by Michael B. Smith

Face Down in the Blues, released in the summer of 1998, was the first all new Marshall Tucker Band album in over five years, and the band's first-ever blues-based recording. Both Leon Russell and the Cate Brothers contributed writings, as well as Doug Gray, Rusty Milner and Tim Lawter of the MTB. Hot tracks include "I Like Good Music," "Face the Music" and a smoking hot update of Toy Caldwell's "Ramblin'." Face Down in the Blues quickly established itself as one of the band's finest post-Caldwell efforts.