Search - Atlanta Rhythm Section :: Partly Plugged

A great retro album by one of the best Southern Rock bands.

03/21/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For everyone like me that missed the smooth instrumentals and edgy vocals that characterized the Atlanta Rhythm Section at their peak, this album will bring back lots of great memories!! Lead vocalist Ronnie Hammond reunites with three other members of the band he made famous and performs four brand new tracks with the vintage ARS sound. The remaining six tracks are unplugged versions of ARS classics that present an unusually introspective sound as Hammond interprets these hits in light of twenty years of life after their chart success. A lot has happened since 1980 but this album is a very good one that will take you back to the great years of southern rock sound. BUY IT!!"

Partly Plugged, Totally A Winner!!!

David Spuria | Spencer, MA United States | 07/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I actually own this CD under the title "Original Artist Hit List". The song list is the same. I wasn't expecting much from these rock dinosaurs, but one listen to this collection will impress even the most skeptical ARS fan.



The new songs are (unlike many collections like this) are not a waste of time. "She Knows All My Tricks" is a great country rocker that opnes this disc in a hurry. "Imaginary Lover" may be one of the oddest and saddest rock lyrics ever composed. Nobody real shows up, so the writer invents an imaginary lover to fantasize about anytime-partly about the let down of the unshared feelings of the other lover in the scenario. This stripped down acoustic take on "Lover" only adds to the sorrow and drama of this already emotion packed song. One of the most heart felt guitar solos in rock history (in my opinion). "So Into You" is probably the hallmark ARS song and is given great treatment in this organic mix. Ronnie Hammond sounds as he's had a time travel experience with very little variance from his 1976 delivery. "Angel" is another new song that captures that ARS emotion with fresh appeal. The guitars and keyboards collide with a jam like quality. "Do It Or Die" is probably my favorite re-do on "Plugged" with Hammond's pre 9-11 optimism backed by a bevvy of smooth playing, and careful production. "Child of The Video Age" is an ode to kids stuck in their rooms hooked on every form of video entertainment. A fun, hook laden song with tons of truth in it. "Voodoo" is a down and dirty number with honky tonk guitars and lyrics about a broken relationship. This song would make either a great southern rock, or country tune. Here it does both! "Alien" is my favorite ARS song, as it combines every great characteristic of ARS. The acoustic take does little to sterilize that "feeling like we don't belong" refrain that carries an almost spiritual quality about "being far from home". Check out that crystal clear solo at the end. "I Don't Want To Grow Old Alone" is a real kicker of a lament. A slow poke of a song, designed to be a real tear jerker-and it is. Goosebumps, teardrops and kleenex. The CD comes to a close with the always applicable "Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight", more appropriate than ever in a post 9-11 world. This version does justice to the original and has more feeling.



The rats keep winning the rat race...ARS wins the we can still rock acoustic race, with style, clarity and originality. Great production by Buddy Buie (from the old days) and veteran Rodney Mills. If you find this disc in a bargain bin somewhere, buy it. In fact, buy 2 or 3 and give 'em away to your buddies. A+!"

This is My Favorite New Acoustic Album!

Lovely to See You | Out There Somewhere | 09/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You know what's really funny? I've been purchasing a lot of bad cds at prices they're not worthy of, then last night I walked into one of those dollar stores and found the only copy of Partially Plugged for a dollar on a whim. I have to laugh, because it's the best buck I've spent on almost any cd I've purchased this year. The true crime? That's all I paid for it!



I know I snagged the Bon Jovi unplugged album last time I posted a review, but it stinks, and if you can't come to terms with it, too bad. THIS is a great album, and I can't believe I'm only the third person to review it. Atlanta Rhythm Section has always been one of those groups that never quite got their due as a great southern rock band. I will be quite honest right now and say that I never realized until recently how much I really like them, and that's even more than classic Skynyrd or Marshall Tucker. Skynyrd is great, but sometimes they're too bluesy and raunchy. Tucker dabbles a bit with jazz, but they're also too country. Now you take ARS, combine the best of both those bands, throw in some pop structures, and you have the perfect fit. The best thing about ARS is that their music can easily transfer to acoustic should a power outage happen, and that is a definite strength of their unique brand of talent. Proof positive is right here on this 25th anniversary collection. All ten tracks are winners, including the four new ones that open it all up.



The best of the new songs is a sweet, sad ballad called "I Don't Want to Grow Old Alone." In less than three minutes, you may be crying your eyes out, especially if you happen to be in that situation. These guys have never forgotten how to get to their fans in just the right way, and this song is some new cream to their impressive crop.



Here, they also redo 6 of their old songs, some probably forgotten by the casual listener from days gone by. I am thrilled that they included two of my personal favorites on here, "Alien" and "Do it or Die," neither of which sounds too different from the original recordings, which shows how well their material translates between acoustic and electric. Both of these songs have always and continue to mean a lot to me. Also, hats off to their ability to take one of their most rocking songs, "Angel," and avoid electric guitars altogether on it! That has always been a powerful epic track in their catalogue.



Everything on Partially Plugged is 100% pleasing, and Ronnie Hammond's voice is still as youthful as it was all those years ago. I am very proud to own this disc, as it shows how well ARS has stood up as a reckoning force over the years. One of the few southern bands a yankee like me can honestly be proud to be a fan of because of their seamless ability to take their indigenous sound and, simply by adding some jazz structures and pop sensibilities, represent the often stereotyped south as more sophisticated and intelligent than people often think. Get this album because it's just that good, and you're going to play it over and over again. I know I will."