Chopper - S/T

Chopper - Chopper
Released 1979 on Ariola Records SW-50049

While record shopping in Canada this one really caught my eye. The band is named Chopper. The cover looks like the backpatch worn by a biker gang. A search later would find that the band features a member of Steppenwolf. It was going to be a couple of days before I would be able to hear anything off of the album due to being out of town. But I mean come on, all of these signs pointed towards these guys being pretty hard rocking. Right?

That quick search of members also showed that the keyboardist was a member of Poco and future Elton John keyboardist. But nevermind that, biker name and biker looking cover! Steppenwolf member! These guys are going to be exceedingly hard rocking. No doubt about it!

Oh yeah, that Steppenwolf member would join Steppenwolf after leaving Chopper. But again, look at that cover! Wings spread, hard rock all the way to the biggest arenas with pyrotechnics all over the place.

With all of that then, Chopper, our possible biker band, actually plays AOR style Rock. AOR has always been a style of music I have tried to steer clear of due to it usually being associated with mellower bands. Bands that eventually became known for their ballads and after four albums would turn out nothing but ballads. Although AOR stands for "album orientated rock," I am not so sure why mellow music seems to be associated with the style. I'm not a fan of shmaltzy ballads, so AOR and I have never been friends.

So obviously I hate Chopper, right? I bought it expecting some great 70s HARD Rock. Something that would tear my face off, something possibly harder edged than The Godz. Obviously these guys are in my list of biggest disappointments. Right?

Well, I really like Chopper. For my money these guys do it all right. They never get cheesy, they never get too melodramatic, and they keep enough energy in the music to make it all work. They throw in just enough spots where the music kicks in and they stop being a wimpy ballad band. The album is full of great hooks, great playing, and a solid production.

Gary Link, our future Steppenwolf bassist, turns in a killer performance on "Blue Winter." Heck, he does on the entire album. But this song is close to being exactly what one would expect from an AOR band. Mellow, with some overly dramatic turns, but the bass is killer on this song. Link adds the perfect accents and gives us a little more than just a bass line. Perfect notes added here and there, just the right amount of a run here and there. The bass actually propels the song along and takes what could have been a mediocre tune and transforms it into a great track.

Songs like "Beggars Day," "Don't Cry" and "Be Ready For Me Tonight" keep the album from being too mellow. Solid 70s guitar driven radio friendly rock numbers. Yet these are really the only two numbers that show teeth. But really, this is fine, and they are far from the strongest cuts on the album.

The standout tracks for me are the aforementioned "Blue Winter," "I'll Hold Onto You" and "Eddie." "I'll Hold Onto You" features a guitar riff and tone that is just incredibly warming to the heart. It is one of those songs that you can put on, and once you hear that riff you would be fine with nothing else from the song. The riff and production on the song is that good.

Chopper was a really good band. Regardless of the image and name, they are without a doubt worthy of your time and attention. The album can be found for decent prices. It doesn't appear to be on the streaming services and it was never given a CD repressing. If AOR or solid Pop is your thing then this should be added into your want list.

Gary Link is still playing with Steppenwolf is appears. Kim Bullard was with Poco for a time. As of 2009 he has been a touring player with Elton John. Drummer Brad Seip is a bit tougher to track down. It doesn't appear that he moved on to anything else from Chopper.

Searching for lead guitarist Peter Bunch bring us to the law offices of divorce attorney Peter Bunch. Looking at the picture on the sleeve for Chopper, and the picture of the attorney, there is no doubt Mr. Bunch is now an attorney. This is further confirmed by the Record Robot blog.

So, what about that image? Why did they take on an image and name that is so out of place? According to the Record Robot page it appears that they were re-tooled by the label into an attempt at a biker band image. Which seems an absolutely ridiculous move considering the sound the band turned out. It isn't like people would be fooled once they actually heard the band. There is no way a group of bikers, looking for an evening of debauchery, are going to see this album cover on a poster outside the club, go in and be happy with the resulting music. Well, they might be, after being a little irked that the band isn't really rocking the heck out of the place. It was this over-handling of the band lead to the break up, which is a great shame. They were a really good band that could have been so much more than just the minor footnote that they are now.

Sources:
Record Robot: http://recordrobot.blogspot.com/2005/08/cautionary-tale-of-pete-and-george-and.html

Teazer - Hard As A Rock

Teazer - Hard As A Rock
Released 1980 on ROKO Records DRRC 133

Hawaii, not a place many people would think to mention when discussing the great Rock and Roll scenes of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, or really any era. As I write this I am even hard pressed to come up with any bands out of Hawaii that play any form of Rock and Roll. Obviously they exist, but have any of them made it off of the islands?

Let's just cut to the chase. Let me introduce you to Teazer.

So who was Teazer? According to keyboardist Stanton Hoffman they were based out of Honolulu in the late 70s. They play a fairly straight-up 70s Hard Rock and carried a no frills image.

Vocalist Tookie Dauzat sounds a little like Gary Mielle from Tattooed Love Boys. Yes, nothing better than using an obscure reference for an obscure band. I would have to figure that a lot of people still have no idea what we are getting at here. So how about this, at times Tookie sounds fantastic. Other times, such as the opening number - - - his voice can be a little grating. Falsetto is not his strong suit. But the attitude is there and he is a pretty good vocalist when staying within his zone.

The guitar and drum production is a little soft. I would imagine in the studio the band had a great sound, then after mastering everybody sat around trying to figure out where the bite went. Solos sound good, but everything else is more or less on a level playing field.

As mentioned at the beginning, song-wise we are talking 70s Hard Rock with a blues angle. Discogs carries a "glam" tag on the album. I would have to disagree there. There isn't anything outright Glam about the band. The band would be better suited opening for bands ranging from Boston, Ted Nugent, Foghat, and other big Rock acts of the sort. The fans would also be much more appreciative of them than fans of, say, Bowie, T-Rex, or Sweet.

Songs like "Money, Women and Guns" and "Bad News" almost walk a line that would be at home with a Lynard Skynard or Allman Brothers. Slight Southern bend to the songs. This is also explained by the dedication to Ronnie Van Zant on the sleeve. The album also features a song entitled "Louisiana" which is also a find touch of Southern Rock, complete with a brilliant chorus that would probably get clear plastic cups full of cheap beer raised in the area as an audience sang along.

Yet songs like "Hard as a Rock" and "Electrified" would almost be just as happy being played by early 80s Metal acts. "Electrified" would almost be perfectly done by Wrathchild, with Tookie's voice almost even carrying a touch of Rocky Shades at times. "Electrified" and "Rock Out" might be the two songs that create the Glam tag. I think "Rock Out" even features the chorus of "Rock out with your cock out," so I would probably have to give them the award for stupid Hair band lyrics before the time. The song also features a nice guitar break where the production works nice and the guitar is really crisp sounding.



I do have one skipper song, but it is due to personal preference and not a fault of the band. Final song "Logan Avenue Blues" is what the title implies. A Chicago electric Blues style number. Solid performance all around, but just not what I would hope for on a closing number on an album that rocks fairly steady.

In a message from Stanton Hoffman I was told that the band only made 1,000 copies of the album. Of those he says only around 500 probably made it to the streets. So this is a fairly rare find. The album can be found on Discogs for $50 or so, which then begs the question "Is it worth it?" At this point you have to ask what you are in the game for. It is a solid record with some mediocre songs and a few really good. Nothing jumps out as to being a "you have got to hear this!" song. If it was to be found up to $10 I would say it is worth your money.


I am trying to find out where the rest of the band is. Did they continue on, or what happened with them? I appears that Mr. Hoffman is still involved in music, though no longer based out of Hawaii. It would seem he is now mainland U.S., so one had to wonder if that is a sign of the scene in Hawaii for music, or were there ties to the mainland. Obviously the only way any of that matter is from a historical context as to the Hawaiian Rock and Roll scene. But as my shelves of music are not overflowing with Hawaiian Rock and Roll bands quite in the same way it is with Scandinavian, Sunset Strip, Austin Texas bands, the curiosity starts to win out in my brain.

So yes, Hawaii had some solid Rock and Roll in the late 70s/early 80s. How many bands existed? I have no idea. But I do know of one who was waving the flag and doing what sounds like a pretty solid job. I would have to guess that if there were not a lot of bands doing it down there, then these guys were either kings or they could never get booked, but either way it was due to them being pretty dang good at what they were doing.

edit: Almost to prove my point some website just ran an article on the most popular band from every state. For Hawaii they listed some band named "Pepper" I have never heard of. I guess they are from 2000 and are still going. The picture shows them on stage at a 2007 Warped Tour show. I guess they are a Reggae style thing. I am standing by my assumption that Hawaii has not turned out a lot of Rock and Roll.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2017/08/30/most-famous-band-from-every-state/4/

Merry Christmas and check this out!

Just a quick post to wish folks a merry Christmas! The past month saw a pretty big rise in readers. The Demons article has over 1200 reads on it, which shocked me. So thank you to whoever you are that is taking the time to read this blog. Even my print 'zine (Sonic Ruin) never saw anywhere near those numbers. Even the other articles, averaging around 100 reads, are more than my 'zine ever saw.

Christmas was fairly light this year. I will be following Marillion for three shows in February, so that was pretty much my gift. My mom, on her way to my house, stopped by the previously reviewed Rochester Records and grabbed me Sweet's Level Headed. In a quick review of the store, Mom conformed that the owner was incredibly nice. Still lacking a full alphabetized store, but oh well.

Some of these reads are possibly coming from the Shabby Road Record Show. Shabby is one of my favorite podcasts. For music it is easily the best. A.D. Adams and Ryan McKay are incredibly fun to listen to and their friendship is infectious. If you scroll through this site and listen to their show you will see notice similarities. They have been instrumental in my finding vinyl and finding great bands.

I recently dropped a link to my blog on their Facebook page in response to a post. Ryan then read the blog and decided to recommend the blog to their readers. So, with that being said, I am going to run wild with his saying this is a "Shabby Road Approved Blog"!!! Yes, I will be creating a meme that says that and I will be plastering it all over this blog. When I site you love throws a little love your way it kind of causes a rush of excitement. This was an early Christmas present without a doubt.

If you are unfamiliar with the Shabby Road, do yourself a HUGE favor and stop by and check out the most recent episode. Part of the beauty of the show is that you can listen to any one of them and know if it is your thing, as they have been consistent in high quality from day one. But if I were to recommend any episode, I would have to say track down any of the ones that had Mikey Bones (RIP) on them. That man was a gem.

http://www.shabbyroadrecordshow.com

Rex - S/T

Rex - S/T
Released 1976 on Columbia PC34399

Every generation has its share of teen heartthrob and teen idol superstars. From Ricky Nelson all the way to recently Justin Beiber (and whoever is slowly gaining momentum and about to make us forget about Justin). The people have always been here. When people complain about the modern version and start to claim how today's fads are crap and all the real music and stars were in the past, gently remind people that this is the way entertainment has always worked.

One thing that has always been a constant with these teen heartthrobs is the desire by these people to be taken seriously. I can still remember hearing tales of how Shaun Cassidy really only wanted to rock like the hard rocks acts of the early 70s. I believe these desires were also shared by Leif Garrett. David Cassidy strove to just be recognized as a serious artist, which lead to Broadway and the stage in general.

This desire also lead to The Monkees to take control of their musical output and release their strongest album, Headquarters. They had no desire to be stuck as a centerfold spread in the teeny-bopper magazines. They wanted the Pop stardom, but they wanted it on their own terms.

But what happens when the opposite happens? When you have a person who is a credible, serious, brilliant hard rock performer. A person who is fronting a brilliant, hard hitting rock act. What happens when that person leading the band, a band on the rise (but maybe not rising fast enough), is also teen heartthrob in appearance?

If you, fine readers, are unfamiliar with them, let me introduce you to Rex!

Rex were a early to mid-70s five piece hard rock act that rocked just as hard as anybody else out there. Any questions about how hard they could rock is answered within the first 30 seconds of the first song on this, their debut album. The song is "Trouble" and it features a killer riff with an even better vocal melody. Yes, the intro riff is a little disjointed and awkward feeling, but it all works and comes together in a glorious song for fighting.

The band featured dual guitars, bass and drums with a vocalist who had the abilities to rival Robert Plant and Steve Marriott. Maybe not as soulful as those guys, but without a doubt brave enough to chase the staggering heights those two would chase. Buy he was also better looking than those two guys, and he seemed to be more than happy to be front and center.

Make no doubt about it, the star of the show is vocalist Rex Smith. The band is named after him for this very reason. If this was a band decision or a label decision, there is no doubt he was the star. This is also obvious songs like "Stay With Me," a slow blues-ish burner which is designed in execution to show off Smith's vocal abilities. The guitars do nothing but strum a chord and hold it out to ring while Smith throws his voice all over the place. No guitar fills getting in his way, and drum fills are held off until Smith is out of the way. As long as he is in verse or chorus, everything is there just to back him up to let him do his thing. It is admirable, and also a little frustrating. Aside from a pretty dang good solo to end the song, it is Smith.

The song could have been a masterpiece if everybody was allowed to step in and shine. Yes, songs need to have room to breathe, but every song should also fill gaps where feelings should show up, and the only feeling in an actual band should not only come from the vocalist.

Something about Rex makes me think of a hard edged Silverhead. Smith and Michael Des Barres even share a few vocal traits in tone. Both can really lead a song. Smith has more range, and Des Barres has more attitude.

With the exception of "Stay With Me," which is not the Faces tune, the album is all about rocking the hell out of your house. But remember, even that song will blow your roof off with Smith's vocal wailing. That song closes out side one, and it almost has to just to give you a chance to catch your breath.

The album does feature two covers: the aforementioned "Stay With Me," which has been covered and recorded numerous times. Again, this is not the song that was a hit for Faces. This is a slower Bluesy number that allows Smith to belt out the voice. The other cover is The Who's "I Can't Explain." An admirable cover that sticks close to the original.

Closing out is the great one two punch of "Rock And Roll Dream" (which is a classic 70s hard rock number) and the brilliant "Violent Playground." Killer guitar riff and wonderful vocal track on "Violent Playground" make the listener want to go back in for a second round with the album and leaves you with the exact memory you need. Opening with "Trouble" and closing with "Violent Playground" is a brilliant move.

Rex Smith is the brother of Starz vocalist Michael Lee Smith. So Rex had something to prove right away if his brother was fronting the brilliant Starz. There are similarities, but I do think that the band Rex does hit harder than Starz did. Starz had a little more Glam and party atmosphere. Rex is a little more down and dirty. "Dead End Kids" has a darker vibe and content. This is not to say that Rex was a better band than Starz, they were just went more towards that gutter angle on this release.

So what happened with Rex? What were they? In a video interview with bassist Orville Davis we get an idea of some of what happened. On the surface one can make the obvious assumption that Smith followed the money. Davis makes the claim that the whole band were hired guns. He states that the first time he met Mike Ratti, the drummer, was at the first rehearsal. If the band was a truly organic band, formed from the ground up, one would guess they would have met at a party, a bar, or anywhere other than the first rehearsal. This points to a product.

So the band may have been hired guns, but a look at the credits tells us it was meant to be more. This isn't a Monkees style hiring with professional song-writer provided songs. The songs on the album are mostly written by the members, with two outside helpers and two covers. So the attempt of a real band was at play. This works as the whole thing does sound like a band that had been working together for a time. While Rex Smith is the show, the whole band is contributing and is a vital component. These present days are not like that, and an album of hired guns sounds just like that and only carries the face of the person the band is assembled around.

That being said, it was obvious just from the covers that this was all about Rex Smith. He is the only one on both the Rex album covers. Although, he is not very photogenic on this cover and he looks downright terrified on the back of the cover. But it would seem this was all assembled around him.

For as great of a record this one is, and everything leads me to believe the second is just as good, the times were tough for hard rock bands. The competition was really thick back during the mid-to late 70s for these bands. Most hard rock acts had to have more than one "ace in the hole" during this time. Bands like Led Zeppelin had a Plant and a Page, and behind them they had Jones and Bonham. Styx eventually had De Young and Shaw. KISS had the two voices, Frehley AND the image. Bands like Rex, Starz and Angel struggled against these other acts. Great bands, but they were missing that one thing that could throw them over the top. Plus during this time if a hard rock audience sniffed a corporate act it could kill the band. Bands like Boston, Foreigner, Supertramp, while becoming big were torn apart by the crowds who believed in keeping it real. So while Rex was a great band with solid musicians, nobody jumped out at you, so the competition was going to be that much tougher, especially in a band formed around the vocalist.

This is speculation, but I think in hindsight we can kind of see what went on. The label hired Rex Smith, formed a band of what was popular. They hired a backing band made up of people who were real musicians who had slugged it out. They gave it a shot and they did OK, but they seemed to never go far beyond opening act for big bands. The labels possibly decided that the band was not worth the money or time, and that Smith would be easier to work with if they gave him true hired guns, people who just played and didn't act like a real band.

1977 saw the second Rex album released, the first Rex Smith album came out two years later. If I was a betting man (and I am) I would say the label pulled Rex and gave him a make-over and took those two year to help redesign him. On the cover for the second Rex album, Where Do We Go From Here (heck, even that album title is a bit prophetic), we see Rex Smith with black hair and looking fairly rebellious. On the first Smith solo album, Sooner or Later, his hair has blonde highlights and is poofier. There was a definite style change.

And that was that. Rex the band was gone, Rex Smith the teen heartthrob was born. He would eventually go to being an actor first and foremost.

Davis went on his way and joined Starz. I guess it only makes sense. Before Rex he was in the band Hydra, and according to him they still play every now and then and have remained friends (Off The Record). He is still playing and releasing music. He currently does Country and is solo as a vocalist and guitarist.

Mike Ratti, the drummer, can be found in a quick 1:22 second video online (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br4hkUMEW3o). According to Discogs he has worked with a couple of other bands (Heavy Balloons pre-Rex and The Nails post-Rex). Watch the video, it is short but very much worth it. He confirms he has merch from Rex still. He and Davis also confirm that somewhere out there is an unfinished third Rex album that was more in light with the band that they truly imagined Rex could be. If this is true, then somewhere out there is a lost Rock and Roll masterpiece, as both Davis and Ratti say they were held back on the first two.

My copy of Rex was found at a Half Price Books for the outrageous price of $0.50! At that price it is possibly the single best music purchase I have made. I would easily pay $15 for this one. Front to back it is a brilliant slab of Hard Rock. An album that walks a fine line between Hard Rock and actually touches on some Punk sensibilities. It is a true shame that we don't have more from these guys. There are some live bootlegs to be found on You Tube and one really gets the idea that these guys should have been much bigger. Grab this one if you see it without hesitation.

Sources: Orville Davis interview with Off The Record https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01tPoe30vQ0

The Demons - S/T

edit: If you are just reading this for the first time, please take the time to visit the comments section. Guitarist Martin John Butler has been chiming in with some wonderful details about the history of the band. His input is priceless!

The Demons - S/T
Released 1977 on Mercury SRM-1-1164
Promo copy without inserts

For a few years now I have really wondered how many times bands that are credited with a certain sound are truly the creators of the sounds, and how many times they are just a product of the environment. We all know that AC/DC spawned thousands of imitators. We can figure this because after the enormous success of Back In Black we were suddenly faced with bands from the US and the UK that sounded very similar. In that case those bands were taking what made them a hit and using it to their own advantage.

But was the sound something they created? We can go back to Australia around the same time and find bands such as Rose Tattoo and The Angels. Both of these bands had similar sounds to AC/DC. So was it AC/DC or just the environment and trends in Australia during this time period that created more than a few bands with the same sound? AC/DC obviously being the most successful, due to management, song quality, or maybe pure determination (or all of the above), but bands like the aforementioned Rose Tattoo and Angels not being copy-cats, but actual peers running down the same roads.

One can even go back into the mid 60s, just as The Beatles were blowing up. The sound and style was not exclusive to them. They were a part of a scene. But when people look back now they tend to give The Beatles credit for what happened in music.

This brings us to The Demons. A band that is so set in their scene that without any form of knowledge of the band I knew exactly where they hailed from by the time the first chorus hit. For many people it might be thought that they are a copycat band, but a little research shows that they are very much a product of a time period in a location and a part of their scene.

Before we get too much further, and before people started getting ready to type in the comments that I am an idiot. Yes, The New York Dolls are without a doubt a cornerstone of that scene. It is hard to argue that they were not the catalyst for the underground scene in New York, and that spawned the Ramones. But there was shortly after a definite Rock and Roll sound that came about, with a lot of bands popping up doing almost the same thing. Whereas the Ramones had that 50s things going, they were relying on power chords. Bands like The Heartbreakers, however, were using full chords. A pretty big difference in the sound and impact.

So here we meet The Demons. The Demons were very much a part of the scene. Founding member of the aforementioned Heartbreakers Walter Lure was an early member (according to lead guitarist Martin John Butler's website). Vocalist Eliot Kidd was close friends with Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan (in his own words as can be read in the Legs McNeil book Please Kill Me). Kidd recounts many stories between himself and Thunders in the pages of Please Kill Me. This only helps add to it that this was not a copy of style, but rather contemporaries experiencing the same world.

The Demons were a five piece early Punk act out of New York in 1977. By my typing that sentence, if you know your music scenes you know exactly what The Demons sound like. The sound is text book on how to be a New York Punk/RnR band from the formative years of the mid to late 70s. Light on distortion, heavy on attitude, with a touch of the 50s and early 60s AM Rock and Roll founders added into the mix. The type of band that will sing a heartbreaking song about missing somebody ("What a Shame"), but then deliver a song about how much hate they have for somebody, with some pretty brutal lyrics. In fact, in Please Kill Me Kidd speaks about how the big difference between the 50s songs they loved and punk is in the lyrics (p. 260). He mentions that their material takes the songs to areas that were never approached before. In Eliot Kidd's own words ". . . basically punk rock was just rock and roll. We weren't taking music anywhere new . . . we were all at the age where we had grown up with pop radio: Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard and Chuck Berry." (McNeil, p. 263)

So remember, we are talking about 1977 here. Don't think Punk of the hardcore variety that is now associated with the word "Punk." This is Rock and Roll with extra danger and attitude added. There is nothing here that couldn't be played on that radio. It is all just Rock and Roll. It doesn't even have the bite that would show up that same year from The Dead Boys or the Sex Pistols. The guitars are light on distortion, but just as dangerous.

The debut album, and only album, from The Demons, is a wonderful addition to the New York Punk / Glam scene. An album that should be in the collection of almost anybody who has an interest in 70s Glam or 70s Punk. Songs like "It'll Be Alright" and "She's So Tuf" are brilliant tracks that should be considered classics. "She's So Tuf" is textbook New York Rock and Roll. The dang thing should be one of those songs that everybody has covered.

The album features two cover tunes, one being a version of Gene Pitney's "She's a Rebel." The other being the band beating The Clash to the punch by delivering a blistering cover of "I Fought The Law" of its own. A notch down from the intensity of The Clash version, but still a wonderful version of the song.

The cover of the album is what caught my eye. It was actually Martin John Butler and Robbie Twyford that sold me on the album. Then the song titles. But in all honesty, I still am a little surprised by the sound every time I look at Robbie Twyford. He looks more like he should have fallen out of a British band circa 1967. The styles are a little mixed on the cover, but the dang guys still look incredibly cool.

The Demons were through and through Rock and Roll, and they were through and through New York. Musically they featured solid guitar work with those trademark flourishes from the area. Solid drumming and vocals that could have fit right in with The Dictators (Shernoff and Teeter).
A band that seriously needs to be preserved, and luckily one that at this moment in time can still be had from the used stores for a good price. But if the world begins to catch on, this thing is going to skyrocket in price. I think I paid around $5.00 for it, which is a steal.

So what became of The Demons? It seems that they met with some rather terrible fate. According to the website for Martin John Butler (lead guitar), the band was enjoying the success for this album, selling 250,000 copies even! But then tragedy struck and drummer Mike Rappoport was killed in a car accident. I don't know the details, and even that knowledge comes from a post on his guest book. He mentions the loss of Rappoport, but a friend chimes in mentioning the car accident aspect.

Eliot Kidd, the brains and voice behind the band, had also met with tragedy. This is according to the website Dead Punk Stars. According to them Eliot had done time due to dealing and eventually passed away in 1998.

Thankfully Martin John Butler has created a Facebook page for The Demons. It appears that Bob Jones, the other guitarist, is doing well and is still involved with music. Obviously his name would be a little bit harder to search on the internet, so as of this writing this is as far as I went in my research.

Mr. Butler's personal site seems to be a little out of date, but he appears to still be active. As I mention though he is running the Demons Facebook page, which can be found by searching Demons/NYC or by clicking https://www.facebook.com/The-DemonsNYC-101777063232690/. His personal site, with some newer music, can be found here: http://www.martinbutlermusic.com/home.html

As for Robbie Twyford, I have not been able to find anything. A search for Robbie turned up nothing. Scanning the Demons Facebook site also didn't show me anything. But who know, maybe one of the Demons will see this and give a little information.

sources:
McNeil, Legs. McCain, Gillian. Please Kill Me. Penguin, 1997.
Dead Punk Stars website - http://www.deadpunkstars.com/browse/153/eliot_kidd.html

Hero - S/T

Hero - S/T
Released 1977 on Mercury SRM-1-1137
Promo copy with lyric insert

Let's be honest, as the years roll by it gets a little more difficult to be as excited as I once was for music. Bands like Hanoi Rocks, The Lords of the New Church, T-Rex, Slade, The Damned, and so on, when first exposed it was a life changing moment. Finding bands that the radio doesn't play, but who are actually better than the bands the radio does play, is an amazing experience. The excitement continued for years, but eventually those bands have influenced so many others that one starts to experience a little bit of the "been there, done that" with music.


Which is part of the reason why finding bands like Hero (and Hounds below) is such an exciting experience!

This is not to say there is anything super original going on with Hero, or that they are playing something I have never heard. In fact, it is completely the opposite. Hero is a 70s Glam act, complete with stomping drums drums and big choruses. The type of sound that was perfect for the 70s. The soundtrack for an afternoon cruising in the summer with your t-tops down, girls in halter tops, roller skates, tight t-shirts, feathered hair and tube socks. Video games played not in an arcade, but a pizza shop.

What is so refreshing is that it is that sound, that exact sound, that era, and I have never heard it before. Yes, there are nostalgia acts, bands influenced by the era, but nobody is able to nail it right on. There is always something missing. The keyboard at the beginning of "Taxi Driver" would not exist like it does here. The vocals would not sound like they do here.

On top of all of that, the songs here are as good as anything any band of the time period was doing, if not a little bit better. Every song rocks, there isn't a ballad to be found anywhere. They seemed to be interested only in giving a hell of a great party record, one that would stick in your head with hook after hook. Nothing seemed to have been done half-hearted.

Stand out tracks are easily the opening number "I Love The Way You Rock and Roll," which features a brilliant verse and response that adds a energy to the song that is infectious. Vocalist Scott Phares also really shines on this song and really tears it up. No vocal acrobatics, just a performance that lets the listener know he is serious about what is happening here.

"I Love The Way . . ." leads right into the follow-up track, "You Are The People." First off, I could listen to this song combo for no other reason than the way these two songs roll into each other. No, it isn't smooth, but it is brilliant in its execution. But if that wasn't enough, the chorus on this one is insanely catchy. One of those choruses that needed a 70s arena, pyro, lights, everything. If it wasn;t a magical experience, it should have been.

I am not sure what caught my eye with this album. The cover isn't the greatest, nor is the name and logo. It might have been the back cover. If I had opened the record and read the lyrics, I can pretty much guarantee that the lyrics to the third song "Smile" would have been what made me walk straight to the counter. "Your girlfriend she's a junky / You're best friend he's a queen / The two of them / broke into your house / And they rob you while you sleep." Come on . . . I'm walking to the counter with that one right away, smiling the whole way.

"I'm the King, I'm the Star" is classic 70s all around and everything is wonderful about it. Hooky, borderline Bubblegum. Wonderful vocal line that has that 70s feel, with a chorus that could only have been produced in that era. It is everything that made the era what it was. To make this one better, check out this opening verse: "Ladies here I am / Gentlemen's answer to Superman / Standin' on the stage / Posin' for tomorrow's front page." This leads into the chorus of "I'm the king, I'm the star." Again, come on . . . that's pretty cool. No, that's really cool.

As mentioned earlier, the beginning keyboard on "Taxi Driver" is a thing of beauty. The song itself is every bit as wonderful. The drive of the verse is perfect, the chorus is a slight build up on that verse. Then we have the solo that takes all those elements and just twists it up slightly. The song moves and takes you along with it and builds to a wonderful end.

I have no idea who they are, or were. At this point they seem to be my perfect example of what I am on the hunt for in music. That great band that only released one or two albums and then vanished. In this case there was a second album, Boys Will Be Boys. But then what happened? What got them to the label? Why did they disappear? They have two brothers in the band, was it their band originally?

The only thing I have found is that guitarist Neil Citron (https://www.neilcitron.com) has slugged it out through the years. Becoming more of a behind the scenes guy who owns a studio and even winning a Grammy! He has a pretty impressive list of credits on his website. He also happens to be the cousin of Howard Leese from Heart. Around 2006 he played with Quiet Riot and has remained close with Frankie Banali.

As I mention, there is a second album. Normally I am a "wait until I find it at the shop" kind of guy when it comes to buying my vinyl. I love the hunt. But in this case I have a feeling that as soon as the holidays get out of the way I will be sending some money out to a faceless place on Discogs to get the second album. This album is that good that I would rather not leave hearing more from these guys up to chance.

If you love Glam, if you love 70s Rock, if you love Bubblegum, if you love Power Pop, if you love Rock and Roll, then this album is everything you need. This is the very definition of under appreciated, a forgotten masterpiece. Yes, I place it right up against any other Glam release from that time period. Yes, I am aware somebody is out there thinking "He's crazy," or the band will stumble onto this and think "This guy is an idiot," but I also have no doubt many others who are fans of this style will also love this album as much as I do. I paid $10 for it, and I would have gladly paid three times that price.