Raul Malo was not only a gifted frontman for the band the Mavericks, but he was also a well-crafted solo artist that garnered respect and admiration from more than just Country. I saw them perform live in both of their tenures of playing. I say that because of the hiatus they took, where Raul went solo. Other members of the band were dealing with personal issues of their own. I just wanted to share with many of you how they affected me, and some info on their contributions to Country.
This band ignited a fire under my ass twice in my life now, once for the first time in 1994 when they released their breakout album “What A Cryin’ Shame”. It grabbed me by the neck and squeezed! See, I have always been a go against the mainstream grain kind of guy when it comes to music. I like beneath the mainstream music, and at the time the Mavericks, David Ball and BR5-49 were it.
This was indeed a very integral point in my life as a music fan and a teenager that was also into Thrash Metal and Classic Rock, where I needed another path to follow that also supported my other musical loves in music. I NEEDED “Trampoline”! Because for Country this was a stagnant time period.
Their first six albums really helped me through some tough times in my life involving divorce and drug addiction for me, (No, the divorce wasn’t my fault) but I leaned on music heavily in 2005 when their LIVE in Austin Texas came out and they were just breaking up after releasing “Gold” in 2006.
BUT:
In 2013, when they reunited and released “In Time”, THAT CAME at a pivotal time for me as well within music as I was enjoying all of the Muddy Roots bands and Hank III and THEN people like Sturgill put out “High Top Mountain” and Jason Isbell had left the Drive By Truckers to record “Southeastern”, his finest album to date according to many.
The many years that follow that album gave us just as much good music as they did the first go round on here, and they convinced me that there are more than just sheep out there and people DO read other websites and gain influence from many other sources. This band stood at the forefront of REAL Country Music even when then the radio stopped playing it. We love you guys.
