WHAT IF
Dixie Dregs
•Jazz Rock/Fusion
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4.15
| 214 ratings | 15 reviews | 38% 5 stars
Excellent addition to any |
Studio Album, released in 1978 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Take It Off The Top (4:07) - Steve Morse / Classical, electric & synth guitars
Artwork: Diana Marie Kaylan and to Quinino for the last updates Edit this entry |
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DIXIE DREGS What If ratings distribution
(214 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(38%)Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(42%)Good, but non-essential (16%)Collectors/fans only (3%)Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
DIXIE DREGS What If reviews
Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings
Collaborators/Experts Reviews
PROG REVIEWER
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
PROG REVIEWER
I really like the first three songs."Take It Off The Top" has such a great groove to it, a real rocker with the drums and guitar leading the way. "Odysey" is simply an amazing song ! Opening with violin followed by a very uptempo melody of drums, keys and guitar. The violin comes back and so does more great drumming and guitar, on this the most progressive tune on this record.
"What If" the title track is a beautiful slow paced song with lots of violin and a nice guitar melody. Not a big fan of "Travel Tunes" especially the toy-sounding keyboards half way through. "Ice Cakes" has some great sounding instrumental work on it. "Little Kids" features Steve playing classical guitar accompanied with violin. It's okay. "Gina Lola Breakdown" is a get down, hoe down, country song. Not a fan at all. "Night Meets Light" is a very good way to end the album. A beautiful tune with synth guitar and violin.
I have to take my hat off to Rod Morgenstein who does an incredible job on this record. I'm not big on that KANSAS or country vibe that pops up at times, but there's no denying that these guys are amazing musicians. 3.5 stars.
PROG REVIEWER
Grade: A-
PROG REVIEWER
PROG REVIEWER
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
"Odyssey", as far as I'm concerned is the best track the dregs ever recorded. It is prog fusion at it's best, with virtuoso performances on a complex tune by the entire band. And I challenge anyone to listen to this version, and then the "Bring 'Em Back Alive" recording, and still say Dave LaRue is a better bassist than Andy West.
Other prog highlights are the exceptional "Travel Tunes" and "Ice Cakes", both concert favorites, along with "Take It Off The Top". "Little Kids" is a beautiful, classical sounding duet for acoustic guitar and violin.
If you like great fusion, get this album.
PROG REVIEWER
They can rock (Take if off the Top), they can prog (Odyssey), they can boogie (Gina Lola Breakdown), they can get funky (Travel Tunes) and they can let off the gas and explore tones (Night Meets Light) and moods (What If). Each of these tracks is a highlight, and that covers most of the album. Thus, this is an excellent album!
Dixie Dregs has a perfect lineup for this album as well, with a very flexible drummer, a tasteful keyboarder who can lead or back, a violinist who adds great texture and harmony with the guitar, and a solid bassist who they fortunately have turned up to more than audible levels.
And then we have Steve Morse. Just like Gentle Giant could play most styles better than bands who play only that style, Morse can easily cover everything from oozing, Holdsworth-style notes to good ol' country picking to classic rock soloing and power chording. He's just one of my faves. If he had gotten some classic rock exposure, he might be as well-known as the Claptons of this world, and certainly at the very least on par in notoriety with the likes of Joe Walsh and such.
Just a great mix--though rarely great at any one point--of music, with a little southern country flavor to taste. I'd recommend this to any fusion, classic rock, or guitar rock fan.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
This is a very energetic Prog/Fusion album, reminiscent of Dixie Dregs' passionate approach on rich, instrumental compositions, with lots jazzy and a few of Classical references, with the group sounding even closer to KANSAS on this album, though the MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA influence is still the major leading guide.The two long tracks of the album are really fantastic with impressive breaks and changes, going from Classical-inspired violin parts to jazzy interplays and full-blown proggy battles with nice use of keyboards, while it is doubtful if you'll find a more accomplished rhythm section than the one of Andy West and Rod Morgenstein.The shorter tracks are more straight but far from easy-going.Here the group can divide its influences to separate tracks, from the groovy Boogie Rock of ''Take It Off the Top'' to the light Jazz-Rock of ''What If'' anf from the superb Fusion of ''Travel Tunes'' to the funkier rhythms of ''Ice Cakes''.However the performance of Dixie Dregs will remain always on a very high level with lots of changing climates, technical playing and rich delivery all the way, while a few smoother passages are added for good measure in an attempt to keep things balanced.
Superb follow-up to the otherwise very good ''''Free Fall''.Passionate Prog/Fusion of high quality with tremendous both individual and team performances.Highly recommended.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
WHAT IF is the absolute perfect place to start. This was love at first listen with only the first and third tracks taking me several listens to appreciate but now they have weaseled their way into my soul and are stuck there until the great decomposition of body and mind occurs. This album is absolutely phenomenal in how progressive it is. It is labeled as jazz fusion and to be fair there is plenty of that going on particularly in a Mahavishnu Orchestra type of way but there are classical guitar pieces, bluegrass, Kansas type rockers and moments of calmness. Every track is impressive and my favorite idiosyncrasy of this band is how they play out a passage by alternating instruments to finish riffs and fills. A kind of lightning fast call and response that serves as the backbone for the melodic whole. Impressive album indeed that I never get tired of. It just keeps getting better after repeated listens. A perfect marriage of melody and technicality.
PROG REVIEWER
Maybe it's the down-home Southern-ness of it all, but I just find the Dregs' music an impressively intricate way to express absolutely nothing, a crystal-clear example of how technical chops don't save your compositions from being just a little trite. I won't rate it below three stars, because it's clear that there's some real skill being applied here, but I think this is one where you'll either love it or find yourself entirely unable to see what all the fuss is about,
Latest members reviews
What If finds Dixie Dregs concentrating a bit more on the rock side compared to their previous effort, which had a ton of different styles. In this regard it is more of a progressive rock album. Regardless, the same musicianship and songwriting skill is present here. You have your classic rockers ... (read more)
Report this review (#771387) | Posted by Mr. Mustard | Friday, June 15, 2012 | Review Permanlink
"Take it off the Top" opens up this album. It is one of their best known tunes. AC/DC-like riff with great guitar and violin solos as can be expected from this group. The second piece "Odyssey" is where it really kicks off. Excellent composition and of course the band plays well as always! You ha ... (read more)
Report this review (#126985) | Posted by Salviaal | Thursday, June 28, 2007 | Review Permanlink
I love this album. It's a really unique blend of prog, jazz fusion and country that actually works. I know it sounds horrible to some, but as a Southerner who grew up listening to Gentle Giant, Yes and Mahavishnu Orchestra, the music of the Dixie Dregs makes sense to me. The musicianship is ou ... (read more)
Report this review (#52231) | Posted by peskypesky | Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | Review Permanlink
Dixie dregs...those wonderfull boys from US. Now imagine a band with a country lode...and then put some energy...an some fusion....add to that a guitar player beyond believe (Steve Morse ex-Kansas..actually thats pre Kansas ,Now deep Purple)...then there�s : Fantastic music..fantastic played.... ... (read more)
Report this review (#26539) | Posted by Tonny Larz | Sunday, January 18, 2004 | Review Permanlink
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