SUMMERTIME SPIN- THE GEORGIA SATELLITES: OPEN ALL NIGHT(1988)

Summer of ’88  comes and  another one of my favourite spins (on cassette) was “The Georgia Satellites” when they dropped the follow up to the platinum selling self titled debut.

“Open All Night” is a great title for an album and look at that cover as its like the four dudes that make up the band are up all night as well.

Dan Baird as you all know was the driving force on all three of the Satellite major label releases not only singing and playing guitar but was also the main songwriter.

I’m always  surprised as how much pressure it must have been on guys like Baird back in the day to produce hits.

‘Keep Your Hands To Yourself’ was the biggie hit back in ’86 so come ’88 what batch of Georgia Fried Sizzle Rock could Dan come up with?

Out of the albums eleven tracks, Dan wrote eight along with  two cover tune’s, Ringo Starr’s ‘Don’t Pass Me By” and Whole Lotta Shakin Going On.” Lead slide guitarist Rick Richards contributes Hand To Mouth which is a borderline Stones  tune.

Baird though seals the deal on this album with his songs especially as he is a very crafty lyricist.

Open All Night has the band zipping around almost in ZZ Top land whereas second song in  Sheila is the perfect example of Bairds lyrics.

“Living here in this old town
There ain’t a lot to do
And after work I just ride around
Looking out for something new
When I saw you standing in a drugstore
Trying on your diamond ring
Had to run in jump through the front door
Grab your hand and start to sing about”

Plus the fact that Baird has a awesome Southern drawl seals the deal for me.

That’s the thing with these guys is they don’t deviate to much from their sound.

Lot’s of great driving summer rock stuff on here. “Down And Down” is a ball’s out rock track and that’s where the band excels as these guys had musical chops as well. “Mon Cheri” should have been a single. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t but it has that “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” vibe about it.

I read somewhere that Baird said this album was difficult to make and left it at that.

As a fan of the band, sure it falls a little short if your were to compare it to the debut and even the third album, ’89s” In The Land of Salvation and Sin” which considering was the swan song of the Satellites, they went out on a high note.

If you want to rewind back to 1988 and get a fix of some barroom boogie rock, look no further than “Open All Night”.