Though Mama's Pride may no longer be known nationally, they are definitely a favorite here in St. Louis. Back in the 70s when southern rock was big, Mama's Pride was your typical southern boogie band with a touch of the St. Louie blues. The band only released two albums, Mama's Pride and Uptown & Lowdown distributed by Atco before breaking up in '82. A reunion did happen in '87 but Mama's Pride never achieved the acclaim of the Outlaws, the Allman Brothers, or Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Releasing their first album since '76, Guard Your Heart should thrill the old fans of Mama's Pride while capturing new ones with their polished southern-blues-rock and adult contemporary ccm sound. Led by the brothers Liston, Pat and Danny, Mama's Pride is back in full force with the original band sizzling with tasteful guitars, snazzy brass, and powerful rhythms. And this time the music revolves around more than just celebrating life; there are messages of hope, faith, and love.
"Caught Up In The Middle," the single that should have been, is an excitable, powerful, uptempo tune with a Kansas-like sound and Pat Liston's perfect vocal grittiness. Other notables are "Chance Of A Lifetime" with a southern boogie feel and outstanding brass; "Somebody To Love" featuring smoking guitar work by Max Baker and powerful drums by Kevin Sanders; "Sail On," a pleasant ballad with the message that you can "Sail on to the Mighty One;" and "Song Of Hope/Love Can" which features children's voices reciting the love chapter of 1 Corinthians. Dominated by the keyboards, "Guard Your Heart" slows things down for a single that would do exceptionally well on most A/C Christian radio formats.
Produced by Jim Gaines, Guard Your Heart is polished. All tunes written by Pat and Danny Liston and Paul Willett have something to say. From faith to political awareness, Mama's Pride has a message.
3.5/5
