The Atlanta Years

It would probably have been more fitting to credit 2005's The Atlanta Years solely to Steve Marriott, as he's the only recognizable name from Humble Pie here. The story goes something like this -- circa 1982 and 1983 (immediately after a briefly reunited Humble Pie called it quits once again), Marriott regularly gigged and recorded in the Atlanta area. And despite the fact that Marriott did play other places during this time, it's referred to as his "Atlanta Years," which this 17-track release focuses on. With countless veteran rockers trading in their blues-rock and blue jeans for synths and headbands during this era, Marriott admirably sticks to his stylistic guns here, as evidenced by such bluesy, funky, and soulful tracks as "Heartbreaker," "Trouble You Don't Fool Me," and "I Need More." Also rounding out the set are live renditions of several Humble Pie classics, including elongated versions of "Thirty Days in the Hole" and "I Don't Need No Doctor," as well as a 20-minute phone interview with one of Marriott's former wives. While The Atlanta Years is certainly not a wise starting point to discover the great Humble Pie (search out one of their many comps of early-'70s material), it does serve as a taster of what one of rock's most underrated vocalists was up to during the early '80s. ~ Greg Prato