The Rick Ray Band - "Can’t Lie Hard Enough" Review

Artist/ Band: The Rick Ray Band
Title: Can’t Lie Hard Enough
Label: Neurosis Records
Year of Release: 2011
Offical Artist/ Band Link

The Review:

The first influence I hear on this CD is Robin Trower. The songs are a bare bones blues rock with the old 70's classic rock sound. I can’t say I hear any progressive music influences or even a tad of that sound, but guess if you like James Gang (Joe Walsh), Cactus, Bloodrock, Deep Purple, Ten Years After, Blood Sweat and Tears, Van Halen, and that ilk of the 70's blues rock bands, then you’ll love this. I have not heard but a few songs from a couple of The Rick Ray Band’s other massive 32 albums, but only scarcely can I say I grasped more than the same impression as I did with this release. I found out the band has opened for many classic rock acts like Robin Trower, Frank Marino (Mahogany Rush), Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult, Average White Band, Black Oak Arkansas, Rush and an almost endless list of other 70's greats as well as jazz fusion prog master Allan Holdsworth.

I don’t intend to be cruel here, but this type recording just does not belong in ProgNaut, nor any other progressive music magazine, as I feel it is strongly in the retro classic rock genre. They label themselves as a psychedelic, progressive, hard rock, fusion ensemble but I just can’t hear all that included. If I had heard all 32 recordings, perhaps I would be able to link those styles but I was asked to review this release (Can’t Lie Hard Enough) and it is clearly dead center in the classic rock mode. It’s not to take anything away but just to report what I hear. Actually Rick Ray is from that era and certainly has some fantastic guitar chops to show. I would suggest that if you like any of the bands I have compared this to, you would certainly like “Can’t Lie Hard Enough” and to be fair, the band kicks butt with it’s songs. Every musicians on the disc cooks. The horns and guitars are especially tight and ripe with energy. It’s sure enough a powerhouse classic rock styled band with plenty to give. Many fans have raved about the high quality of the band and there is little doubt that they could not have pulled off 32 recordings if they didn’t have the talent to back it. I think I can enjoy the CD as it is. When I am in the mood for some good driving nicely done classic rock in the blues vein.

Reviewed by Lee Henderson on May 4th, 2011

Tracks:

01. Can't Lie Hard Enough

02. I'm A Vagrant

03. Gotta Be

04. I'm Nobody

05. View From A Train

06. All I Want Is Peace

07. Dragon's Breath

08. Propaganda

09. Spinning Round and Round

10. What He Deserves

11. Wonderful

12. Blasphemy

13. Judge and Jury

Reviewed Discography

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