If there’s one thing the Outlaws know when it comes to their music, it’s exactly what their fans have come to expect. With over 40 years of being one of Southern Rock’s most beloved and respected bands under their belts, the group has defined and refined their sound with great ease.

July 23, 2012 -- For THE OUTLAWS (@outlawsmusic), it’s not only about the music they’ve made for decades, it’s also about the pride they’ve always put into creating their legacy. As purely evidenced on their much long-awaited sixth studio album, IT’S ABOUT PRIDE is due out September 25 on Rocket Science Ventures. “Tomorrow’s Another Night,” the album’s first single, is being serviced to radio on August 20. The band known for their triple-guitar Rock attack and three-part Country harmonies finally returns to the music scene with their first new studio album since 1994’s DIABLO CANYON (Blues Bureau International).

I felt uneasy the first time I held The Outlaws' new album, It's About Pride, in my hands. Many of the band's I idolized during my teen years have recently disappointed me with the new music they've released. These veteran artists, however, refuse to accept that Father Time has passed them by. The new recording is safe, pedestrian and devoid of the brash charm that shaped their early output. That said, the music stays true to the band's legacy, and is the band's strongest work since their classic Ghost Riders album was released in 1980.

The Outlaws hit the stage in full daylight with the sun on its way down which was perfectly timed for "Hurry Sundown" the third song in their set.
Opening up with "Tomorrow's Another Night" from their new, "It's About Pride" release, The Outlaws began in typical Outlaws' fashion: with a cappella harmonies kicking into a strong, three-guitar chord riff.
The opening strains of "There Goes Another Love Song" kicked right in and got the crowd on their collective feet, hooting and hollering. Monte Yoho told me before the show that he had co-written TGALS with Hughie which I didn't know. Monte had written the crucial "Someone singin' about me again" chorus.
A jaunty' "Freeborn Man" was put on display for all in attendance and the crowd approved mightily.
Then a couple of songs from the new Outlaws record, "Born To Be Bad" which was co-written and sung by Chris Anderson and he sang it with pure aggression; and the title song, "It's About Pride" which is really a great, strong anthem reciting great Southern Rock bands in the style of a CDB' "South's Gonna Do It Again" or Molly Hatchet's "Gator Country."
"Knoxville Girl" got the crowd going from the romantic opening when they were sitting to jumping on their feet when the guitar chords stretch out and the song takes off.
Of course, the closer "Green Grass and High Tides" was monumental. There's nothing in my mind as exhilarating as hearing this guitar paean played to perfection.

And then, the Outlaws delivered. Popular for their guitar riffs, and their hard to the core country-rock, the Outlaws had their fans on their feet, waving their arms in the air, and even moving closer to the stage to get a closer look at the iconic musicians that packed auditoriums during the height of their careers in the 70's and 80's.