ROCK • A • RAMA
THE BOYZZ—Too Wild To Tame (Epic):: A biker band from the Midwest, the Boyzz are about as subtle as a squadron of choppers plowing through your parents living room. Good root awareness from the cover (Brando in The Wild Ones) right through to the music— more prototype 72 heavy metal/boogie riffs than you can shake an exhaust pipe at.
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ROCK A RAMA
THE BOYZZ—Too Wild To Tame (Epic):: A biker band from the Midwest, the Boyzz are about as subtle as a squadron of choppers plowing through your parents living room. Good root awareness from the cover (Brando in The Wild Ones) right through to the music— more prototype 72 heavy metal/boogie riffs than you can shake an exhaust pipe at. These guys sound like they were freeze-dried in the middle of Machine Head and have just been awakened by a transfusion of Quaker State. Loud, dumb, high-energy let's-get-smashedand-go-crazy music which features such instant rebel-rousers as "Destined To Die" (seven minutes of twin guitar/keyboard nerve squash), "Shady Lady" (hot part is when the whole band goes "Oooh" and "Aaaah" as they watch a drunken bimbo slide off the bar stool) and the ridiculously idiotic "Hoochie Koochie" (on you, of course). Not only do the Boyzz make the Godz unnecessary, they're even good! B.A.
CHAMPION (Epic)::I wasn't really gonna bother with this record—just some more washed up vets of mid 70's thump music reshuffling the same losing hand, but there's a little instrumental here called "Book Him Dano" which means, yes—the Jack Lord legions are forming! Can Steve bring back the wet look all by himself? And what ever happened to Ponchie Ponce? Oh, one more thing—the bio says that this .band includes the legendary Clem Clempson. Next thing you know, they'll be erecting statues of Ariel Bender. B.A.
THE MOIRS—State Of Shock (Rocket):: Looking at the cover, I got a little spooked. Looked like a soundtrack album for a remake pf Children Of The Damned; three identical looking androidal females staring blankly into space as an ominous dove hovers overhead. But no, they're just sisters. Course, then I listened to the record; 1 see, eerie, alien vocal patterns not unlike the little princesses in Mothra, and some of the songs show DC leanings (who needs a man?) and 1 got scared again ...Wait a minute, the record won't come off the turntable...the volume knob is stuck... B.A.
DYAN DIAMOND—In The Dark (MCA):: Look at Dyan's cherubic, thoughtful picture on the cover. Look at her darting away from the back alley after a round with the bad boys on the back cover. Listen to her sound bitchy on "Animal Girl" ("1 live in an animal world"). Listen to her sound sleazy, breathy and seductive on "Hot". Listen to her Patti Smith imitation on the title track. Listen to her drive into the nearest brick wall on "Gonna Rock Ourselves To Death" ("At fourteen I had a dream...at sixteen I'm living it"). As long as there are any, and I mean any, even minutely talented teenagers who would rather be messed up grown ups, Kim Fowley will never be out of business. BA.
JAPAN—Adolescent Sex (Ariola America):: Young English pretty boys playing semi-out of control funk music? Well, as they say, this is the modern world and anything goes, right? And speaking of show tunes, this band does a smash twisting of "Don't Rain On My Parade", all gnarl-toothed and obnoxious. "Transmission" has a fascinating Yardbirdsian "Still I'm Sad" chant and "Communist China" could easily have fallen off of Bowie's Station To Station, Japan doesn't seem to fit in anywhere
This month's Rock-a-ramas were written by Billy A Itman and Richard C. Walls.
in the general scheme of things circa 78. Maybe that's why they sound so confused and angry. I kinda like 'em. B.A.
BAIRD HERSEY & THE YEAR OF THE EAR—Lookin' For That Groove (Arista Novus)::Such a corny title and such an awkward name for a group—it's a pity that that'll probably put a lot of people off 'cause Hersey & Co. (eleven ambitious Bostonians, "a reduced big band" sez Hersey) have a lot to offer in the area of fusion music, free music, dissonance and funky malice. Reminiscent of some of Gil Evans more recent sides, only with a lot more vim. R.C.W.
THE DICKIES WHITE VINYL MAXI SINGLE FEATURING "PARANOID," "HIDEOUS" AND "YOU DRIVE ME APE (YOU BIG GORILLA)" (A&M)::What won derful names—Stan Lee, Billy Club, Chuck Wagon. What wonderful lyrics—"I don't want to find you in my place/You are just a basket case/You shouldn't belong to the human race." What wonderful music—a version of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" which leaves out the bass riff which was the heart of the song in the first place. L.A.—what a wonderful town. B.A.
THE SEARCHERS-Meet The Searchers (Pye)::Rock 'n' roll theory number 783: If this record came out before the Byrds had even formed and the Searchers do "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", then exactly who invented folk rock? B.A.
BOB DYLAN—Street Legal (Columbia):: And they laughed when I said that Neil Diamond's influence extended far and wide. B.A.
THE ROLLING STONES-Some Girls (Rolling Stones)::I'm very glad that Mick is learning Yiddish, that Keith looks healthy (at least this month) and that Ron Wood does finally sound like he belongs in this band. But as far as I'm concerned the key to this record sounding any good at all rests behind the skins. Charlie Watts is God. B.A.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-Darkness At The Edge Of Town (Columbia):: Sorry Bruce, but I saw Two Lane Blacktop. B.A.
