(46) Outlaws - Lady In Waiting (1976)

"Lady In Waiting" is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976.

It's not easy following up a creatively and commercially successful debut album, but Florida-based Southern rockers the Outlaws did just fine with their sophomore effort, 1976's "Lady in Waiting", the follow-up to their 1975 self-titled, gold-selling release. Although "Lady in Waiting" doesn't have all-time knockouts like "There Goes Another Love Song" or "Green Grass & High Tides," it does include a handful of Outlaws classics, including the minor hit "Breaker-Breaker" and "Stick Around for Rock & Roll." Vocalists/guitarists Hughie Thomasson, Henry Paul, and Billy Jones; bass guitarist Frank O'Keefe and drummer Monte Yoho collaborated once more with producer Paul A. Rothchild to create a textured album that managed to fuse intricate guitar arrangements and frame them within Thomasson's rock & roll, Paul's pure country, and Jones' intensely personal songwriting styles. And don't forget the splendid three-part vocal harmonies either. "Breaker-Breaker" is bright, easygoing country-rock; lyrically, it piggybacked on the mid-'70s CB radio craze. The tempo changes and distinctly different guitar tones on "South Carolina" add extra dimensions to what would otherwise be straightforward, up-tempo country. Jones' "Ain't So Bad" is mid-tempo pop/rock with ironic lyrics about life and death, especially since he committed suicide two decades later in 1995 around the time of O'Keefe's death. The tough country-rock, rockabilly-flavored number "Freeborn Man" was, unbelievably, co-written by Paul Revere and the Raiders vocalist Mark Lindsey and guitarist Keith Allison; the guitar solos provide the punch, but O'Keefe's walking bassline adds a nice, loping rhythm. Paul's country-inflected "Girl From Ohio" is rife with gorgeous harmonies. "Prisoner" is a sensitive Jones song with occasional jazz-pop tendencies. The hard-rocking "Stick Around for Rock & Roll" is a rowdy guitar jam.

Track listing

01.  Breaker-Breaker  (Thomasson)  - 2:59

02.  South Carolina  (Paul)  - 3:05

03.  Ain't So Bad  (Jones)  - 3:48

04.  Freeborn Man  (Allison, Lindsay)  - 4:51

05.  Girl from Ohio  (Paul)  - 5:02

06.  Lover Boy  (Thomasson)  - 3:58

07.  Just for You  (Thomasson)  - 3:17

08.  Prisoner  (Jones)  - 3:58

09.  Stick Around for Rock and Roll  (Thomasson)  - 6:35

Released:  1976

Recorded at:  Criteria Recording Studios,Miami, Florida

Genre:  Southern Rock, Country Rock

Length:  40:51

Label:  Arista

Producer:  Paul Rothchild

Personnel

Billy Jones - guitar, vocals

Joe Lala - percussion

Frank O'Keefe - bass

Henry Paul - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals

Hughie Thomasson - guitar, vocals

Monte Yoho - drums