ROCK-A-RAMA
The CREEM Archive presents the magazine as originally created. Digital text has been scanned from its original print format and may contain formatting quirks and inconsistencies.
CAST A LONG SHADOW - LITTLE RICHARD - (EPIC):::Somehow, we missed this one (actually we didn�t, that cartoon a couple issues ago was the review but you know how things get misplaced) and that�s a shame. A really GREAT Richard record; the two live sides alone are worth the price of admission. It's older stuff, from his Okeh period, and incredibly fine. All the Richard standards are here, too, and if you haven�t got (or can�t find) the 17 Greatest Hits 1p on Specialty you want and need this one. L.R. indeed cast a long shadow.
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LIVE At MONTEREY M JOHNNY OTIS SHOW - (EPIC):;;I don�t thiidc there are a whole lqt of Otis albums readily available, but BUs one lot. Every performer is geuui^^kRi«r;v'pii. pudfepSlpr'iu' frenzied and the tilnes range froro tli&p^ �Willie and the �Little Esther�s Bides". - Vinson�s sax mm bmjf-' • Jper:;Hun^Pl,: piano, Shuggie Ot^^&itar, and the Voices of Roy Brown, i Big Ihe Turner, Little ' tjhe restjpake this a } MUST. You jpw$goffabiiyeIt.' ,■
ZAWINUL - JOE ZAWINUL -(ATLANTIC): ;:ln ease you�ve wondered where Miles� gets his tunes, here's where. Unlike most of the white people Miles has had in bh band, Zawinul doesn�t fall apart without the stellar Ilf. Davis, Not only are the compositions here excellent but the playing (Herbie Hancock, Miroslav Vitous, George DayiS, Wdody Shaw; Billy Hart, the rest) is excellent well, A chilling record in the Jack JohHioii mold. (And yOtf' can check out for mory^i:
WADSWORTH MANSION £ WADSWORTH MANSION - (SUSSEX: 5;Who knows why they-il .rpcpt uSWedt MittyVl surely one of the finest: Tbp 40 J rockers of the year??? Musicians� artistic pretensions become more quixotic and arbitrary -; not to mention frustrating - daily,
SfjfL this isn�t a bad record. If you like Christie, � say, then you can probably get on with this adequately. But you�ll not find anything stelfar here. (Be sure you get that single, though.)
UN HOUSE - TIN HOUSE— (EPIC):::Nice production by Rick Derringer - nothing thrilling though. You�d be far better off to pick up on
WHITE TRASH - EDGAR WINTER -(EPIC):::which was also produced by the Johnny Winter And guitarist. White Trash is a cookin� soul band front the Texas/Louisana mold. At their best they�ll remind more of Hobby Bland than Sly Stone. At their worst, . (hie�-process is reversed. All iii all, about an 83.
THE STABLE SWINGERS - THE STAPLE SINGERS -*• (STAX)::: Well, you�ve heard Na Boom Boom" haven�t you???N[t�s here. Aktd you don�t have it???
HARD AND HEAVY - SAM SAMUDIO -(ATLANTIC):: :Try to imagine what would happen if Sam the Sham,, forgetting �Wooly Bully", decided to take himself seriously. Just try.
ANOTHER DIMENSION - BO DIDDLEY -(CHESS)::: And if Bo Diddley decided to take himself seriously?
WHAT�S GOING ON - MARVIN GAYE -(TAMLA):: :If you found Marvin Gaye was doing it too, you�d say things are getting a tad panicky on the soul scene. Whoever said Sly Stcme Was a good influence? And what was it (hat guy said about soul music being about�rigidity and restraint�???
THE SOUNDS OF SIMON - JOE SIMON -(PQLYDOR)::: Like the last three, Joe�s making a come back. If you like your soul a little sweet, a little orchestrated maybe, then check this out. He passes high. 89.
THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - THE SUPREMES AND FOUR TOPS - (MOTOWN):: :Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Too bad the record isn�t as funny as the idea.
TOUCH - THE SUPREMES -(MOTOWN):::If one needs really convincing evidence that the Supremes aren�t really a good idea, he need only turn to any one of their albums since about 1968. It�s not that, they�re bad now, which would be bearable, it�s just that nobody I know could ever really get off on them in the first place. (Y�know, if I wanted to be really cutting I could tell ya who wrote, the liner notes. And I do - ill�s Elton John.)
