Dixie Dregs - Dregs Of The Earth (Reissue) (1980)

Formed in Augusta, Georgia, USA in 1970 (until 1972 as "Dixie Grit" and since 1981 as "The Dregs") - As of 2017 keeps reuniting briefly for short tours

Formed and headed by composer/guitarist extraordinaire Steve Morse (KANSAS, DEEP PURPLE) in 1975, the DIXIE DREGS are a bunch of extremely talented musicians whose intricate style has a definite MAHAVISHNU flavour plus an off-beat, weird sense of humour. A perfect mix of power and finesse American style, they blend Southern boogie with lots of prog goodies thrown in such as funk-driven licks, fun country-style pickin' fusion, baroque acoustic classical bits, rockabilly metal, bluegrass and jazz - think of them as a more complex, instrumental version of KANSAS. They split up in 1982 but made a successful reunion again in 1992, gracing us with a total of seven studio albums, four live cd's and one standard 'greatest hits' type package ("Divided We Stand", '89).

"Free Fall" ('77) and "What If" ('78) are definite favourites although the more jazzy "Dregs of the Earth" ('80), "Unsung Heroes" ('82) and "Full Circle" are certainly worth checking out. "Industry Standard" ('82) isn't exactly bad but it does show the band taking on a slightly more commercial direction. The album "Bring 'Em Back Alive" ('92), recorded over two nights at Atlanta's Center Stage, is a must-have for all DREGS fans.

If you like hot, jaw-dropping fusion, you can't go wrong with these guys, especially with such albums as "Free Fall", "What If" and "Bring 'Em Back Alive". All are very highly recommended.