After three albums under the direction of Mentor Williams, Dobie Gray's appropriately named New Ray of Sunshine (1975) marked the vocalist's departure from his primary collaborator, but also a change of venue as he signed on for a pair of LPs on the Southern rock imprint Capricorn whose roster included notables such as the Marshall Tucker Band, the Dixie Dregs, Wet Willie and Elvin Bishop. In Williams' stead is another of Gray's previous musical associates Troy Seals, whose strong presence can be heard having penned or at ...
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After three albums under the direction of Mentor Williams, Dobie Gray's appropriately named New Ray of Sunshine (1975) marked the vocalist's departure from his primary collaborator, but also a change of venue as he signed on for a pair of LPs on the Southern rock imprint Capricorn whose roster included notables such as the Marshall Tucker Band, the Dixie Dregs, Wet Willie and Elvin Bishop. In Williams' stead is another of Gray's previous musical associates Troy Seals, whose strong presence can be heard having penned or at least co-written a majority of the material for this collection in addition to co-producing and playing guitar. Even though Gray continued to record in Nashville, his backing combo was again joined by the house band from Fame Studios -- better known by its locale -- in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Undoubtedly the extended personnel contribute to the thicker and significantly bigger vibe on the blues-informed opening extravaganza "Harold and the Swinging Rocks" and the lush and lovely slow jam "Easy Come Easy Go," which was redone to great effect by Tammy Wynette as well as Katy Moffatt. The upbeat title track kicks off with a lyrical double-barrel guitar lick that could have just as easily been yanked from an Allman Brothers' tune. Gray unleashes a funky and inspired lead on "I'll Take You Down to Mexico," while "Lover's Sweat" has a deep Southern fried groove requiring ample room to move. The slinky Gray/Seals side "Drive On, Ride On" was covered by Three Dog Night on their otherwise forgettable American Pastime (1976) and a sample of the cut resurfaced, albeit significantly reconfigured, by Jodeci on "Won't Waste You" from their Diary of a Mad Band (1993). Arguably, the effort may not be on par with Gray's best material circa the Mentor Williams days, however its strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. The internet-only audio archivists at Hip-O Select featured a remastered New Ray of Sunshine in the limited-edition The Complete Dobie Gray (1969-1979) box set, making it available for the first time on CD. ~ Lindsay Planer, Rovi
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