Boys Night Out

The Oak Ridge Boys are a singing group that was before my time. The fact that this album is a best of featuring the group together for the first time in awhile singing all of their hits is kind of a redundant fact for me. All I could do was dig deep and find out as much about the group as I could to get a better understanding of where they’re coming from. Good thing I did. 

 

My first impression of the album is that it sounds solid as a live recording. The vocals are upfront and center in a very crisp and undisturbed setting surrounded by well channeled instruments and a somewhat removed audience response. You can tell the audience is there but their noise doesn’t interfere with the process at all. As far as sound is concerned, the album is solid. 

 

As I listened to the album I kept seeing this performance in a church hall or something. It had a very churchy quality to it that made me instantly think that maybe these guys had a gospel background at some point. Surprise, surprise. They did. It doesn’t shock me as a lot of artists back then dipped their toes on both side of the line; Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan. Even before I looked it up I was sold on the gospel quality sound of the singers as they gave off a warm quality while belting out their hits. It was very organic sounding. Thank God For Kids is a prime example of how warm the group can deliver a simple message. 

 

Not everything is hymn like as the boys also belt out some of their more wild tunes like Elvira and American Made. It’s during these tunes that I had to admit not everything on the album was going to be perfect. Some off timing on lyrics, some strenuous stretching to fill notes here and there. There aren’t many instances where the album falters but they are there. 

 

Overall the album sounds fantastic for a live recording, the music is hopping, and the boys certainly are still capable of delivering a good show. If you’re a die hard fan I would highly suggest grabbing this one up. If you’re just starting out I would suggest checking out some stuff on youtube to see if it’s for you. If you like what you hear, dive in. Enjoy.