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After ten years as front man for the Georgia Satellites, Dan Baird decided to fire himself from his own band and head out on his own. The Satellites were a four-piece kick arse southern rock outfit hailing from Atlanta, Georgia and were renowned for combining the more subtle elements of country music with a hard-edged rock and roll delivery. Despite a well received debut album and a couple of chart singles, following album sales never reached the level the band deserved and in 1990 Baird walked into the musical sunset and the band came to an end. Guitarist Rick Richards went on to work with Izzy Stradlin of Guns 'n' Roses fame but as the front man and chief song writer it was Baird that was in the spotlight, great things were expected of him.

His first album, "Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired," did contain a small hit in the form of "I Love You Period" (period being the American word for the full-stop) but it was, in my opinion, the second album "Buffalo Nickel" that Dan began to deliver the goods. After a wait of four years between the first and second album, 1996 the album re-united a few old names from Dan's past. Keith Christopher plays bass and although not an instantly recognisable name his claim to fame is that he was a founder member of the Satellites but was out of the picture by the time a record contract came along. Mauro Magellan covers drums, the long term Satellites tub-thumper and Brendan O'Brien handles guitar and keyboard duties.

"Younger Face" leads us in and as the bands opening salvo hits you those in the know will feel as if the Georgia Satellites never went away. It may be a different band but that same combination of melody, passion and raw rock attitude is still alive. Guitars are big and distorted and the back line musicians deliver a powerful beat as Bairds forceful vocal muses on being over taken by the next wave of rock and roll heroes. But I can't imagine any young band having the worldly wise way that this band has about it, age has its advantages, these guys feel like they have been around a bit as they deliver this effortlessly laid back rock. A more up-tempo and borderline funky groove follows in the form of "Cumberland River", again only a stones throw away from old Satellites stamping ground. O'Brien drives the song relentlessly with his country licks as Bairds rich vocals make this a tap along, dance along, sing along if ever there was one. Funky breaks and bluesy slide guitar riffs add something new to the music but essential

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