Juke Box Jury

Juke Box Jury

BY

GREG SHAW

�A Good Month For Garbage�

June 19

AM radio is on the upswing this month, with ELO still moving up, Stories looking good, The Sweet�s �Blockbuster� a pick to click, and most important of all, new records by unknown groups starting to copy both the new hard rock sound and the new style of �70s production pop. All hell is about to break loose in music - as Mark Lindsay said, I can almost taste it. Next summer, maybe. For now, let�s hope no important records come out on the following labels: A&M, RCA, Motown, London, MGM. None of them send me their records to review in this column, so there�s no Way I could tell you about �em, unless they turn up in a junk pile somewhere.

Most interesting new release lately is �Bank Bank Bullet�/�Black Jack Man� by Streak (Deram 85087), two hot sides from the realm of Alice Cooper, Marcus Hook, the Stones, Sweet, etc. Worth a dollar, any day. We last heard from this group when they were on A&M with �Gonna Have a Good time� (1375), produced by Rodger Bain. Also worth picking up.

The long-awaited Wizzard single, �See My Baby Jive� is finally out on UA 272. After weeks at No. 1 in England, there may be a chance here for this splendidly produced, richly textured, ultra-Spectorian single. After their disappointingly unadventurous album and first single, Roy Wood�s new group has at last lived up to expectations. Right now Roy Wood and Dave Edmunds are neck and neck in thfe' race to recreate the spirit of Phil Spector�s 1963 sound, with Edmunds holding the lead-in pure simulation while Wood forges ahead with inventiveness, humor, and vigor. This song fairly bursts with Wood�s greatest yet blend of sounds and ideas, an inseparable mass of countless instruments surging along with a wild abandon that is just barely under control. An utterly brilliant recording.

And collectors, take note. The original B-side, a boring instrumental coyly titled �Bend Over Beethoven,� was pressed here on only a handful of copies before being pulled and. replaced with an album track. Also, the DJ copies have a special edited version, as do copies of ELO�s �Beethoven� with a bright yellow label. Just thought you�d like to know.

Of all the fantastic tracks on the Blue Ash album, I would�ve picked something other than �Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her)� (Mercury 73396) to be the single, but it�ll do. My only doubt is that it simply sounds too good to be a hit. But wouldn�t it be nice if they pulled as many hits from the album as the Beatles had on their first?

It�s like Lester and me wuz tellin� ya way back when - the Carpenters are great. Even those lacking an MOR aesthetic can�t escape the fact that �Yesterday Once More� (A&M 1446) is one of the year�s most glorious records, known to make some girl group fans break right down and cry. But what, I wonder, do they think they�re singing about? That grating �oldies but goodies� line is misleading if, as I think, the song is an acknowledgement of pop music�s rebirth. But yep, �every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they�re startin� to sing once more,� they must be talking about American Spring and Dave Edmunds and all the rest. Unless the Chiffons have some new record out I don�t know about. Even I didn�t expect avant-garde rock theory from the Carpenters! But check out the album — Bobby Vee, the Crystals, and two Jan & Dean songs. No wonder Rolling Stone's reviewer didn�t understand it.

The Kinks, on the other hand, are just drunk again as usual. �One of the Survivors� (RCA 74-0940) is a real nice tribute to the fifties, in case you missed the four million that have already been dorie, but fortunately it�s also a very fine record, a trifle long, but a refreshing change of pace for the Kinks. I�d tell you more, but I only heard it once, and RCA can�t afford to give me a copy.

The new Johnny Nash single, �My MerryGo-Round� (Epic 5011003) is not remotely reggae. It�s also a bore, worse than Dobie Gray. Hot Chocolate�s original version of �Brother Louie� (RAK 4515) is out and it eats it next .to Stories� unbelievably marvelous cover. Colin Blunstone�s newest is �Andorra,� the cut I was hoping they�d pull because it sounds most like the Zombies (Epic 5-11004). Could be a hit, I think, if we all wish very hard. Whether it will be so for Christopher Milk remains to be seen, but there�s no doubt their version of Terry Reid�s �Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace� (Reprise 1164) is a real pinnacle for them, a tightly-produced, well-executed exercise in English pop. The density of textures reminds me in places of Roxy Music, and on the whole it�s a fine record. Congratulations to all concerned — you�ve finally proven yourselves.

Alan Price�s �O Lucky Man!� (WB 7717) is my favorite Price record yet, although admittedly I never cared for his early jazzoid noodlings. But this is a solid pop production with great guitar chords, so of course I like it. A bit weak' in the vocals maybe, but at least he�s trying. Another old warhorse who could do it again is Manfred Mann; Mercury should release �Pretty Good� as a single, edited down some. Worth paying 50 cents for his latest album to hear, until then. Rick Springfield is another would-be rocker who might make a worthwhile record someday. �I�m Your Superman� (Capitol 3637) is a good try, sounding like an out-track of �Long Cool Woman� with weak vocals added. Fair production, done in England by Binder/Porter.

Three Dog Night�s �Shambala� (Dunhill 4352) is their best record in a long time, a real catchy arrangement, and phooey to those who say they prefer B.W. Stevenson�s acoustic original. Hell, even Chicago have a good single out; this is a good month for garbage groups. �Feelin� Stronger Every Day� (Columbia 4-45880) starts off dumb but sounds progressively'more like Alice Cooper as it goes on.

The second release on Mango is by ZapPow, titled �This is Reggae Music.� I dunno; sounds more like War to me. Jim Capaldi had a hand in it too. But for a big slick production, it�s not bad. Mark �Teenage Opera� Wirtz is back again, with an alternative to American Pie. �American Sundae� (Capitol 3643) is stupid if you listen to the words, but otherwise it�s disconcertingly Troggs-like except for the choruses where it sounds like the Kinks, with a couple of Gary Usher interludes. Interesting song. �Breakfast in Bed� by the Capitol City Rockets (Elektra 45855) is a good stab at hard rock/pop by a new group that, with a little more originality, could go far.

�It�s Not the Spotlight� by ST 4 (Scepter 12382) is an over-produced ballad written by Gerry Goffin and Barry Goldberg -rnow there�s a team! The latest release on Jonathan King�s UK label is �Rubber Bullets� by 10CC, a synthetic rocker telling the story of a rock & roll dance/riot at the county jail, with some amazing lyrics and a nice jaunty beat. Sugarloaf is back with a pleasant little bit of nothing called �Round and Round� (Brut 805), not up to their former greatness however. If you want this Roy Wood production, you�ll have to order it from England. �Farewell,� a song written by Wood for Ayshea (who seems to be his female counterpart over there) sounds like an old Move track, from about Looking On, over which Wood has added Ay shea�s unremarkable voice, doctoring it up with production tricks the way Spector did the early Crystals. It�s on Harvest 5073.

Del Shannon�s �Runaway� is given a nice treatment by Bill Rinehart (MUMS 6019). MUMS is a fun label; I always look forward to their stuff. This one isn�t the end of the world, but it�s an enjoyable diversion. Same goes for �Maybe Baby� by the Gallery (Sussex 259), which shows they know more about their roots than I thought, and also how not to use a steel guitar. �Little Bit O�Soul� by the Iron Cross-is so hot you can almost hear it grinding up your needle; not as smooth but vastly more energetic than Bullet�s 1972 revival, and a great song anytime. Check it out (Spark SP-08).

Oldies fans will be queuing up to buy �In the Still of the Night� by the Marcels (Queen Bee 47001, dist. by Scepter) and with good reason. It�s a fine traditional group harmony sound. And although it�s a lousy record, the new Climax single (Rocky Road 30072)'is interesting because it�s the first record of its type since, Tbelieve, �Three Stars�. It�s called �Rock and Roll Heaven,� and the gist of it is that if there really is one, �well you know they got a hell of a band,� including by name, Janice (sic), Jimi, Jim, Otis, Peggy Sue, Donna, and everybody else.

That�s enough, I can�t go on. It�s 106 degrees outside and I�ve gotta go out and put the hose on the walls so my records don�t melt. After that I think I�ll hop in my car and cruise around until I hear a Beach Boys record. See ya later...

Greg Shaw