The Gories - Outta Here - Rock - CD

This self-produced third album was the band's last. At times the frustration can be heard amid the clamor ("48 Hours"). Nevertheless, the band's dual guitars and minimal drums add up to some pretty righteous gutbucket R&B racket. Innovations and improvements would only have corrupted the Gories' primitive brilliance, especially this late in the game, but Mick Collins proves yet again that he possesses one of the most soulful voices the city of Detroit ever produced. Reverb helps dull the edge of Dan Kroha's nasal yelp. And Peg O'Neill's drums are mixed more up front than ever. Standout tunes include "There But for the Grace of God Go I" and a lurching rendition of Earl King's "Trick Bag" that surpasses even the classic Meters version in soul if not smooth New Orleans style. "Ichiban," the album's closing instrumental, winds things up nicely, too. Though Outta Here saw the end of a great band just as the scene it best exemplified was coming into its own, the Gories left their fans on just the bent note everyone expected. ~ Brian Beatty, All Music Guide