Swaggering countrypolitan studmuffin Mac Davis (1942-2020) was a nightmare figure of my youth, one of those sweaty, hulking, rhinestone-studded swinger sex gods that appeared on innumerable variety shows and celebrity roasts, chest hair bursting forth from their sequin-lined v-neck collars... It was gaudy and seedy, and yet, those big hits -- "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me," "I Believe In Music" -- were pretty darn catchy. Oh, well... what are ya gonna do? However, it is something of a small triumph that so many of his albums remain out of print, all these decades later. Anyway, here's a look back at the big lug...
Albums
Mac Davis "Song Painter" (Columbia Records, 1970) (LP)
Mac Davis "I Believe In Music" (Columbia Records, 1972) (LP)
Mac Davis "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" (Columbia Records, 1972) (LP)
Mac Davis "Mac Davis" (1973) (LP)
Mac Davis "Stop And Smell The Roses" (1974) (LP)
Mac Davis "All The Love In The World" (1975) (LP)
Mac Davis "Burnin' Thing" (1975) (LP)
Mac Davis "Forever Lovers" (1976) (LP)
Mac Davis "Thunder In The Afternoon" (1977) (LP)
Mac Davis "Fantasy" (1978) (LP)
Mac Davis "It's Hard To Be Humble" (1980) (LP)
Mac Davis "Texas In My Rearview Mirror" (1981) (LP)
Mac Davis "Midnight Crazy" (1982) (LP)
Mac Davis "Soft Talk" (1984) (LP)
Mac Davis "Till I Made It With You" (1985) (LP)
Best-Ofs
Mac Davis "Standing In The Need Of Love" (Setco Records, 2010)
An intriguing set of early pop singles from the 1960s, with a heavy Brill Building and British Invasion influence... A lot of Paul Anka-esque teenybopper material, with a few hints of R&B and psychedelia... Not the louche '70s hits most folks would be looking for, but maybe a more interesting collection because of it...
Mac Davis "A Man Don't Cry" (2007)
More of that early pop stuff, but less of it... Also, a few different tracks.
Mac Davis "Greatest Hits" (Columbia Records, 1980) (LP)
Mac Davis "The Best Of..." (Razor & Tie Records, 2000)
Mac Davis "The Best Of..." (Columbia Records, 2007)
Mac Davis "Twentieth Century Masters: The Millennium Collection" (Universal Music, 2006)
Mac Davis "Very Best And More..." (Universal Music, 1993)
This covers Davis' work for the Casablanca label, from 1980-84. An unlikely venue for his music, but hey, it was the '80s...
Mac Davis "Song Painter/I Believe In Music" (Cherry Red Records, 2010)
A twofer reissue that includes the albums Song Painter and I Believe In Music, from 1972
Links
Hick Music Index
