The S.o.b

The fact that Billy Branch's backing band for this live date from 1982 is called the SOBs gives listeners hope that this will be a nasty, biting concert. For the most part, that's incorrect, since this wasn't a performance that reached a rolling boil - it was one that kept to a low simmer. Nearly all of the songs are taken at slow tempos, and the band lays back greatly; even when they get a little bit of steam, as on "Eyesight to the Blind," they're relaxed. This isn't a bad thing, and the group - including not just Branch, but Lurrie Bell, Eli Murray, J.W. Williams, and Carey Bell, all held in place by drummer Mose Rutues - works well together, creating some nice off-hand moments in nearly every track.

III is the third album released by the R&B band The S.O.S. Band on the Tabu label in October 1982. It was produced by Ricky Sylvers and Gene Dozier.