chuck Dauphin