Wobbler - Hinterland (2005, 2022 Reissue)

I first came into awareness of Wobbler a little over a year ago. Maybe more. But, it was recently, especially considering the age of the band. But, it was with the release of their fantastic Dwellers of the Deep album that I found them, so during their most recent album. 

Recently, their label Karisma Records was able to get the rights to the first three Wobbler releases for reissue. So, the obvious course of action to take is to buy the blasted things. 

For those unfamiliar, Wobbler is a Norwegian progressive rock act. They are of the symphonic version of prog, so expect lengthy pieces that border on the classical side, rather than the jazz side. However, they draw from enough influences that they dabble in all aspects of prog. We get a little classical at times, and a little jazz at times. But, regardless of the exact version of prog, they are sticking to a 70s influence, and even try to stick to the vintage instruments of the time. 

All of that being said, I am only really familiar with their two newest albums. Although all of their material is available on Apple Music, I never spent much time digging into the earlier albums. I do believe that the first two (one of which is what I am about to write about here) sticks even more true to the vintage ideals. The first two albums also feature a different lead vocalist and lead guitarist than the two albums I had previously. 

So, how do these compare to the two newest albums? The band, according to the liner notes inside Hinterland, seems to feel that the first album shows a band that was still earning the ropes, a band that didn't know what to do in the studio. I have to say they are dead wrong. From their perspective it might be full of amateurish ideas and studio abilities, but to this listening, this is some fantastic music!

Even on this, their first, they manage to throw everything into the mix. One thing about Wobbler is that they are a very high energy act, and that goes all the way back to this era. They don't play mellow. They definitely play around with dynamics, but for the most part, everything is extremely hard hitting. Bass and drums pound away, while the guitars and keyboards whirl around series of notes and passages that cause your head to swim. 

Vocally we are in the same territory that we were in with a lot of bands during the 90s and early 2000s. Borderline Fish/Gabriel style vocals. During this time period a lot of bands were doing that vocal style. That's not to say one will think this might be either of those gentlemen, but it is of that style. We aren't talking operatic heights of vocal acrobatics, its more about the emotion, with the exception of a portion of "Rubato Industry" where we definitely hit some high notes that would make King Diamond smile. 

The bass and drumming. Holy smokes! Brilliant work on both accounts. This is a special part of Wobbler today, and it is great to hear it all here. 

The only area that I would possibly say that they are correct about the amateurish side, would be in possibly being over-indulgent in their song writing. They might get carried away with passages and the amount of notes they throw in, but this is also what will endear them to many prog fans. Wobbler is a prog band for prog fans, no doubt about it at all. 

4 songs. Well, really, 3 songs. "Serenade For 1652" is a short instrumental piece. Otherwise we have 3 long numbers that rock. Don't be fooled by the mellow start to "Clair Obscur." The gentle nature of the beginning does not last very long. 

This is a fantastic record, one that deserves to be in the collection of any prog fan. 

AC/DC - '74 Jailbreak (1984)

 

So, there was once this band called AC/DC. They were either Satanists or bi-sexuals who were popular in the 70s and early 80s. Some people thought that might have some longevity, but they eventually disappeared from the face of the earth and were never heard from again. Shame. They might have amounted to something had they just had a fair shot. 

I was talking with a friend the other day. Well, texting with a friend. I rarely actually talk to friends anymore. But, we were chatting about AC/DC, and both of us are lifelong fans, who just never collected all their stuff for one reason or another. My problem was I became one of those punks who took his "punkness" extremely seriously. I didn't like anything that wasn't under the "punk" banner for a few years there. My poor copy of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap met with the unruly defacing perpetrated by an ignorant and arrogant twit who was wearing my skin and clothes at the time. I also eventually sold off my copy of Back In Black to buy some other record. I would like to get in my Wayback Machine to see what it was I bought. Was I an idiot, or was it a worthy purchase?

Just a few years after such idiotic actions occurred, I eventually started grabbing their material again. I eventually realized AC/DC encompassed more of the punk attitude than almost every punk act combined. The kings of not giving a fuck about what anybody thought of them.

This one, however, never came my way. It came out between two of their "less than loved" releases (Flick of the Switch and Fly on the Wall), and while it was Bon Scott era, it isn't really ideal Bon Scott material. While "Jailbreak" and "Soul Stripper" are pretty good (with "'74" being a little more that pretty good), the others aren't "must hear" tracks. I don't know the exact reasons it was released, but I can only guess it was an attempt at trying to keep people interested in the band after the mediocre showing of Flick of the Switch, which is a fine album, but did nothing for the public. But it is odd that they rolled out Bon Scott era, which almost seems foolish. Was it to prove Johnson superior? To remind people how great Scott was? To show how far they had come in song writing and production? We can say that for anybody who says "AC/DC only does one type of song" might be interested in checking this out. "Jailbreak" is pretty much what one expects out of AC/DC, but the other tunes are a fairly varied bunch, with the cover of "Baby, Please Don't Go" being, while Blues and obviously in their wheelhouse, a rather different sounding tune for them. Angus in particular is not soloing exactly as we expect Angus to solo. There are a few runs he does that are not typical.

Most AC/DC fans have this, and I'm not saying anything new. But, well, there ya go.

Also, yeah, the name makes no damn sense.

Thanks, again, to Colleen for the tunes.

Chromatic Aberration - The Trial of the King (2021)

 I will agree that it is a little odd that the first "return" post I am making right now is actually for a digital download. But, in my defense, I have always said that the most important thing is not the media that I am collecting, it is all about the music. I am not a person who will buy up a massive lot of albums being sold just because they are a good price. I would rather spend a large sum on that one piece of music I have been hunting, than on a bunch of albums I will never listen to, no matter how long they are in my collection. Music is what I love, the media I love it on the most is vinyl, but if there is no other option, I go for the music. 

Which brings us to the new release, possibly technically the true debut, from Chromatic Aberration. 43 minutes of progressive rock indulgence, created by two guys living across the country from each other, who somehow managed to finish off a project during this pandemic we are existing in right now.

I say "possibly" a debut because there is one other release on Bandcamp from the duo called The Nomad. However, in their short Bandcamp bio, they refer to an earlier demo, which is what The Nomad could possibly be. Song one on The Nomad is "Fortune Hunter," which is what kicks off The Trial of the King. The version on The Nomad does indeed sound more "demo" like than the version we find here.

Whatever the case might be, what we do have here is a very strong offering, especially when we consider this is two guys creating this thing from across the country. The duo (with help from a few friends on vocal duties) play a form of symphonic prog (lush instrumentations, heavy on composition, almost orchestral, often times featuring longer song lengths, for those unfamiliar with the term). In their own admission they call out an obvious love for Rush (yeah, they get really close to lifting straight from the catalog, or brains, of Lifeson and Lee, I can't figure out which), but one also hears Yes and Genesis in their music. For Yes it is in instrumental composition choices at times, whereas Genesis comes into play with the guitar tones at times, and some of the solos. 

Vocally, however, they are totally different from those bands, and it works quite well, especially on track 2, "Lord of the City." I have always felt that the vocals are either the final winning touch to a Prog outfit, or the death knell. In this case, the vocals work in their uniqueness, and in their ability. 

The band, Joe Rubio (guitars, bass and keyboards) and Steve Chait (drums, percussion, and something vocals), definitely seem more interested in catchy songs with meaningful parts, than they do with extreme flash. In these ways they carry their love of Rush. Strong musicianship, but nothing that ever feels like showing off, or being flashy for the sake of being flashy. Everything fits in its place. 

The album does end with the 21 minute epic "The Trial of the King," and I give them credit for having the guts to go down this path. However, normally these epics are the highlights of the albums. In this case I am not walking away thinking that it is the highpoint. It definitely has some serious highpoints, such as the beginning, which is a complete collision of Rush and Genesis in every single way. But, I think "Lord of the City" is my favorite track at this point. But, as I type this I am listening to "The Trial of the King," and am still finding all these parts that I do love (the section around the 12-minute mark is just wonderful). A great song, but I expect that if these two keep going, they still have their best work ahead of them, and I don't want to build too much hype up yet. 

So, this is the third brand new, released in 2021, album that I have listened to so far this year. At this point this is my favorite release of 2021. Do I expect it to remain number one? No. Do I anticipate it moving out of the top 10? Well, it is kind of a win-win for me here. If it does fall out, then that means there have been 10 amazing releases this year. If it remains, that means it has endured the year, which means it is as good as I feel like it is right now. 

One more thing, this is available on Bandcamp. If you don't have an account on Bandcamp, get your head out of your butt and sign up. It is the best place to buy music from bands, especially on the artist Friday thing they do. The first Friday of every month Bandcamp waves their fees so that the artist makes 94% (or so) of the money. That was the day that I bought this one. This album, by the way, will set you back an entire dollar. You can stream it on Apple Music, but don't be a shmuck. At the very least go and pay the buck for this thing. I threw in a few extra dollars, as every album on Bandcamp is a "this is how much we are charging, but you can pay more if you want" thing. But even if you do just send a buck, that is cool. But, seriously, this is worth more than that. Plus, the more of us that buy it, the more there is a chance that maybe, just maybe, these guys will do a vinyl release for this. If they do, I will gladly throw more money their way. Hell, I will even do a pledge fund for that. 

A great release here! 

Eloy - A retrospective, part 1

It seems that every year I find myself going into a progressive rock mindset. It almost never ceases to fail. The winter comes and I find myself listening to more and more progressive rock than at other times during the year. I'm not sure what it is, whether the music just fits with the cold and snow, or if I am just more willing to take the artistic side of the music and nestle on in with a good tale spun to a lengthy piece of music.
More times than not, the band I usually spend the most time with is German legends Eloy. The Mighty Eloy, as a lot of us fans refer to them.
For this year the launch of my progressive infatuation came when my daughter bought me the second part of their The Vision, The Sword and the Pyre concept albums. 7 sides of the history of Joan of Arc told through music. While this might not sound like the most enjoyable listening experience for some people, for fans of progressive rock and Eloy, there is a chance that this is a form of Heaven on Earth.
For me, it re-launched my Eloy love.
I first got hooked on Eloy way back around 1988 or 1989. Maybe even 1987. The exact year is now fuzzy. I believe that the most current album from them was Ra, which many consider a particularly rough time for the band. But we will get to that later.
I can't say it was instant love. One of the issues many people have with Eloy is Frank Bornemann's voice. Frank is the main man, the driving force, behind Eloy. He sings in English, but his German accent is extremely thick, and Frank doesn't really have the most beautiful voice one will ever hear.
But, in all honesty, through the year I have found that weak, or annoyingly overly dramatic vocals are a standard within progressive rock. If there is going to be something to turn people away from prog, more than the lengthy composition times, it is usually the voice.
But, I digress.
In the early days of my spending time with Eloy I was also guilty of struggling with Frank's voice. But over the years, I have found, that each subsequent time I return to Eloy I grow more and more find of Frank's voice. It gets to a point where it is an endearing quality to the band. One of the aspects of the band that one needs to hear. Indeed, when the recent album, The Vision Part 2, reached its final song and a voice other than Frank's started singing, I was heartbroken. The years are getting on, Eloy is not a massively successful band, there is obviously a chance that this is the final album from the band. The idea that the very last bit of new Eloy music I am going to be hearing for the last time is a voice other than Frank kind of brought me down a little bit.
My plan here is to do a little retrospective on all of the Eloy releases. Starting from the beginning and wandering on up to the most current release. One of the unique things about Eloy is that they have been a perpetual revolving door of members. The line-up has rarely been the same, with only two members being the actual key to the sound: Frank Bornemann (vocals and guitar) and Klaus-Peter Matziol (bass). Yet, even with the constant changing of members and constant changing of styles, the Eloy sound has remained incredibly consistent. Digging through some interviews with the Frank Bornemann I think I understand how it is that the band has remained consistent, and exactly how they operate.
In an interview with Bornemann he states the importance of the band, and everybody in the band contributing and being an actual band. The comment made me realize that for Bornemann it truly is about being a band. I get the impression that he hires people to being in the music, with somebody contributing an idea, and then everybody building on the idea. Then, considering this is Eloy, and Bornemann's project, he then "tweaks" everything into taking on what we all know as the "Eloy sound." He adds the touches to make sure it all starts to take on the sound that we come to expect.
Due to the many changes the band goes through, the idea here will be to tackle this retrospective in chunks. The first one will just look at the first album. This needs to be addressed on its own due to it being completely unlike the rest of the albums.
The next group will be the second and third album, mainly for stylistic reasons.
I am going to lump album four, The Power and the Passion, in with the classic trilogy (Dawn, Ocean, Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes). While The Power and the Passion is the same line-up as albums two and three, and Dawn through Silent is a different line-up (though the same for those three albums), the musical style is the same. So I am going by style over the members. I believe that The Power and the Passion was the true birth of their direction, even if I do prefer Inside (album two) and Floating (album three) possibly the better albums. Frank's vision was finally realized.
When possible I will be using vinyl as my choice of listening medium. Sadly, for the first album I will more than likely be using a streaming site of some sort. I do not have the debut album, and an original copy is might expensive. I will eventually be buying the re-release. For now, however, I am using my money to replace CDs I parted with a few years ago (the 90s albums are only available on CD, except for insanely priced promos) and vinyl I never had before.
I will try to add a little bit of factual information to these articles, but this will prove difficult. Eloy never achieved much success over here, nor in many English speaking countries. They never even made it to the US on a tour, and I believe their live shows have always been fairly sporadic. But due to this there amount of information out there on Eloy is pretty light. So, I will do my best and I will revise any articles with new information, if I find or stumble on to anything.
So, until I get the next piece written, ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY ELOY!!!

The Stray Cats - 40 (2019)

The Stray Cats, what more can be said about them? Many people consider them the band that brought Rockabilly back to the charts. While they may have been the band with the most success, they were far from the only band doing the Rockabilly thing at the time. But one can’t deny that they definitely were the band that brought it into the charts, and eventually into millions of homes around the world.


A decade later lead vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter Brian Setzer would once again do the same trick with the big band and Swing formula. Once again, while he was far from the only one in town doing the style, he was the one getting the credit for it all. But let’s not totally forget Squirrel Nut Zippers and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.

I first grew interested in the Cats when they first arrived, but my love for them became really deep when Setzer went solo. He became an all-time favorite for me with his Live Nude Guitars (EMI, 1988).

So I followed Setzer and the Cats from that release on. The Cats have stopped and started up numerous times over the years. Each time with varying degrees of success. Blast Off! (EMI, 1989) was their closest to gaining what they had been, but it still lacked some of the magic. Choo Choo Hot Fish (JRS, 1992) completely missed the mark, with some interesting songs, but nothing that came close to what one would expect from The Stray Cats. The band seemed more interested in experimentation than they were in just giving the world great Rockabilly.

So when the Cats announced recently that they had entered the studio again for the first time since the Choo Choo album, I was a little hesitant. I was holding out hope on the strength of Setzer’s releases over the years between the two releases, but was still not as excited as I was when Blast Off! Was released.

So what follows are my initial reactions to the album once I finally got ahold of the dang thing. I wanted to purchase it from a store, not through online, for some reason. I finally found the album at my trusty Toad Hall Records in Rockford, Illinois. I ran (drove) home with it and instantly threw it on and sat back for a listen.

"Cat Fight Over A Dog Like Me": I guess this is the “single.” This one carries a pretty classic Cats sound. Fitting in well with the early material, even prior to Blast Off. In fact, it carries more of a true Rockabilly sound than most of Rant N Rave. A nice way to start the album.

"Rock It Off": Setzer is channeling Eddie Cochran for the verses on this one. The chorus is more straight-forward. The selling point for this song is the verse. Two straight-up Rockabilly tunes. A nice basic solo with this one. Playing to fit, not to show off. I like this one the most so far.

"I’ve Got Love If You Want It": This one is making me think of something that would be a b-side from the Knife Feels Like Justice sessions. A Rockabilly tune written by that version of Setzer. His voice is reminding me of that era. This is also the least Rockabilly so far. Great song, but stepping slightly away. The album keeps getting stronger.

"Cry Danger": “Day Tripper”? Further away from Rockabilly we get. Co-written with Mike Campbell probably has something to do with that. I find it interesting that it takes a secondary co-writer to help him borrow the “Day Tripper” riff.

So far this is better than Rock Therapy, Blast Off!, or Choo Choo Hot Fish.

"I Attract Trouble": A slower, plodding, gang fight sounding slab of a tune. One of those tunes that would have worked great as a duet with Lux Interior if he were still with us. It brings up images of dark alleys, cigarette smoke, hot dames, and switchblades.

"Three Time’s A Charm": Good ol’ early Gonna Ball era Cats. Not much else needs to be said. A tip of the hat to all the Rockabilly greats, but still with that Cats style.

"That’s Messed Up": Slower to mid-tempo suffling number. Total classic style, a nice mover that shines with the guitar tone, where that becomes the star.

"When Nothings Going Right": A fairly non-Rockabilly tune. If there was a country accent this tune would walk very close to a more modern Country number. I’m not too sure what to think about this one. I will either be skipping this one down the road, or it will sink into my head and become a favorite (although I doubt it). Probably the most disposable number on here so far.

Oh, just saw it is a Lee Rocker number. Sorry Lee.

"Desperado": Spaghettibilly! Yes, Spaghetti Western with a dash of Rockabilly. This one is an instrumental. We will see how wild Setzer decides to get with this one. Will there be flash or a nice easy going lead? So far nice and fitting. Nice! He never gets out of control and lets the mood and tone win out.

"Mean Pickin’ Mama": (writing two songs early to say there had better be some killer guitar flash here) Nice shuffle and swing Rockabilly, more ‘billy than the Rock, but still a great tune.

"I’ll Be Looking Out For You": Cool riff using the Setzer punk mindset with a nicely over-driven guitar and a “chorus” that is closer to something from early 80s Punk than most anything else. Cool number that is a unique tune on this album.

"Devil Train": A galloping number that fits the name. A little Western in that gallop. I would have hoped for a little more energy on the ending number, but we will see where it goes. But I expect it will not go anywhere else. Cool tune, but not what I would choose to close with.

On that first listen the album is worlds better than Choo Choo Hot Fish. Is it better than Blast Off!? That’s a tough one to say. That album definitely has some great tracks that have almost gotten better with time. Blast Off! is closer to Live Nude Guitars in feel and attitude for me, so that also wins out. Time will obviously be the true test, but for a band that has had a tumultuous career, this is a fine album to return on. It pays attention to each member and sounds fairly fresh, aside from one blatant Beatles riff rip-off too many.

Quick Takes 1 - Speed Queen

One of the goals I always had for my writing, whether it be my old print 'zine Sonic Ruin or here, was to create a scholarly type of publication. The idea was to always have articles that not only broke the songs and albums apart, but also maybe gave a little history of the bands. Treating the bands and the music with the proper respect, that has always been the dream.

Unfortunately the problem with that is the amount of time those articles take. The research can be fairly time consuming due to how obscure the bands are. Many times the information found was so light that nothing could be done with it, and nothing else could be found.

From time to time the information I would find were the bands themselves. It is always a weird thing contacting these people. A few of them seemed to not want to be associated with the bands I was calling about, even though they were still involved with music. Others seemed interested in talking, but then vanished and stopped correspondence. But whatever the cases, there was time involved.

This shouldn't be news to anybody. Any writing usually takes research and time, obviously. Problem for me was that I found the time fleeting. The problem I have is that once I get behind, I usually turn away from things. This is one of my great faults that I am working to correct. One way to correct this problem is to find a reasonable way of catching up.

This brings us to this article.

This article is basically going to be made up of a bunch of "quick takes" on items I have bought over the past half year or so of buying records. I will be giving a quick run down on certain records, but I will not be doing any deep research. Yes, if there is an interesting fact I have learned I will mention it. But for the most part these will just be discussing the albums and their positive sides and if they are worth your tracking them down, and what I decent price to spend would be on each item.This will not be how every new article is going to be, but these types will show up from time to time, and might be the standard for a little while. Just until I get caught up.

So, without further delay . . .

Speed Queen - Speed Queen (1980)

I was at a record convention recently and as I was walking out I stopped by one final booth. In the last crate I dug into I found this album. I looked it over. The band looked cool, the name was pretty good, and they thanked Lemmy and Motorhead.

Think about that for a second. This album came out in 1980 and they are thanking Motorhead. Motorhead was just starting to really lay their name down and become the band that would someday become en vogue to mention. This little band was tipping their hat to them in the early days. That should give you a little indication about what we have here.

So what do we have? Seed Queen were a five piece band out of France. They played a straight ahead Rock and Roll with possibly an extra kick to the gut. A little AC/DC meets Alice Cooper group in riffing, with a rough throat female vocalist named Stewy (real name is Stevie) who spews attitude in every single word.

The album consists of 8 songs, but each song is a powerhouse. They seemed to realize they were only putting down 8 songs so there was no time to get mellow. They had just enough time to rock the living hell out of the listener, and that is exactly what they were going to do. Don't expect anything fast as the name might imply to some folk, that name is obviously a tip of the hat to the other kind of speed. But every single song is that mid-tempo stomper that just gets to your heart and makes you want to live.

In all honesty this might be a band everybody knows about and I am just a complete sheltered idiot. The guy I bought this from was talking about it like it was a well known classic of hard rock. "Would you believe I just found out today that they actually released a second album!" He said to me as I was looking over the cover. "I could not believe I didn't know that!" I looked at him and was honest and said "Yeah, I have no idea who they are even." I almost felt like an idiot, but my quick research very much was pointing to a band that had slipped through the cracks. Every time I get a hit for them on the 'net it leads me to a French site. So my guess is that they are possibly known in France, and we can stop there.

I paid $15 for this. Might be a bit high for a band I was totally unfamiliar with, but I decided to risk it. After hearing it, I would have been happy paying $25 for it. They are really that good. They rock the hell out of the place and should have been much bigger than they are. If you like RnR ala AC/DC, Alice Cooper, or any other band that you want blaring through the speakers while drinking and raising Hell, then this should be an album in your collection. If you see it while out shopping, do be sure to exit with this one under your arm.

Someday I do hope to do a more detailed write-up on Speed Queen. They do deserve more coverage.

Quiet Riot - Quiet Riot 1 & 2!!!

On May 20 of this year I attended the Chicago Record Convention being held in Hillside, Illinois. I went down there with two albums as my intended score. My birthday was on the 19th and I was going in armed with a little extra cash and the intent to actually not caring too much about the cost of things (yet still not being an idiot).

My main goals were the 1974 release by the band Left End called Spoiled Rotten. A wonderful slab of all out ROCK by a band that gave it all they had and who have sadly become more or less forgotten by time.

The other, and main, purchase was going to be Quiet Riot II. I had seen it there previously but didn't have the money at the time that I was comfortable to spend on the one album. Granted, QRII isn't anywhere near the price of QRI, but it is still more than I have spent. But with a little extra birthday cash on hand, that puppy was going to be mine!

Getting to the convention I went straight to the spot where the dealer was the previous time who had QRII. Much to my horror he was not there! I scoured the room he was in previously, checking through crates, looking for his merchandise, as I could easily forget a face but not stock.

Sadly I could not find the gentleman. So then turned tale and went off to buy the Left End album. That dealer was in the main room and had a huge set-up, so I knew he would be back in the same place, and he was. Watch these pages for coverage of the mighty Left End at a later date.

I spent the next few hours searching for good stuff. Suddenly my buddy Todd ran up to me and pointed me in the direction of a dealer. He had found my QRII guy! Instantly the money came out and I walked away with the purchase I had been looking for, and the guy even took $20 off the sticker he had on the album!

So there I was, the two main items in my grasp. Little did I know that a few minutes later I would be finding another Holy Grail item (to be discussed in a future article). Then, just a few minutes after that Todd would again come and get me and bring me to another dealer. This one had QRI. This copy of the debut album from Quiet Riot was the strange black and white bootleg that I can't find any information on. All I have been able to find out is that it came out in the early 90s and that a bootleg of QRII was also released by the same mysterious company, Ravers. A real copy of QRI will set a person back around $300. The bootleg will set you back around $30 or so, but even  these are tough to come by.

For my money Quiet Riot is one of the sadder stories in Rock and Roll. If you don't know much about music history, but do know of Quiet Riot, you know them due to the two Slade covers, "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Mama Were All Krazee." You also possibly know that the vocalist, Kevin DuBrow, became one of the most hated men in music, and that he was responsible for destroying the great career that they had forged out for themselves.

Those that do know of music history know that this is the launching pad for the mighty Randy Rhoads. A guitarist who, along with Eddie Van Halen, propelled guitar playing into a different realm. However, as most people know, Randy made his mark playing alongside Ozzy Osbourne. Randy has always been one of my guys. One of the guitarists I have always idolized. In fact, even though Queen was my first musical obsession, Randy was the first person I singled out and fell for. Queen was the whole band, whereas for me when Randy died my love of Ozzy also died.

Truthfully the Quiet Riot of Randy Rhoads and the Quiet Riot of the hits are two fairly different creatures. The Rhoads QR was a band based in British rock, with huge dashes of Glam. Whereas the hit machine QR, even though there biggest hits were covers of British rock, were more of a Metal band with a much harder edge.

The one constant between the two bands is Kevin DuBrow's fantastic voice. This is probably the saddest aspect about what happened to the band. Due to Kevin's actions later in the band Quiet Riot have kind of become a joke. Yes, there were a few things that just would not age well for them. Kevin had a receding hairline that was destined to be a joke, some of their clothing choices were going to be hurt eventually, the videos are of an early 80s MTV nature, so more than a little cheesy. But make no mistake, DuBrow could sing. His voice is actually somewhere in the style of a Noddy Holder from Slade, which explains the two covers.

So, are these two albums worth the price? That would depend on how much money you have. Both albums should be in the collection of any self-respecting fan of Rock. No matter what, you should have them. If you have the money to burn they are without a doubt worth the price.

Quiet Riot I is a little rougher than Quiet Riot II. This only makes sense due to it being the first time these guys got into a studio. Plus, I am guessing they were not given a massive budget, partially explaining the "Japanese only" nature of the release. The songs are also a little more juvenile with lyrics and delivery.

Quiet Riot II is really the gem. This is actually a massive plus for the collectors, as it can be had for a much cheaper price tag. But this is the album where Randy Rhoads becomes Randy Rhoads. One can hear the soloing that would be associated with him, including certain runs that would later show up with Ozzy. But his playing is much more refined here, and much more confident. Through out this whole album there are moments where one hears the beginnings of an Ozzy solo, or a bend here or there, or a slide, that we are all familiar with due to hearing similar things happening in the Osbourne material. It is pretty fascinating to hear these bits in such a different style song. They work in both the Glammy QR style and the evil Ozzy style, it just shows how versatile Rhoads could be, even with the same material. It all comes down to his style and technique.

In fact, that can be said for the whole band. They are comfortable here and have matured a thousandfold from the first album. From the classic "Slick Black Cadillac" to "You Drive Me Crazy," and "We've Got The Magic" then to the cover of Small Faces "Afterglow (Of Your Love)" the band proves how good they were. Trust me, "You Drive Me Crazy" is a high point for DuBrow. Plus, the fact that he pulls off a Small Faces tune and does it justice is another testament to how great he really was.

Heads up: The Ravers release of Quiet Riot I isn't without a few flaws. It seems to have been recorded, or transferred, a tad too hot. Towards the end the levels are going crazy and the sound kind of bounces in and out a little on the levels. This comes with a bit of added distortion. This is obviously a guess that this is a side effect of the bootleg nature. I kind of doubt I will ever be holding an actual copy of QRI to be able to do a side by side comparison with, so I will just stand by my gut instinct. If anybody has an actual copy I would love to know how "Demolition Derby" sounds and if things start to fall apart on your copy towards the end.

Do yourself (and the memories of DuBrow and Rhoads) a favor, one way or another add these two albums to your collection. Whether being able to afford the real things, the Ravers boots, or even a digital download. Any self-respecting Rock and Roll fan should have these and will more than likely enjoy the heck out of these two albums. Quiet Riot II is one of the best things to be released in the 70s.

So on May 20th, 2018 I had a record buying day that might never be matched. The amount of great stuff bought that day was ridiculous. I ended up with five albums that I had been chasing for a good long while, and I bought one that instantly landed in my "all-time favorite album" list.

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/

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

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.

The Hounds - Unleashed

The Hounds - Unleashed
Released 1978 on Columbia 35085
Promo copy with all the accoutrements

Since returning to collecting vinyl, and my niche of the unknown and forgotten bands, this one release stands head and shoulders above almost all others. This album is not just a cool novelty for me, this is a start to finish solid album that stands the test of time and is, without any question, a forgotten masterpiece. It should sit alongside Glam classics released by Bowie and Mott. Yes, it is cut from the same cloth and obviously is heavily inspired by both of those bands, but it is its own creature.

The Hounds hail from the Chicago area, so it might not be too shocking that the music now will possibly be compared to Cheap Trick. But as this is from 1978 it is awful hard to say they are copying them. More than likely we are hearing the Midwest sound from the mid - late 70s. Granted, Trick had released three albums by the time this came out, but their first one came a year earlier. Some influence? Possibly, but I am betting the location had a greater impact.

The best way to describe through a comparison is basically that they are a mix of every band that gets the "Glam" label from the 70s. Is there Bowie and Mott? Yes, especially on the second track "Where the Boppers Turn to Rockers," which is kind of their own "All The Young Dudes." But one also find Cheap Trick, Sweet ("Bad Blood Between Us"), Slade, Aerosmith ("Portrait of a Dead Man" is straight-up a 'Smith tune musically) and almost everybody else.

But what Hounds do wonderfully is that they create their own sound. They take these sounds and create a fresh creature in having a pretty unique songwriting style. There is no predicting where the songs will go. Yes, we know a chorus is coming, but that chorus not sound like you are thinking it will. Partially due to to John Hunter's completely original singing style. The man is all attitude and theatrics. He adds a new dimension to every single word and almost seems to refuse to sing any line identical to the another. The ultimate in expression.

While the Hounds might not be completely forgotten, if they are remembered at all it is mostly for their second album, Puttin' on the Dog (Columbia, 1979), with the slightly risque cover of a scantily clad woman in a disheveled bedroom, where one can spy the shadow of a dogman creature who is more than happy to see the lady. But these two albums are drastically different creatures. Puttin' on the Dog is a stab at being Power Pop that never rocks too hard.

Unleashed, however, is full on R-O-C-K. Right down to the band photos we can see a difference in the direction. While they definitely have an image at the time, Puttin' on the Dog shows us a Pop outfit. Unleashed shows us a band decked in leather jackets and walking that fine line of Glam and Hard Rock.

So, what happened to Hounds? Why are albums one and two fairly different creatures? Unleashed consisted of a line-up of John Hunter (vocals, keyboards), Jim Orkis (guitars), John Hovarth (drums), Glenn Rupp (guitars and backing vocals), and Joe Cuttone (bass and backing vocals). Most of the songs were written by Hunter and Orkis. Puttin' on the Dog consisted of John Hunter (vocals and keyboards), Glenn Rupp (guitars and vocals), Don Griffin (guitars and backing vocals), Joe Cuttone (bass and backing vocals) and Michael Neff (drums). This time all songs (aside from the covers) are written just by Hunter.

If I was to use my fancy detective skills I would have to guess that there was a control issue at play. Reading the inner promotional material for the first album it is only Hunter that does all of the talking. But listening to the album there is no doubt that Orkis and Hovarth played serious roles. While Orkis wrote a lot of the music, leading one to believe much of the band is his vision as well as Hunter's. The drumming on the album also stands out as a definite high point.

With the style change between the two albums I would have to guess that Orkis and Hovarth wanted to stick to the harder edged style. This is also a guess due to it being those two guys who are dressed the most "ROCK" in the pictures. Heck, one of them could easily be placed in the early New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene and nobody would bat an eye.

I can't recommend this album highly enough, especially if you have a soft spot for 70s Glam and Hard Rock. The only weak spot on the album are the lyrics. "Angeline Tangerine" is possibly my favorite song on the album, but the lyrics are easily the worst batch of combined words I have heard in a long time, even including the 70s predilection for statutory rape in song lyrics. But other than those spots, this is a fantastic album that truly does deserve the moniker of a forgotten or overlooked classic. I have not seen many copies of it, but the store I bought it from had three copies, so they are out there. Granted, I live in their home turf of the Chicago area, so copies were more prevalent here I would guess. But keep an eye open and buy this one of you see it in your shops.

Record Store Report - Rochester Records

Rochester Records
Location: 2130 S. Broadway, Rochester, Minnesota.
Website: www.RochesterRecordsMN.com
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 10:00 - 6:00, Sat. 10:00 - 5:00 (These are the hours on the sign and according to the Facebook page. However, I attempted to go to the store at 5:45 and it was closed. I was told by a worker from another store that the owner usually closes up shop by 5:30.)

What is on offer: 33 RPM, 45 RPM, CDs, DVDs, video, stereo equipment, memorabilia

Prices: Cheap discount prices range $1 - $3. Most records land in the $12 - $20 range. Digging will find some prices in the $6 - $8 range, but these are a little hard to find.

So, honestly, how is the place? Rochester Records runs the gamut of a saving grace to a frustrating little store. On the one hand it is jam packed with records, both common and un-common finds. Some of the albums are found in a section that is in alphabetical order. But, the majority of the albums are just spread out through the store all willy-nilly, defying both alphabetical order AND genre classification. This can be cause for a very lengthy amount of time spent in the store if your plan is to either just rummage around or even try to find something specific.

Listening to conversation I learned that the owner is in the process of finding order in the store. As it is now it appears that the ones that are in order are possibly the original stock. The ones that are all willy-nilly appear to be collections that have been bought and cleaned. Some of the crates look very much like a collection. One crate had a good amount of 80s Metal. One can look at the crates and see the makings of collections. As for the alphabetical section, Jethro Tull was found in the "T" section. Come on.

This did lead to a little frustration, as searching would turn up five of the same album, but scattered through the store. I found Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits five times, one in a budget bin, then the others scattered about. The price ranged quite a bit with each one, with the cheapest being $5. Once you see this happening it gets a little frustrating because the first copy you find might not be the cheapest one in the store or the best quality (depending on what you are buying for).

Speaking of prices, those are also all over the place. Most of the vinyl seems to land between the $12 - $20 range. Now, while that might be a turn off to some people, inspecting the vinyl shows that much of the product on offer is in very good condition. I did compare the prices in the store with Discogs and the prices seem to reflect the higher end of what is on offer on Discogs. A few of the finds were a little high priced.

If you are looking for one album in particular the store could be frustrating. As an example, if you are looking for Hanoi Rocks and you can't find it in "H," that does not mean it is not available in the store. It very well could be anywhere else in the store. Not to mention Jethro Tull is found in the "T' section.

If you are just out to browse for new Metal, well, same problem. Your Metal could be anywhere in the store almost. It will require some time to do the searching.

If you just like to bin dive (as I do), then you will need about 2 - 3 hours (how long I spent in the store was about 3 hours). The problem is that there is a lot on offer, and by the end my finger tips were fairly sore from flipping so many records. I should also stress I am a guitarist and have callouses on my finger tips.

The owner is very friendly. I didn't get into a deep conversation, so I am not sure on his knowledge. Some of the stickers on the albums mention the genre of the album. This is very helpful for buyers such as myself. Those buyers who are always searching for something unfamiliar to them. I rarely buy with a certain band on my mind. I am always searching for that band I have never heard of, and a genre label is a very welcome addition. So when one finds these stickers one has to figure the owner either knows the products, or he cares enough to check out the items he is placing on the floor.

So what did I leave with? I did score pretty big there with my finds. I got three bands I love and one I was completely unfamiliar with.

Detective - It Takes One to Know One, $6
Mott The Hoople - Rock and Roll Queen, $8
Artful Dodger - Babes on Broadway, $15
Trigger - Trigger, $15

I believe I over paid a bit for the Artful Dodger, but at the same time it is one I haven't run across yet, and I do love them. Great band, great album. The vinyl is in mint condition. Even though it is a promo copy it does come with the normal sleeve insert with lyrics.

According to Discogs the Trigger album was over priced. Searching the internet, however, it seems that this is a very rare find. A one off record from a band that didn't get any backing from a floundering Casablanca records. So, much like the Artful Dodger, I decided to buy the album with the idea that this could very possibly be a tough one to track down. My main love are the 70s Glam and Power Pop bands that only released an album or two. Score! Again, vinyl is in mint condition.

The Detective album came with a sneaky ploy inside the cover. Upon checking the sleeve when I got home I found the insert for the debut album by Legs Diamond. The Detective insert is present, but I now have a Legs Diamond insert also. It would seem that I now have to go find the Legs Diamond debut.

All in all Rochester Records is a worthwhile stop. Just be sure you have the time and be ready to possibly spend more than you planned to or expect to walk away with less than you had hoped to. I had to walk away from about five albums I felt were a little too pricey for what they were. If the prices had been a little lower I would have blown my self-imposed budget. That being said, I have not left Rochester yet and I am not saying I won't return for one of them that keeps calling my name.