Riding high from such late-'70s classics as "Carolina Dreams" and "Together Forever,"
the Marshall Tucker Band appeared to be running on full cylinders heading into 1980. With the success and return to their cowboy roots on 1979's
Running Like the Wind, many thought the tradition would continue with their next record. That said,
Tenth was almost a 90° turn for the band, favoring the slick, warm radio-friendly production and boogie rock à la
the Doobie Brothers and other contemporaries. Things only go back to the ranch ever so slightly on the jam-friendly "Cattle Drive," which could easily be backdrop music for a scene on Dallas rather than a "hands-down-back-at-the-ranch" working man's anthem. This isn't the band in their finest form, but it's nowhere near their worst, either. This 1980 release, recently reissued on theWounded Bird imprint in 2005, was the last recording by
the Marshall Tucker Band to feature the original lineup. Founding member
Tommy Caldwell died tragically a month after the album's release from injuries sustained in a severe automobile accident. ~ Rob Theakston