I, like a lot of people, probably knew of Georgia Satellites because of two songs, "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" and "Battleship Chains." Those are still great tunes, but I'd have to say that the one that got less attention "Battleship Chains" is the better track of the two. Well, you get both of those songs here along with every other song on the band's first three albums and a lot of bonus tracks.

I am sure that a lot of people think of this band as strictly a bluesy southern rock band, and that is an accurate description. What many miss, I think, is a lot of the songs aren't that far removed from the non-hit, straight rock band side of REO Speedwagon. I would even say that some of the vocals make me think of Kevin Cronin a little. Coming in, more or less new to the group, let me say that their third album is definitely their best of the discs from this first incarnation of the band. It's a bit sad that it was the final disc because it showed a range and maturity missing from the first two albums. It would have been interesting to hear what they would have done had they kept on going with that lineup. Still, what we have here is well worth enjoying.

Why is that final disc so much better? Well, it's because they seemed to be limited in terms of songwriting for the first couple albums. They produced solid blues rocking tunes with a southern edge and some great slide guitar, but it all tended to sound the same. The melodies for quite a few songs were just about the same as those on "Keep Your Hands to Yourself." That's not such a huge complaint. Artists like Chuck Berry had long careers like that, and if you only listen to a song or two at a time, it is never an issue anywhere. It's just that by disc three they really had expanded their range, and made for a much stronger album.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

It seems that pretty much anyone reading this review is familiar with this song. It was the group's one huge hit. The grinding roots rock groove still holds up really well. It's kind of a timeless tune in a lot of ways. There are hints of AC/DC on the tune, but with more of a real roots vibe.

The guitar solo section on this is on fire with slide guitar brilliance. The song has a lot of energy and drive. It's really a standout tune.

There is much more of a Southern rock feeling to this tune. Roots rock, folk rock and more are on display here. This is less intense and rocking than some of the rest, but I'd think of it more as the electric side of Bob Dylan in terms of its musical pedigree.

More of a hard-edged blues rocker, this is a solid tune, but not much of a standout. That said, it has some driving hooks and killer guitar work.

This opens with an acoustic guitar based rock motif. The tune sounds a lot like "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" in terms of structure and vocal delivery. That's even more true when they electrify it after the first vocal movement. An intricate acoustic guitar section ends the tune.

Here's a cover of the tune from Rod Stewart. This version a bit rawer. Ironically (given that Ron Wood was one of the co-writers) it feels more like The Rolling Stones here. There is an unfortunate line in the lyrics that definitely doesn't hold up well in today's climate.

This live rocker is a smoking hot one that a lot of energy.

Here we get another live tune. They do the whole tune electrified in contrast to the studio version. It works well in that configuration, but loses some of its uniqueness.

The final bonus track of the first CD is another live song. It's another powerhouse rocker and works really well in this performance. It is really on fire.

Another classy blues rocker, this isn't a big departure but has its charms. The guitar work is classic on the tune. The song is another that sounds a bit too much like "Keep Your Hands to Yourself."

Here we're back into "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" territory. This is a good song, but we've heard it before.

This one seems cut from the same cloth, too. It's not bad by any means, but it is just too samey.

This has more of the blues rock sound of the first album without feeling redundant or monolithic. It's actually one of the stronger tracks of the whole set. It seriously rocks.

Mining Chuck Berry's catalog for music, this tune does a great job of updating the sound.

Another cover tune, this one  of a song by The Swinging Blue Jeans, this is another solid entry.

What you get here is pretty obvious from the title and parenthetical. I think this version of the song might be stronger than the one on the album proper.

More of a straight-ahead rock and roller, this is another that doesn't seem that far removed from some of REO's music. It's high energy and catchy.

I love the guitar work as this drives out from nothingness. This tune is one that feels like it could have fit on the first album. That's kind of a fresh sound on this disc, though. The tune shifts toward almost psychedelic zones late in a nice twist.

A real scorcher, this is more like the kind of thing I expected after the first couple albums. That said, it seems to be turned up to "11." This is on fire.