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When it comes to modern-day country duos, Florida-raised brothers, David and Howard Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers) are the only ones to match Brooks & Dunn. The latter may have enjoyed more country success but nowhere near the phenomenal world-wide sales of the former, who this year celebrate the 40th anniversary of their first single, “Let Your Love Flow” (Curb / Warner Bros) have remarkably remained together as an act and continue to put out music worthy of a listen.
Sure, it is a while since they figured in the charts, but the boys have kept up with events, the changing face of music and continue to write songs concerning current affairs, the effect we are having on the planet, people’s flaws and a whole lot more beside. David and Howard still have the finger on the pulse, and the second disc of the set underlines this; a fine complement to the first disc of re-recordings of the boys' 1970, 1980s and 1990s classics in “If You Said You Have A Beautiful Body”, “Redneck Girl”, “Old Hippie” and “Dancing Cowboys” to go with the more diverse “Country Rap” and “Get Into Reggae Cowboy” and wonderful, warm, easy on your ear “You Ain’t Just Whistlin’ Dixie”.
Among their batch of new songs, opening cut “Dinosaur Wine” and “Dyin’ Breed” set the tempo, and with the hooky calypso-ish southern climes warmed “Livin’ In Oblivion” and harmonica, Dobro plied “Hippie Cowboys” the thread remains in tact. On underlining their independence “We Don’t Call 911” has some controversy to it, but after all they are just two good ol’ southern boys, and with the likes of summer night country flavoured fare “Texas Girls” that contains a little swing to it, and there are others, tongue in cheek “Boobs” among them. Most all are a credit to a catalogue still growing in size.
Maurice Hope