The Marshall Tucker Band An Underrated Band

 "Can't You See"

"Take The Highway"

When it comes to Southern Rock there are many underrated bands, but these guys, The Marshall Tucker Band, I feel  should be up there with Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers band on the top tier of Souther Rock bands. Most people who know of this band at all know them for their one hit,"Can't You See", but these guys have so many more songs than that. When you look into their catalog and listen to songs like "Take The Highway"and "This Ol' Cowboy" you will learn that their actual lead singer was Doug Gray, not Toy Caldwell. Caldwell's main role was as lead guitarist. They played a nice combination of Country, Blues, and Jazz and of course Rock.  Unlike  most bands that consist of only vocals, guitar, bass drums, and piano/keyboards, these guys threw flute and sax into the mix with Jerry Eubanks. His flute playing along with his occasional sax work added a distinct jazz feel. To my surprise when I discovered them I actually thought these instruments were a nice addition and didn't hurt them like other band's sound. Toy Caldwell also had an interesting method of playing guitar. Instead of using a pick he would pluck the strings using his thumb, and instead of a tremolo bar he would bend the string behind the bridge in order to acieve that whammy bar effect, something that you don't see too often in electric guitar players  (with the exception of Jeff Beck!),  From 1975-1981, like most southern rock bands they were successful and had a great career, but sadly when 80's disco, pop, rock, and techno grew in popularity they became a cult band at best.  It is unfortunate because not only were they all talented musicians, but they really were a band with a unique sound even for their time. While they still have one song that has stood the test of time they have so much more to offer if you look into their extensive catalog.  "Carolina Dreams","Searchin' For A Rainbow" and "Where We All Belong"as well as their self titled album are all great, and worth checking out, I highly recommend checking them out.