Wet Willie's pronounced sense of dynamics, a trait that owes more to the South's soul tradition than to the Allman Brothers, has always separated the group from other Southern bands. My initial fear upon approaching Manorisms, which was produced in England by Gary Lyons (Foreigner) for a new Yankee record company (Epic), was that the rough edges would be blunted in the search for a more commercial sound. Manorisms is surely Wet Willie's most carefully crafted offering, but rather than being a conscious change, it is a continuation of the integration of singer/keyboardist Mike Duke into the band (he wrote or co-wrote all of the originals) and a reflection on the absence of gritty guitarist Ricky Hirsch, who came into his own on Willie's last two albums.

Manorisms presents Wet Willie as more of a song band than ever before, and the high quality of the tunes makes it a winning approach. Duke's "Rainman" kicks things off in a tough-rocking, wall-of-sound fashion, while Jimmy Hall's fine interpretation of "Make You Feel Love Again" puts him in the rhythmically gruff Southern context in which he shines. Hall still has the strongest voice in the band, but Duke is a not-too-distant second. And their harmonies, particularly on "So Blue," are exemplary.

The good-time spirit of Wet Willie's music is captured on "Street Corner Serenade," which finds Hall reminiscing about youthful music-making. The song's spirited chorus makes it clear that the band still feels that innocent joy. Lyons' production is occasionally heavy-handed, but the smoother sound hardly dampens Willie's rhythmic soul. Which only goes to show that you can record a bunch of Southern boys in the English countryside, but you can't shuck them of their musical accents. (RS 257)

JOHN MILWARD