Released March 1983 Length 41:22 Release date March 1983 Genres Southern rock, Hard rock | Recorded 1983 Artist Molly Hatchet Label Epic/Sony Records | |
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Studio Bee Jay Recording Studios, Orlando, Florida
Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, California No Guts...No Glory
(1983) The Deed Is Done
(1984) Producers Tom Werman, Dave Hlubek, Duane Roland Similar Take No Prisoners, The Deed Is Done, Beatin' the Odds, Lightning Strikes Twice, Silent Reign of Heroes | ||
No Guts...No Glory is the fifth studio album by American southern rock band Molly Hatchet, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). Original vocalist Danny Joe Brown returned for this recording, with a new rhythm section composed of bassist Riff West (ex-White Witch) and drummer Barry Borden (ex-Mother's Finest). It is Molly Hatchet's only album not to feature an epic, fantasy themed cover. The cover photo for the album was reportedly shot at Six Gun Territory, a now defunct theme park in Ocala, Florida.
Contents
The album contains the popular song, "Fall of the Peacemakers", which includes overt references to John Lennon. During the tour to support the album, guitarist Steve Holland left the band to be replaced by keyboard player John Galvin.
"What's It Gonna Take", written by Gary O'Connor, was also recorded by the band Fast Forward and appears on their 1984 album Living in Fiction.
Reception
AllMusic reviewer Michael B. Smith praised Molly Hatchet for the "return to the powerful sound that was so prevalent on its debut effort" and compared it to "the best Lynyrd Skynyrd record" and to a "hard rock vein reminiscent of Mountain or early Grand Funk Railroad". He gave credits for the increased power to "the addition of former Mother's Finest drummer Barry Borden into the lineup" and to the presence of "former Grinderswitch axeman Dru Lumbar". Mark Mehler of The Record summarized the album as "mainly a routine blend of hard-core southern rock ("Sweet Dixie", "Ain't Even Close") and mainstream pop/rock ("What Does it Matter?", "Kinda Like Love"). ... The use of keyboards provides a nice change of pace, but there is really very little here we haven't heard many times before, done a lot better." However, he made special mention of "Fall of the Peacemakers", describing it as "an eight-minute-plus song that purports to lament the murders of John Kennedy and John Lennon, but actually is an excuse for an extra six minutes of macho boogie riffing. ... a stale, southern-style rewrite of "Abraham, Martin & John"." Canadian journalist Martin Popoff noticed how the sound of No Guts...No Glory is "remarkably consistent" with the preceding album, although cleaner and "a little less metal", praised the "dark epic ballad 'Fall of the Peacemakers'" and scorned "Kinda Like Love", the band's "first pop country rock song."
Track listing
- "What Does It Matter?" (Danny Joe Brown, Duane Roland, Riff West) – 3:33
- "Ain't Even Close" (Brown, Roland, West) – 4:35
- "Sweet Dixie" (Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland) – 3:54
- "Fall of the Peacemakers" (Hlubek) – 8:03
- "What's It Gonna Take?" (Gary O'Connor) – 3:59
- "Kinda Like Love" (Bobby Allison, Mac Elsensohn) – 4:09
- "Under the Gun" (Hlubek, West) – 3:54
- "On the Prowl" (Barry Borden, Brown, Hlubek) – 4:07
- "Both Sides" (Hlubek) – 5:08
Personnel
Songs
1What Does It Matter?3:30
2Ain't Even Close4:31
3Sweet Dixie3:50