Ain't Life Grand (Remastered)

This album debuts the addition of guitarist Jimmy Henderson which gave the band a more polished southern rock sound similar to the acts gaining popularity by the mid 70's (Skynyrd, Outlaws, etc.). Sadly, B.O.A.'s momentum was beginning to wane at this point and this is their last studio album of any significance. Their next effort with the same line-up, "X-RATED", (not available on I-Tunes), was even better, in my opinion, but probably suffered to some extent from that stupid title and lame cover design. Too bad this version of B.O.A. didn't have the success that I feel they deserved.

Not BOA's best but still a hard rockin southern adventure. I do find myself listening to this version of Taxman than the original version by the beatles. The best songs are Back Door Man and Let Life Be Good To You. Where are the albums that were released after this like X-Rated, Balls Of Fire, and 10 yr overnight success?

James Mangrum is the uninhibited Elvis Presley of Raunch-n-Roll. This artist did what Elvis couldn't. Elvis was making money selling gospel records to church lady's. You gals should of seen JIm Dandy back in the day. That boy sure could play a mean washboard. BOA Forever.

This album has some excellent cuts and a fantastic selection to choose from so you can compile your own library of these bombastic southern rockers. Take your time doing some research of all their albums and you can save some money by choosing your songs off of various albums at only 69 cents a piece rather than the albums that sell cuts at 99 cents. It pays to shop. These guys are certainly worthy of being placed in your personal 'ROCK' quarry

Aint Life Grand was my favorite album in 9th grade..ok i'm 47 now..but we were crazy little girls and we wrote a letter to this band at the time....but hey I"m excited to see it here at iTunes so I can listen to it again...I guess I really like the songs not listened to a whole lot, with my favorites being "Love Can Be Found" and "Left Life Be Good To You."...takes you back to the old days. It's just alot of fun.

My first exposure to BOA was Raunch 'N' Roll Live and to be honest, I hated it. For whatever reason, I bought Ain't Life Grand (as a record way back when) and I actually liked it...a lot. The vocals are an acquired taste for sure but if you like Southern Rock, this is more than worth a listen.

Music critics loved to hate Black Oak Arkansas. No critic could get past Jim Dandy Mangrum's voice and vocal adventures. To me, he was a countrified version of Captain Beefheart. Compare the two closely, I dare you. It'll shock you. The band wrote some highly original music, some that was derivative of the Allmans, and some that was forgettable. Anyone who ever saw Jim Dandy and mates live never forgot it. They were a high-energy act that struggled to put the energy on vinyl. In my view, this was the best attempt. "Taxman" isn't just a decent cover, it's the best one. I'm a big Beatles fan, but I never listen to the original version of "Taxman," it was a mere curiosity. This studio version and the great one on Live! Mutha are addictive. "Fancy Nancy," "Rebel," "Back Door Man" and "Cryin' Shame" were terrific live showpieces that sound polished and energetic here. I am a big fan of Jim Dandy, having seen him live in his prime. He was the embodiment of testosterone. God I wanted to be him. At first, his growls, howls and whines were strange and amusing. Over time, I've come to enjoy the almost-inexplicable character of his voice. It's an acquired taste.