What If (Dixie Dregs album)

What If
What If
Studio album by Dixie Dregs
Released	March 1978
Recorded	1978
Studio	Chateau Recorders
Length	39:46
Label	Capricorn
Producer	Ken Scott
Dixie Dregs chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[2]

What If is the second studio album by the Dixie Dregs, released in 1978.^[3]

Production

The band sought, for What If, producer/engineer Ken Scott, because of his production of Mahavishnu Orchestra's Birds of Fire (1973). “Those guys were our heroes,” said guitarist and main composer Steve Morse. He added: “we were eager to work with Ken. We felt like we were graduating to the next level.”^[4]

Track listing

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Take It Off the Top"	Steve Morse	4:07
2.	"Odyssey"	Morse	7:35^[5]
3.	"What If"	Morse	5:01
4.	"Travel Tunes"	Andy West	4:34

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Ice Cakes"	Morse	4:39
6.	"Little Kids"	Morse	2:03
7.	"Gina Lola Breakdown"	Morse, Twiggs Lyndon	4:00
8.	"Night Meets Light"	Morse	7:47

Personnel

Steve Morse – guitar, banjo
Mark Parrish – keyboards
Allen Sloan – violin, viola
Andy West – bass guitar
Rod Morgenstein – drums; vocals on "Ice Cakes"

Production

Producer – Ken Scott
Assistant engineers – Brian Leshon, Chris Gregg, Gary Coppola
Mastered by SR/2*
Recorded at Chateau Recorders
Production coordinator – Steven Brooks

Notes

"What If" and "Ice Cakes" are re-recordings from the band's 1976 demo record The Great Spectacular.
"Take It Off the Top" was used as the theme song for the Friday Rock Show for most of the show's run (from 1978 to 1993).
American heavy metal guitarist James Murphy covered "Odyssey" on his Feeding the Machine solo album.
Progressive metal band Dream Theater covered "Odyssey" for the special edition of their 10th studio album Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

References

^ Gioffre, Daniel (2011). "What If - The Dixie Dregs | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 62. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
^ Waters, Timothy R. (December 17, 1981). "Classical mixed with bluegrass? Call them the Dregs". Arts. The Christian Science Monitor.
^ Bosso, Joe (September 13, 2022). ""I Was Like a Mad Scientist, Always Refining": Steve Morse Reveals How He Wrote "Take It Off the Top"". Guitar Player. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
^ from 1978 Album, 25 April 2010

[1] Gioffre, Daniel (2011). "What If - The Dixie Dregs | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.

[RSJRG-2] Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 62. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.

[3] Waters, Timothy R. (December 17, 1981). "Classical mixed with bluegrass? Call them the Dregs". Arts. The Christian Science Monitor.

[GWJB-4] Bosso, Joe (September 13, 2022). ""I Was Like a Mad Scientist, Always Refining": Steve Morse Reveals How He Wrote "Take It Off the Top"". Guitar Player. Retrieved October 23, 2024.

[5] rom 1978 Album, 25 April 2010

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Dixie Dregs
Steve Morse Rod Morgenstein Andy West Allen Sloan, M.D. Steve Davidowski Frank Brittingham Dave Morse Johnny Carr Mark Parrish Allen Sloan, M.D. Bart Yarnall Gilbert Frayer Frank Josephs T Lavitz Mark O'Connor Dave LaRue Jerry Goodman
Studio albums	The Great Spectacular Free Fall What If Night of the Living Dregs Dregs of the Earth Unsung Heroes Industry Standard Off the Record Full Circle
Related bands	Deep Purple Kansas Winger Mahavishnu Orchestra Flying Colors