Special Collector’s Edition / Fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology / Contains ‘Bounty Hunter’, Gator Country’, ‘The Creeper’ and ‘Dreams I’ll Never See’ / 16 page full colour booklet – 4,000 word essay, enhanced artwork, memorabilia and rare photos -

BY THE MID 1970s the southern rock sound had been well and truly established by the likes of the Allman Brothers Band, the Outlaws and, most prominently, Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was a style that seemed resistant to change but with the release of Molly Hatchet’s debut album in 1978, that tradition was challenged by a bigger, louder and harder sound that introduced elements of contemporary hard rock into the mix. Indeed, Hatchet’s debut album signalled a new, supercharged, approach to old school blues and country music. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, 1971, and led by guitarist Dave Hlubek, Molly Hatchet finally settled on their classic line-up in 1977 and signed to Epic Records by A&R man and in- house record producer Tom Werman. Skynyrd leader Ronnie Van Zant heard and liked the band early on and was originally scheduled to produce their debut but his tragic death in the infamous plane crash scuppered that idea. With Danny Joe Brown on vocals and two further guitarists to beef up the sound, the band relied on the more than capable Werman to assume the producer’s role. Released in 1978, the album single-handedly reset the southern rock template, introducing a raw and aggressive edge to the scene which won them immediate support and unexpectedly large sales. Check out tracks such as ‘Bounty Hunter’, ‘Gator Country’ and ‘The Creeper’ for unequivocal proof that southern rock had entered in a new era. There was, however, a nod to the past with a fine cover of the Allman Brothers anthem ‘Dreams’ retitled ‘Dreams I’ll Never See’. Oh, and let’s not forget the stunning album cover art by Frank Frazetta, a man that supplied the band with his distinctive artwork for the next two albums.

• 1. Bounty Hunter
• 2. Gator Country
• 3. Big Apple
• 4. The Creeper
• 5. The Price You Pay
• 6. Dreams I'll Never See
• 7. I'll Be Running
• 8. Cheatin' Woman
• 9. Trust Your Old Friend
• 10. Bounty Hunter
• 11. Gator Country
• 12. Big Apple
• 13. Dreams I'll Never See
• 14. Trust Your Old Friend