Barefoot Jerry (1976) You Can't Say It All - LOST 70s GEMS

 The Keys to the Country (1976) album by Barefoot Jerry is one of their strongest from my perspective, look at the array of material and tell me I'm wrong! Uncle Pen has a cool, duelling pedal steel part- the steel being the band's finest weapon along with their spongy, high pitched lead guitar and baritone singers. They were one of the freshest country rock bands around, it's a shame they never got their due but I am glad that they persevered despite a lack of commercial success and produced seven albums over the course of the seventies. These collections are great undiscovered gems for country Rock Aficionados like me and it is a better appreciation than say the hipster love of an underground act who only released one EP and were 'ahead of their time'. 

 There is a good cover of Georgia on my Mind which suits the band's old school soul spirit, but check out that phenomenal Pedal Steel opening, so graceful and so sad sounding with it's lumbering sliding figure, going through the motions in harmonised, pinging slides like widescreen curtains of sound; with some lines resembling sonic meows. Woes of the Road is catchy 70s Rock with a disco beat and their incandescent vocals, while Summit Ridge Drive has the most incredible riff with a squealing harmonica and pedal steel playing the same high octave jazz riff. Battle of New Orleans is a strong tune that pulls off hoedown vibes and pulverising lead guitar tones that manages to add hard rock to a energetic country pop melody. Wilma Lou is a supremely catchy number full of hoedown rhythms, hard rock guitars and animated twangy southern vocals. Tonite's the Nite I Do is excellent for it's dual pedal steel solo which sounds like the Allman Brothers reincarnated with it's delicious, seagull squark and that pitchy, clean notes ringing out so smoothly in unison like a mix of guitar and organ.

My gem pick is You Can't Say It All solely because of that cosmic baritone vocal, with powerful vibrato and a slight treated quality to it; maybe it's slightly phased but it has a crisp, clean feel to it as well as smooth and full bodied as the Pedal Steel.