ROCK • A • RAMA

ROCK.A.RAMA

CURTIS MAYFIELD - His Early Years With the Impressions (ABC)::The anonymous liner notes for this disc contain the disclaimer: “This isn’t just a “Best of . . .” or a “Greatest Hits” album - it is a collection of the early work of a contemporary musical genius.” But, like it or not, that’s exactly what this doublevolumed album reveals itself to be. Mayfield, together with Jerry Butler (a one-time Impressions member), pioneered the development of the “cool” Chicago R&B sound that fully emerged, in the mid-Sixtics, in the work of Gene Chandler, Billy Stewart, Major Lance and, of course, the evolving Impressions. Motown’s Detroit-based approach was always grittier and more strident contrast Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heat Wave” with “Gypsy Woman” or “People Get Ready” and you have both prongs of the fork that began to urbanize the term “rhythm ‘n’ blues” into “soul”.

ERIC JUSTIN KAZ - If You’re Lonely (Atlantic):: Weird. What’s a nice Jewish boy like Eric doing writing these depressing songs that sound like Protestant hymns? Dunno, but he does it okay, although his songs sound better in the hands of Tracy Nelson or Bonnie Raitt. .

ELLIS — Riding the Crest of A Slump (Epic):: Led by Steve Ellis, ex-lead singer for Amen Corner (was that the one?) and Zoot Money, ex-Animal, recently broken up, produced by Roger Daltrey, who was a pretty fair singer himself before his band was absorbed by the same religious conglomerate which has also grabbed the London Symphony and also containing ex-members of The Greaseband and Fat Mattress, this is a decent, fairly unexceptional record, with one good cut about Angela Davis and one good line: “I’m a T Rex fan/ I’m a T Rex fan/ I’m a T Rex fan/1 live in a box.”

MONTY PYTHON’S Previous Album (Charisma/Buddah):: Monty Python arc hugely funny if you can get past their strange accents, and concerns, which are mostly veddy British, which is unfortunate. Safe to say that they are better than just about all the current satirists, but whether that has anything to do with wanting to listen to them is an interesting, unending question. Great, great cover, for sure.

HANK THOMPSON - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (Dot):: Western Swing Lives! Hot, hot, hot! From classics like “Oklahoma Hills” and “Wildwood Flower” (a great instrumental on this one) to “The Mark of a Heel” to “Wild Side of Life” this album is a monster. Hank’s been in the business close to thirty years, and he just keeps getting better. Essential.

SYLVESTER AND THE HOT BAND -Scratch My Flower (Blue Thumb):: OOOH! EEEK! It’th Thyvethter! He thinkth he can thing! “I’m a thteam-roller baby eeek!” And giieth what, thitherth? He thtinkth! This ’un ought a set Gay Lib back about fifteen years -back into the closet, Sylvester, before you break all the glasses.

RICK WAKEMAN — The Six Wives of Henry VIII (A&M):: No wonder he offed ’em — if they sounded this dull when they were alive. Actually, Henry and Ann Boleyn were both prolific composers in their day, and I’m sure they’d be offended as musicians, as well as humans.

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - II (United Artists):: Well, it’s not as dull as the last one, and “Roll Over Beethoven” actually has interesting moments, but if it’s classical/rock fusion you’re after, try John Cale, or Savage Rose, or the all time c/r-f, the guitar break in the Byrds’ “She Don’t Care About Time.” Or listen to classical music.

VARIOUS ARTISTS — Energy Essentials (Impulse):: A six-sdied stroll through the fantastical gardens of ABC’s jazz catalogue. If you’ve been intrigued by the Coltrane mythos and Pharoah Sanders’ album covers, but never bought one of their records for fear that you wouldn’t get the point, this is for you. The Coltrancs, Sanders, Ayler, Coleman, Mingus, Dolphy, E. Jones, etc. — all the ethereal heavies, and you might even like it. Forget about the fucking Stones for a minute — energise yo’self!

BABE RUTH — First Base (Harvest):: Babe Ruth win the Rock-A-Rama award for the neatest named new band of the first three months of the year. Music ain’t bad either: an amalgam of jazzy, airy, light and wellconceived rock muzak. The press release sez that guitarist Alan Shack lock is gonna be “one of the new generation of guitar heroes.” Shacklock rock? Somehow I don’t see it, but it’s a nice album anyway.

PORTER WAGONER & DOLLY PARTON -We Found It (RCA):: Porter and Dolly both have their ups and downs, and sometimes their duets are even awful, but this one has more vitality than they’ve showed in years.

TRET FURE (Uni/MCA):: With Lowell George producing and various other Little Feat names on the back, you might think this is a real knee burner. But don’t be fooled, ti’s some more hard-core drizzle. The cover says her last name is pronounced Fury, as in My Friend Flieka. Arf arf.

ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - Back Up Against the Wall (Decca):: If, and may heaven forfend. The Allman Bros, continue to be decimated by gruesome freakouts. we can console ourselves with these guys. They can’t touch Les Brers for inventiveness, but they’ve got that cool, tight, hip-cracker sound. Duane or no Duane. The Allmans are still in first, but A.R.S. and Wet Willie can slug it out for second.

BAREFOOT JERRY (Warner Bros.):: Studio Cats Forsake Dough 1‘or Art. and it’s even better than their First, which you’ve never heard. It’s all low-key-, precise rockers that manage to stay'calm at high speed; and very easy to take.

THE HOLLIES - Romany (Epic):: They may not sound much like the originals but they sure as hell still know how to write pop music. No pretensions, just pure professionalism. Should be considered a must for all AM fans who like short songs and detest guitar solos.

THE STATON BROTHERS BAND - (Epic):: Very young-looking, largely acoustic sound, good musicianship (particularly from multiinstrumentalist Michael Staton), excellently harmonized vocals, snazzy strings and production from John Simon, and lotsa hardwork and energy. They’re real good, and so’s their record, which might be a veritable Godzilla of a sleeper — it seems to keep sneakin’ back onto the turntable.

THE ELECTRONIC SPIRIT OF ERIK SATIE (Deram):: If they think about it long enough, somebody may find something worthwhile for the moog to do. Bastardising the classics, however, isn’t it.

AZTECA (Columbia):: Azteca is the seventeen-or-so man band formed by Coke Escovedo, but these pueblos are living proof that the biggest ain’t naturally the best. Only recommended for those that either really like this sort of thing, or who want to commit suicide by conga overdose,