THE BOYS FROM DORAVILLE, released in 1980, didn't reach the number of listeners the last few albums had - the music scene was shifting and what had been labeled Southern Rock wasn't getting the attention it had previously. It was too bad the audience didn't stick around, because they missed out on another fine collection of songs. The group continued the softer, pop approach of Underdog while injecting a swinging country/western feel into these nine original songs. The majority are uptempo, with a couple classic slower selections-and they are all generally shorter, with only two over five minutes.

The Popularity of Southern Rock - Diminishes

The Boys From Doraville didn't reach the audience that previous albums had-while it was a solid set there were no breakout singles. While the band's sound continued to evolve on its own path, the music business had gone down other roads marked disco and new wave. ARS continued to do their own thing as the Southern Rock scene faded. When they went to record their next album there was again pressure to come up with a success. While the next album also didn't match previous sales, musically it stood along with any of their top albums.

Quinella, ARS' next recording, was one of their best. Some of the audience that helped the group achieve the height of their popularity had moved on, and they missed out - the group was continuing to make great music. Released in 1981, this album starts out rocking harder than the last couple had and then transitions into the great pop, with an occasional country/western influence, that the group had been refining over the last couple albums. It's another classic.

The song Alien was a top 30 single in the U.S. The band continued to play live. In fact, a show recorded in New York City in Oct. 1981 and featuring three songs from Quinella would eventually be released on CD in 2000.

Another Live Recording

While "Live at the Savoy" wasn't released until 2000, it dates from almost 20 years earlier during the tour following the release of Quinella. It was recorded at a show at the Savoy in New York City, so the Southern band was playing to an urban Yankee audience. From that perspective, the warm support of the crowd is testimony to the group's broad appeal. While the sound isn't top quality, the energy of the band's performance and the collection of classic songs makes this a nice timepiece.