Jerry Reed - Rides Again (1977/2019) [Hi-Res]

AllMusic Review by Greg Adams
When Jerry Reed cut the 1977 album Jerry Reed Rides Again, he could have had no idea that after three years of minor hits, he would soon be riding high with "East Bound and Down," his contribution to the Smokey & the Bandit soundtrack. That commercial triumph was still months away when the two singles from Jerry Reed Rides Again met their comparatively lesser fates: the slick "Semolita" barely cracked the Top 20 and the novelty "With His Pants in His Hands" stalled well below the Top 40. The album is a typically fine effort, though, with superior material tucked away between the so-so hits. "(I'm Just A) Redneck in a Rock and Roll Bar" later became the flip side of "East Bound and Down," and the boastful "The Phantom of the Opry" is a more clever novelty than "With His Pants in His Hands." "The Bully of the Town" is one of Reed's trademark reinterpretations of classic material and another of many highlights on this strong album.