THE CD:“Flying Under the Radar”
PERFORMER: The Kentucky Headhunters
LABEL: CBuJ
YOU’LL LIKE IT IF YOU LIKE: A dash of blues in yer Southern-fried rock.
CHOICE CUTS: Country Life; Back to the Sun; Go To Heaven; Ashes of Love; Rock On

After 36 years and over 6 million records sold, it’s hard to imagine that The Kentucky Headhunters would be flying under any radar. But that’s how it is with this recently released 15-song CD, comprised largely of their last three releases: 2005’s “Big Boss Man”; “Soul” (2003); and 2000’s “Songs From The Grass String Ranch,” the last two now out of print.

So the CD serves as a good introduction for potential Headhunter fans …fans of a more rockin’ blues and country format. “Louisiana CoCo” opens the CD with classic ZZ Top-sounding southern rock. “Country Life” is a feel-good, slow-life livin’ anthem. “Back to the Sun” is a rockin’ piano-ballad with some vengeance thrown in for good measure.

“Go To Heaven” is an uptempo, gospel-flavored tune, and it’s funny because it’s exactly the opposite of what n2 tells people all the time. The blaring guitar intro and pounding drums on “Big Boss Man” remind me of what it was like when that CD quickly became n2’s “drinkin’ CD” last year, with their version of “Like A Rolling Stone” setting things off.

The Headhunters (Richard & Fred Young, Anthony Kenney, Greg Martin, and Doug Phelps) redo versions of “Chug A Lug” (in Dance format with female chorus) and “Midnight Special,” a rockin’ version of the Leadbelly song, and honestly as cool as the CCR version.

If you’re ready to go out and buy the CD, wait — there’s more! The band will play the Rig St. Festival in Petersburg (WV) this Fourth of July. The band will then hit the Putnam County Fair in Eleanor 7.8, and bring it to the Boone Co. Fair in Danville August 4. Now, go out and buy the thing…

– nick2

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