ROCK-A-RAMA

ROCK-A-RAMA

D&B TOGETHER - Delaney & Bonnie (Columbia):: They’ve left Atlantic, and as if to prove it they hurried this thing out. It sounds like a bunch of outtakes from the previous Atlantic stuff, and it’s so poor it’s no wonder the musicians aren’t credited. Cmon, kids, take some time and do it right — we know you can.

GONE TO MY HEAD! - Andy Bown (Mercury):: Put it on because it had some of Rod Stewart’s backup band — Waller and so on — and the first two cuts, “Pale Shadow (Of His Former Self)” and “Gone To My Head,” were stone knockouts, rockers with some feeling. From there on out, though, it got Arty and, hence, boring. But he’s got talent in there somewhere ...

J.F. MURPHY & SALT (Elektra):: Hypesville. These guys weren’t bad when they were on MGM, where they made a fairly promising album even if the lead song did have the words “rock ‘n’ roll” in its title. New Elektra’s got ’em and they suck — anybody who puts bagpipes on tWo albums in a row deserves to have the lid of Little Richard’s piano slammed on their knuckles.

I’M A TRUCK — Red Simpson (Capitol):: This is almost more a novelty album than C&W, especially since Simpson has a tendency to half-talk his way through the songs, but the title hit is truly incredible. Did you know, for instance, that trucks get horny: “Look at ‘im sippin’ coffee and flirtin’ with that waitress. Where d’ya think he put me? That’s right — right next to a cattle truck. [“Moo!”] Why couldn’t he o’ left me sittin’ next to that little pink mac over there? Gosh, she’s got pretty mudflaps — talk about stacked!” There’s some good dead man’s curves, too, like “Nitro Express.”

COMPOST (Columbia):: Once there was a group called the Free Spirits who tried to unite rock (leaning to R&B) and jazz (leaning free) and almost made it and are remembered fondly by many people. Most of them went on to glory in various big name jazz groups. Compost is made up of one ex-Free Spirit and more “has played with” credentials than you could shake a copy of Downbeat at. They stink.

CHILLIWACK (A&M):: About four years ago, Canada sprung upon us a fine group called the Collectors, who had a neat almosthit called “Looking At A Baby.” Now they have gone through some changes (including the embarrasingly bad “What Love Suite” which even the Moody Blues haven’t surpassed) and are called Chilliwack. From the evidence here, it sounds like the band burned out a long time ago. Some AM possibilities here, but by and large drearily unimaginative.

LOVE UNLIMITED (Uni):: Uni will sign anybody right now. If you got a tape, send it in. Send it even if you don’t.

CRUISIN’ 1955 and CRUISIN’ 1963 (Increase):: The two final (?) installments in GRT’s celebrated series of oldies in their original radio contexts are just as much fun or just as irritating, depending on your orientation, as their seven predecessors. The 1955 album has a several songs well-represented (perhaps too well, considering all that there is to pick from) on past anthologies, and “Jumpin’ ” George Oxford of San Francisco’s KSAN sounds a little tired. But the ‘63 entry is well worth picking up, even if deejay B. Mitchell Reed does babble like his blood was replaced with liquid methedrine. With original versions of “Sally Go ‘Round the Roses” by the Jaynetts, the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine”, Kingsmen “Louie Louie” smash and Shirelles’“Baby It’s You,” this album is a must for any of the multitudes who don’t possess still-playable copies of these classics. Even the vintage wimpoids like Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party” and Paul & Paula’s “Hey Paula” are lots of fun, some of the most beautiful trash you’ll ever hear.

REVIVAL (Kama Sutra):: The best part of the performance is yet to come. Move over there in the chair and make room for me. There — that’s it. Now let’s see what comes next. Oh yes. Here comes the Juggling Clam; he is delightful. I like him better that way than if he was served with tomato ketchup.

SCRAPS — NRBQ (Kama Sutra):: You said it. Too many songs, too short. Would you buy an album with a song on it titled “Who Put the Garlic in the Glue?” Or how about “Howard Johnson’s Got His Ho-Jo Workin’?” Okay, so would I, but this ain’t the one. These guys made an album for Columbia a couple of years ago that was too slick and eclectic to endure. This one’s too shoddily eclectic to suffer.

MOVIN’ ON — Buckwheat (London):: American Roots. Title song a nice slice of synthetic raunch about pickin’ up and headin’ out down that lonesome ole road. “Simple Song of Freedom” (also recorded by the Voices of East Harlem — betcha didn’t know it was written by Bobby Darin). One Gunsmoke oater epic followed immediately by a vintage look-what-we/ you-done-to-the-noble-red-man song worthy of Redbone. Terrific production, and girl singer’s stridency closer to Julie Driscoll actually than standard Candy Givens/ Maggie Bell Joplinisms. Absolutely false as it is, this record is both listenable and likeable; with a little more imagination, they might turn out to be the next Guess Who.

DEUCE — Rory Gallagher (Atco):: I know people who like this album, even though it sounds like utterly average English Elmore James slide-guitar muzak. Better than his first solo set, which had all the style and fire of the subject of its FM hit, “Laundromat,” but the only Gallagher really worth getting is still the second Taste album On the Boards.