Molly Hatchet Needs To Hang It Up

[Jesse]

Yeah, I'm calling it. Gotta go back a good 10 years or so to see a youtube clip of Molly Hatchet live where I'm not embarrassed to be a fan. I love Phil McCormack, but he just can't cut it as a singer anymore through the usual 90 minute set. The band is sloppy. They never did replace Dave Hlubek, so they are out there touring without any original members (which I can forgive and have forgiven them for in the past) and playing songs written with 3 guitar players in mind, yet only have a single guitar player (Bobby Ingram) on the stage. They haven't made an album of new material since 2010. I saw them in 2012 and I'd be willing to bet that they haven't significantly changed their setlist since then. I dunno, other than McCormack, they are all still good players, but this lineup has been together for the better part of 13 or 14 years now and they just don't gel like even the 2002 version did.

I know, random thoughts going on here, but it had to be said and I feel like I have to be the one to say it.

[Jesse]

So, instead of just bitching about it, I have a few ideas that may help the band to carry on (assuming they don't take my advice to hang it up).

For starters, they gotta put Phil McCormack on the bench for about two weeks or so. Let him rest his voice and push him to lose some weight. I'm hardly one to talk, but Phil is packing a few more pounds than he should at his age and I think that is a big part of why he's having trouble singing very well anymore.

They need to add at least one guitar player, preferably two and split the guitar parts up. Bobby Ingram is a great guitar player. However, just because you CAN play ALL of the solos doesn't mean you SHOULD play ALL of the solos. Molly Hatchet's stage show was always about 3 distinct guitar players. Yeah, they got by with two for many years and two would be an improvement over the status quo, but they really need to have 3 guitar players. If you are going to continue to tour without ANY original members, you need to put a reasonable facsimile on that stage every night.

Among the guitar players hired, one should also be able to sing like Jimmy Farrar. Farrar wasn't all that popular of a choice to replace Danny Joe Brown back in 1980, but he had a great voice and the two albums he sang on both went Top 40. "Beatin' The Odds" went platinum. With having someone in the band who sounds like Farrar, I think they should do 1 or 2 Farrar-era songs sung by someone who sounds like Farrar. Should McCormack be able to continue to be their main singer, giving him a vocal rest for a few songs per night would go a long way toward keeping his vocal stamina up for their show-stopper "Flirtin' With Disaster" (I haven't heard a live version yet where he didn't sound out of breath trying to sing it!)

The band as a whole needs to work up tight renditions of the classics, including the FULL VERSION of "Fall Of The Peacemakers", bring back some lost classics ("Satisfied Man", "Boogie No More", "Cheatin' Woman", maybe") and pick out the best of the best from their last 20 years of music.

I dunno, random thoughts again. Bobby Ingram DID bring Molly Hatchet back from the brink of extinction once (early 1990's) and can do it again if he takes my advice. However, from the youtube shows that I've seen recently, he seems content to slop through the set, take the money and run. :/

[Jesse]

So, anyhow..... I hate to say it, but the Phil McCormack problem resolved itself in unfortunate fashion. He did have to go, but I wish it was more of a ceremonious passing of the torch to the next guy as opposed to Bobby and the band secretly replacing him and then Phil dying. The new singer, Jimmy Elkins, sounds much better for the band as his vocal is a lot closer to that of Danny Joe Brown's voice than Phil's aging vocals had been in a long time. That said, there is still much work to be done on the current Molly Hatchet. Phil McCormack wasn't the only reason Molly Hatchet has been reduced to playing glorified Honky-Tonks in the deep South lately. hopefully Bobby will add another guitar player or two and tighten up their live act as well. Learn some different songs and change up the setlist a little bit. Still not totally convinced that they shouldn't just call it a day, but they seem to be righting the ship somewhat.

[Sonny]

Mar 19, 2019 19:18:33 GMT -5 Jesse said:

So, instead of just bitching about it, I have a few ideas that may help the band to carry on (assuming they don't take my advice to hang it up).

For starters, they gotta put Phil McCormack on the bench for about two weeks or so. Let him rest his voice and push him to lose some weight. I'm hardly one to talk, but Phil is packing a few more pounds than he should at his age and I think that is a big part of why he's having trouble singing very well anymore.

They need to add at least one guitar player, preferably two and split the guitar parts up. Bobby Ingram is a great guitar player. However, just because you CAN play ALL of the solos doesn't mean you SHOULD play ALL of the solos. Molly Hatchet's stage show was always about 3 distinct guitar players. Yeah, they got by with two for many years and two would be an improvement over the status quo, but they really need to have 3 guitar players. If you are going to continue to tour without ANY original members, you need to put a reasonable facsimile on that stage every night.

Among the guitar players hired, one should also be able to sing like Jimmy Farrar. Farrar wasn't all that popular of a choice to replace Danny Joe Brown back in 1980, but he had a great voice and the two albums he sang on both went Top 40. "Beatin' The Odds" went platinum. With having someone in the band who sounds like Farrar, I think they should do 1 or 2 Farrar-era songs sung by someone who sounds like Farrar. Should McCormack be able to continue to be their main singer, giving him a vocal rest for a few songs per night would go a long way toward keeping his vocal stamina up for their show-stopper "Flirtin' With Disaster" (I haven't heard a live version yet where he didn't sound out of breath trying to sing it!)

The band as a whole needs to work up tight renditions of the classics, including the FULL VERSION of "Fall Of The Peacemakers", bring back some lost classics ("Satisfied Man", "Boogie No More", "Cheatin' Woman", maybe") and pick out the best of the best from their last 20 years of music.

I dunno, random thoughts again. Bobby Ingram DID bring Molly Hatchet back from the brink of extinction once (early 1990's) and can do it again if he takes my advice. However, from the youtube shows that I've seen recently, he seems content to slop through the set, take the money and run. :/

[Sonny]

I hate to think of Bobby hanging it up. But I will agree— in the post original band era— the 2002 line up was the best. Russ and Bobby really were perfect. Dave and Bobby not so much, but — It was Dave!! I wish Bobby would bring Russ back in. I miss Phil. But Jimmy Elkins is a great next step. And I’ve met him and have gone to Bike Week with him— he’s a great man. Who knows? Maybe it’s time for everyone to hang it up . Thanks for your post. I’m glad to know people care enough to consider these things.

[Jesse]

May 13, 2020 3:17:22 GMT -5 Sonny said:

I hate to think of Bobby hanging it up. But I will agree— in the post original band era— the 2002 line up was the best. Russ and Bobby really were perfect. Dave and Bobby not so much, but — It was Dave!! I wish Bobby would bring Russ back in. I miss Phil. But Jimmy Elkins is a great next step. And I’ve met him and have gone to Bike Week with him— he’s a great man. Who knows? Maybe it’s time for everyone to hang it up . Thanks for your post. I’m glad to know people care enough to consider these things.

Thank you, Sonny for joining in the conversation! I would love to see Russ back in the band! Saw some youtube clips of him solo and he's a great guitar player and very good singer as well! May be the guy to sing a Jimmy Farrar song or two! Don't know why he ever left the band, but judging from his solo performances and what I saw of him with Molly Hatchet, I wonder if he thought he should be doing more of the leads (If so, I would agree with him!)

Yeah, I love Dave Hlubek and I loved the fact that he rejoined the band, but the sad fact is that the band became sloppy live when Dave came back.