Album review : BLACK OAK ARKANSAS – When Electricity Came To Arkansas Vol 1 (5 CDs)

August 27th, 2026 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 28.08.26]

CD1 : Black Oak Arkansas (1971) + 2 bonus

CD2 : Keep The Faith (1972)

CD3 : If An Angel Came To See You, Would You Make Her Feel At Home? (1972)

CD4 : Complete Raunch ‘n’ Roll Live (1973) Over Here

CD5 : Complete Raunch ‘n’ Roll Live (1973) Way Over Yonder

BOA’s story was that familiar tale of schoolboys who grew up together and formed their own band.

After misfiring in their first incarnation, the band signed up with ATCO records, changing their name to Black Oak Arkansas, the town and state in which they lived.

As is the way of these things, everyone had been baptised with a nickname while going through school. Rickie “Ricochet” Reynolds on guitar, Stanley “Goober” Knight on guitar and organ, Pat “Dirty” Daugherty on bass guitar and Wayne “Squeezebox” Evans on drums.
And of course, the legendary Jim “Dandy” Mangrum on vocals. The label later dropped the Mangrum and he became known simply as Jim Dandy.

The legend was born.

His stage presence and vocal style was second to none.
Mainly because of that, this boxset is cleverly constructed.

The two Raunch ‘N’ Roll Live CDs are the boxset’s focal point. These are the voice of a band who sound the real deal when they’re performing live, capturing all the raw excitement and energy that define rock’n’roll.

1970: Acutely aware of the tension between salvation, southern rock and Baptist teachings, BOA walked a high wire.
Jim Dandy quoting Elvis : “Rock ‘n’ roll was created by a disc jockey for his own pocketbook, I play rhythm and blues and gospel, and there ain’t but one king and I ain’t him.”

It was that tension that helped to ignite the music’s fire, in the studio and moreso on on stage. You only need to look at the song titles. ‘Lord Have Mercy On My Soul’, ‘Keep The Faith’, ‘The Big One’s Still Coming’

Dandy’s vocals have a universal power that will resonate with anyone, regardless of their tastes in music, and the band, each a master of his own musicianship, give him all the support he needs.

Splendid slabs of pumping, high octane southern rock like ‘Uncle Lijiah’,
‘Hot And Nasty’ and the boxset’s title ‘When Electricity Came To Arkansas’ standout on CDs 1 and 2. But even then, you haven’t yet dug under the surface of Black Oak Arkansas. Finding the live versions will be like finding buried treasure.

And despite all the focus on Southern Rock and religion, there’s a distinct sense of Nashville honky tonk and Memphis Soul to much of the music. No wonder the audience is going wild. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

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