Pot Liquor-Levee Blues (1971)

Pot Liquor was a short-lived band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who released several albums with a distinct boogie blues and southern rock sound during the early 1970s. Their initial lineup consisted of George Ratzlaff on keyboards and vocals, guitarist Les Wallace, drummer Jerry Amoroso, and bassist Guy Shaeffer. After their debut album, "First Taste", released in 1970, which was well-received in the southern states, they released "Levee Blues" a year later. Considered their best work, this album expanded their characteristic southern rock sound with elements of country, blues, and gospel. Ratzlaff's vocals and organ, along with the inclusion of a group of female backing vocalists, lend a unique gospel touch to the album's closing tracks. The lively tracks “Cheer”, “River Jordan”, “The Train”, and “Chattanooga”, along with the heavy, hypnotic blues of “Rooster Blues” and the magnificent covers of The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” and Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good”, are the highlights of an interesting but forgotten album of the best Southern rock. However, despite its quality and exquisite production, it failed to achieve the desired commercial success. Nevertheless, the band continued to perform concerts for quite some time throughout Louisiana, enjoying a good reception from the public, something that didn't do much to ensure the band's continuation, and Pot Liquor finally disbanded a few years later.