Atlanta Rhythm Section: Third Annual Pipe Dream (Polydor PD 6027)

A COMBINATION of inventive writing and consummate musicianship like this hasn't been heard from out of the South since the Allman's Idlewild South (still unsurpassed in their repertoire). With the exception of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the major pitfall of this onrushing "new wave" of Southern bands, besides rankly weak musicianship, has been their consistently uninspired arrangement ability. Atlanta Rhythm Section, with four years and a couple of fine albums beneath their belts, have conquered this problem with their always imaginative blowing/composing. Resulting in Generic Transcendence... this ain't the same old blues.