For various reasons, including the sheer length of their recording career, as well as the multitude of labels they've been on, NRBQ's discography is kind of a mess. No matter how you look at it, 1986's 1986, "RC Cola and a Moon Pie" was an odd addition to the catalog. I'm not sure what the marketing angle was, but the album served as mixture of reissue and odd and ends compilation. Eight of the tracks were pulled off the band's third release - 1973's "Workshop". The other four songs reflected: two previously unreleased tracks ('Ratch-I-Tatch' and 'Louisville'), an obscure ingle 'Sourpuss', and a track off their second LP ('Don't Knock At My Door'). The track line-up didn't make a great deal of sense to me, but then I'm not in music marketing. Why wouldn't you have simply reissued "Workshop" with a couple of bonus tracks ... - One of their best compositions, the breezy, country-tinged 'Mona' was the perfect song for a Saturday afternoon. They've seldom sounded as relaxed and playful and the acoustic guitar solos are wonderful. rating: **** stars- Terry Adams' inspiration apparently came from his own youthful love of RC and Big Bill Lister's 1951 hit 'Gimme an RC Cola and a Moon Pie'. A '50s-styled blues workout, here's another one where the band sounded like they were having a blast recording the tune. There are actually two versions of 'RC Cola and a Moon Pie'. The short version was included on the 'Workshop' album. A longer version was found on the flip side of their 1973 'Come On If You're Comin' single. rating: **** stars- They've recorded it a couple of times, but this version of Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry's 'Come On If You're Comin'' is the best of the lot. Sheer exhuberance and joy; a pleasure to groove to. As mentioned above, it was released as a 1973 single. rating: **** stars- One of the two previously unreleased tracks, it was pretty easy to see why 'Ratch-I-Tatch' had been shelved. While it had a bluesy hook, musically the track sounded like a demo that never quite gelled. The Whole Wheat Horns were prominently featured on the second half of the song. rating: ** stars- 'Deaf, Dumb and Blind' found the band at their most pop oriented. Catchy and highly commercial, its hard to believe this one wasn't tapped as a single. A bunch of mid-'70s English new wave popsters (Ian Gomm, Nick Lowe), would seem to owe these guys a major bow of gratitude for inspiration. rating: **** stars- The second previously unreleased track, the brief instrumental 'Louisville' showcased the Whole Wheat Horns and sounded like something Randy Newman might have been for a film score. Forgettable. rating: ** stars- Written by original lead guitarist Steve Ferguson and previously released as a single, 'Sourpuss' was a touch too country for my taste though the lyrics were actually kind of funny ("you've got a personality like an onion ring"). rating: ** stars- No idea what it was about, but 'Miss Moses' was the album's most complex, intriguing, and relaxing offering. It also showed what a wonderful voice Adams had. Shame it was so short. rating: **** stars- A nice pocket rocker, ' I Got a Little Secret' has always reminded me a bit of what Los Lobos would sound like if they ever decided to channel a '60s pop band. Can a song be cute? If so, here's a great example of one. rating: **** stars- I'm guessing it was written during the early-1970s gas crises (anyone out there old enough to remember OPEC?), but 'Get that Gasoline Blues' was the kind of song that I'd normally detest - far too clever for its own good, but then the guitar solo kicks in and as icing on the cake, they start chanting the names of every gas company known to mankind. Hard not to be won over by that type of goofiness. rating: **** stars- A personal favorite, they simply kick the living stuffing out of 'Don't Knock At My Door'. A song I can listen to time after time, after time. rating: **** stars- Like the earlier 'Louisville', the instrumental ' Four Million B.C.' showcased the Whole Wheat Horns and again sounded like a piece of incidental music for a film about ragtime. Didn't do much for me. rating: ** starsGiven it's fractured birth (for goodness sakes, again, why not just reissue "Works"), the album wasn't the most consistent thing they ever released, but it's an easy way to get a peek at prime NRBQ - that being Terry Adams, Al Anderson, Joey Spampinato, and Tom Staley. Let me add the album cover is a personal favorite, appealing to my Southern roots and my youth - I'm old enough to have actually enjoyed an RC and a Moon Pie for lunch."RC Cola and a Moon Pie" track listing:(side 1)1.) Mona (Joey Spampinato) - 2:212.) RC and a Moon Pie (Terry Adams) - 3:323.) C'mon If You're Comin' B. McGhee) - 3:174.) Ratch-I-Tatch (Terry Adams) - 3:405.) Deaf, Dumb and Blind (Joey Spampinato) - 2:246.) Louisville (instrumental) (Terry Adams) - 1:00(side 2)1.) Sourpuss (Steve Ferguson) - 2:012.) Miss Moses (Terry Adams) - 1:053.) I Got a Little Secret (Joey Spampinato) - 2:374.) Get that Gasoline Blues Terry Adams - C. Craig) - 3:135.) Don't Knock At My Door (Joey Spampinato) - 2:526.) Four Million B.C. (instrumental) (Terry Adams) - 2:37