Atlanta Rhythm Section LP Records Collection Great Southern Rock Band!

 July 30, 2025

#517

Gentle reader,

Yes, I know that I just released an article yesterday, but this is about one of my passions: Collecting and Listening to Music.

That is the record/stereo cabinet/shelf which I built fifty years ago with the training and help of my then-girlfriend's father. He was such a nice man, very giving and understanding. It's made from white walnut. Those are the type of walnut trees that give us the walnuts most folks think of, rather than black walnuts, whose wood is so sought after. 

The TOP shelves are all classic Rock and Pop. The bottom shelves are all TV and Film Scores and Soundtracks.

That's Linda. Beautiful, yes? We are still friends after all these years.

Like Rango (above) "I come from the West. The FAR west." In fact, I AM a Southerner because the capital of Arizona is definitely in the South. Just not THE South that most folks associate with being a Southerner.

I was more familiar, having been born in the '50's, with "Country and Western" music. Growing up, there always seemed to be music playing in the house. All kinds of it. Which is why my records/CDs collection is so eclectic.

These were my friends in Northside Richmond, VA in the 1970's Philip, on the right was my inspiration to build a really good stereo system.

Now, Dad was a Preacher Man, although he was called a Minister. Presbyterian, in fact. And like being the kids of someone in the Military, we moved a lot. However, it was always in the West until he was offered a job teaching at the Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia in 1974. Which coincided with my being in my senior year of high school and in love with my first girlfriend. So, literally the day after I graduated, off we drove the 1,669 miles to get there. Once we arrived, my first thought was, "How do we breathe this air?" See, out West, humidity does not exist.

Since the first record Philip played for me that fateful day in 1975 was Pure Prairie League's Two Lane Highway on his amazing stereo with ENORMOUS speakers, I fell in love with Southern Rock.

It was several years later when I first heard music from the Atlanta Rhythm Section. I bought their RED TAPE LP and played it a lot. As time went by, I found a few more of their records. 

The other day, I played all of the ones that I owned, and I liked ALL of their songs and thought, "I need to get the rest of their records." I consulted my GOLDMINE RECORD ALBUMS PRICE GUIDE and started looking on eBay. I found all of them within minutes and bought them all, right then and there.

This is not their first album. It is their first TWO albums combined into one. Self titled.

It says in really small font: "The selections in this album have been previously released on the Decca label (DL7-5265, DL7-5390)"

Note that Another Man's Woman (It's so hard) is also on RED TAPE, but a "harder" version.

Just look at all that hair. Sigh, I miss mine. Although if I had it, I think I would look older. 

Me, at seventeen at my first job in Denver. I was 6'3" tall and only 155 pounds.

I love the title of their third LP: Third Annual Pipe Dream. A "pipe dream" often is some "great idea!" which usually never happens. Perhaps their first two LPs were not as successful as they hoped.

It came out in 1974 and has some hits on it: Doraville and Angel.

Right on schedule, DOG DAYS came out in 1975. Crazy was one of the top hits on it. Note: While I like artist Mike McCarty's illustration, he apparently did not know, (or perhaps drew it for dramatic effect), that dogs do not sweat. They pant.

I feel the need to repeat, that having listened to EVERY song on all of their albums, I like ALL of them! That does not happen often to me. It makes me rethink not wanting to buy any other Thin Lizzy albums, "because they could not top their first record."

Red Tape is also a title perhaps chosen as an inside joke. It usually means a whole number of seemingly unnecessary steps one has to go through to reach the desired result.

Again, this record came out on their annual schedule, in 1976. I've played it so many times, that I don't know which had radio play and thus "Hit" status.

a rock and roll alternative also came out in 1976, breaking their one-a-year rule.

As you can see, this one is a "Promo" or Demonstration copy.

CHAMPAGNE JAM did not come out until 1978. 

Several of the cuts were hits on the radio.

Another clever title: UNDERDOG. 

A cartoon of that name was one of my favorites at the time. Underdog, like Superman, had a cape and could fly and every episode his girlfriend, "Sweet Polly Purebred" was always getting in trouble. Underdog would always say, before leaping into the sky to find and rescue her, "When Polly's in trouble, I am not slow, it's up, up, up and away I go!"

Underdog came out in 1979 and I like their rendition of SPOOKY better than the original artist's version.

ARE YOU READY! also came out in 1979 and is a double LP LIVE album. 

Because the band is SO good and the sound was recorded right from the sound equipment at the concerts, every song is right on and well done.

Just LOOK at all of those people!

The Boys from Doraville is their final LP. They have come out with some CDs since.

It came out in 1980 and I do not recall hearing any of the songs from it on the radio. I do LIKE every one of them, however.

Now, if you were hoping to learn more about ARS, that is not the intent of this article. I am showing you all of their records and telling you my impressions of them. They are AWESOME! To learn more about the band, go here: The Atlanta Rhythm Section - Home Page and here: Atlanta Rhythm Section - Wikipedia.

This is the first of several articles I am going to do on music artists whose music I own and love. 

Thank you SO much for taking the time to read my words and look at my images. I cannot not thank you enough. Feel free to Comment below or on Facebook.

Scott Robb

July, 30, 2025

#517