Atlanta-based quartet Georgia Satellites were never better than on this full-length debut from 1986 – playing no-frills rock’n’roll that was a hip-shakin’ collision of principal songwriter Dan Baird’s fixation with Creedence Clearwater Revival and lead guitarist Rick Richards’s unusual (for a man born so far west) love of Status Quo.
Produced for Elektra Records by fan Jeff Glixman (better known for his work on pomp-tastic Kansas records, though listening to this you’d never guess), it was defined by two songs: Baird’s Keep Your Hands To Yourself (a No.2 Billboard hit single) and the sublime Battleship Chains (never really a Satellites song at all, but written by friend Terry Anderson for another band and included reluctantly).
While pivoting on the strength of those headliners (Chains appears twice again among seven single-only bonus cuts), this re-release also reminds us that it’s more than a two-hit wonder. Richards’ slide guitar is irresistible on their cover of Rod Stewart/Ronnie Wood’s Every Picture Tells A Story and his own Can’t Stand The Pain, while Baird’s songwriting is mature throughout and never stronger than on The Myth Of Love and Nights Of Mystery. Born in an era of hair metal, this was admired by rockers of all stripes and still sounds timeless today.
