The Marshall Tucker Band
Beyond the Horizon
(Shout! Factory)
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2004, Volume 11, #6
Written by John Metzger
Since last fall, The Marshall Tucker Band’s catalog has been undergoing the industry’s customary restorative efforts in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the group’s superb eponymous debut. In other words, its early outings are receiving a much-needed digital facelift and are being padded with a variety of bonus tracks. So, if ever there was a time for the ensemble to record an album of new material, this is it, and Beyond the Horizon — the group’s first collection of songs since Gospel, its spiritually-flavored effort from 1999 — is, for better or for worse, the end result.
The good news for fans is that despite the fact that only one founding member
remains involved in the project, The Marshall Tucker Band’s trademark sound from
the early ’70s is left largely intact. Indeed, the entirety of Beyond the
Horizon draws from the same wellspring of Southern rock, soul, country,
jazz, and blues that has been the group’s inspiration since its inception, and
frontman Doug Gray seems to have surrounded himself with a talented crew that is
quite capable of replicating precisely those things that made the original
ensemble so special all those years ago. The bad news, not surprisingly, is that
like most collectives sharing similarly lengthy careers, The Marshall Tucker
Band really doesn’t find any new directions for its music so much as it retreads
the same familiar roads with a sometimes stifling air of professionalism. Even
so, there’s little doubt that within a concert setting, all 12 of the new tunes
will feel comfortably at home among the classics and likely will flourish as a
result of the group’s give-and-take with its audience, but unfortunately, that
sense of urgency is felt only sporadically on the album. As a result, Beyond
the Horizon is little more than a perfunctorily solid effort, one that will
please longtime fans, nonetheless. However, for newcomers wondering about the
fuss that has been made over the group through the years, earlier efforts such
as A New Life, Where We All Belong, or the group’s self-titled
debut would make for a far better starting point. This one is clearly for those
who already are ramblin’ down the highway on that Dixie-bound Greyhound. 
½
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004 The Music Box