It's been quite a while since Dr. Feelgood, one of my favorite bands, put out a new studio album of new material. And now the Facebook arguments begin.
I say that because of the band's history. At this point the group has spent more than half of its life without any of the original members who made it famous. They were formed in 1971, but by the mid 1980's, frontman Lee Brilleaux was the sole original member. At that point the band had become Brilleaux and an occasionally changing lineup backing him. That changed when Brilleaux died in 1994.
After Brilleaux died, two of the members got together with another former member, hired a new frontman (Pete Gage, who was subsequently replaced with David Kane) and soldiered on. The group has been much more stable since Brilleaux's death, but albums have been less frequent. There have been three studio albums of new recordings since then: On the Road Again (1996), Chess Masters (2000) and Repeat Prescription (2006)*.
So, on Facebook groups I often see debates about whether, post-Brilleaux, the band's claim to the name is legitimate -- and whether they are worthy of the name. I stay out of those fights -- as I try to stay out of most fights on Facebook. In the case of this fight, the band is, officially, Dr. Feelgood. And they are, from what I can gather -- though I have not seen them perform live, a damn good R&B group.
At any rate, they have a new studio album, Damn Right!, coming out next month. From what I have read, it consists of all new material. Including this gem, "Mary Ann."
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*And it's worth noting that two of these albums were, arguably, gimmick releases. Chess Masters was a collection of songs from the old Chess Records. Repeat Prescription was a collection of new renditions of the band's old material.
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