Wounded Bird Records
1982
Industry Standard
About This Album
Although they dropped the "Dixie" from their name in 1981, Industry Standard is still basically what one would expect from the Dixie Dregs. It also proved to be the band's last album before they disbanded, with fans having to wait ten years for a reunion and a new record. This incarnation of the band is actually the strongest one musician-wise, with master fiddler Mark O'Connor (in his lone appearance as a Dreg) making strong solo and ensemble statements. O'Connor really gets to show off his stuff on the requisite country-tinged instrumental, in this case the amusingly titled "Where's Dixie?" By this point, Steve Morse's compositional acumen had reached the level of complexity and polyphony that he would mine in his solo work throughout the '80s and '90s, and the sound of the band is more streamlined than ever before. Gone from Industry Standard are many of the Mahavishnu-isms that were so present in the band's work from the 1970s. One peculiar feature of this record is the presence of two vocalists, ex-Santana member Alex Ligertwood, and Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons, on one track each. This marks the first and only time the Dregs incorporated singing into their music.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5 and 6)

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