Molly Hatchet - Live At Rockpalast 1996 (2013)

Recorded at the Rockpalast Open Air Festival Loreley in Germany, this live album captures an 11-song set from Southern rockers Molly Hatchet during a tribute concert for Irish bluesman Rory Gallagher. The first live performance recorded just after the departure of longtime singer Danny Joe Brown (due to health problems) in 1996, the performance finds a newly inducted Phil McCormack being thrown into the deep end and handling it well, delivering a performance full of swagger and soul as the band brings plenty of boogie and groove to back him up. With the band trying to find its feet after a shakeup like losing a frontman, Live at Rockpalast is an album that longtime fans could certainly find interesting because of its historical significance, though new listeners looking for a live album would probably be better served by Double Trouble Live. © Gregory Heaney