Pete Haycock - Guitar and Son. 1988 IRS No Speak (LP). 25 cents at Independent (Nov).I've been seeking out these No Speak instrumental albums for some time, but haven't found any, even though if I were to go the mail order route, I could buy them dirt cheap. I referenced this label's series in one of the Mathematicians' review some years ago. In the late 80s, many of the progressive rock contingent were pretty gung-ho about the series. And, as it turns out, Pete Haycock was the first to be released. Who is Pete Haycock you ask? He was the guitarist for the Climax Blues Band. In hearing this album for the first time, his guitar playing is quite good here. Just the right amount of hard rock, jazz fusion, and soulful playing. But the rest? Oh boy. Hardcore late 80s digital. The keyboard tones, the dull and canned drumming, the Kenny G styled sax (known here as Sax Phone), and the slick-as-a-butter-dish production. It's soooo 1988. Too bad. Something less professional would have lead to a much stronger release.
Buck Dharma - Flat Out. 1982 Portrait (LP). Part of the 25 cent haul at Independent (Nov). Blue Oyster Cult was one of the first bands I ever got into, going back to when I was 13 years of age. My mom didn't like the symbolism and was afraid I was "turning the wrong way". Dad, for his part, called them Blue Oyster Fart. He clearly had the right idea on parenting lol. In any case, I used to pour over the credits, since I had little else to do. And over time, it became quite clear that Donald Roeser (Buck...) was my favorite composer of the band. Had this come out in the late 70s, I would have bought it on the spot. But by 1982 I wasn't so much into BOC anymore (that was to be revitalized later). Hence, this is my first listen to the album. It's a typical solo work with a hodgepodge of styles, enough to allure some loyal fans and gain a few others, but leave most wanting. There are a couple of great tracks here, I'm quite partial to the instrumental 'Anwar's Theme', but not enough to hold onto.
Whitesnake - Lovehunter. 1979 United Artists (LP). A real outlier in RTs collection (Nov). "I liked the cover" he tells me. Well yea, can't argue that point! Lyrically these guys were really plugged into the macho oversexed culture of the day. Today they would be cancelled for being sexist pigs. Which is, of course, what they were... Musically it's still the same old bluesy hard rock that one would hear from 1973. So they had fallen way behind on that front. Ultimately they would catch up with the era they lived in (see our notes on the 1987 album). A pretty good album, but nothing that really stands out.
*Ronnie Montrose - Music From Here. 1994 Fearless Urge (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). This ticked a couple of boxes: 1) late era album by forgotten musician and 2) Ronnie Montrose. And boy does it deliver. Montrose is just one of the great hard rock guitarists that never really got his due - somewhat like Frank Marino in that regard. And this is a killer set. Really bizarre album cover too. I love these kind of finds.
Blackfoot - After the Reign. 1994 Wildcat (CD). Thrift shop find (Oct). One type of CD I look for at thrift shops is past-their-prime releases. Generally these are on small labels, and released without much fanfare. As such, the CDs have become collectible over time, especially with a fan base still intact. Many who might say "I didn't realize they kept going!" And they sell for a premium because inventory is legitimately scarce. I bought Strikes (1979) real time on LP, as the radio airplay track had a mean riff that I liked. But as with Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot were really a 3rd tier Southern Rock band, this time from Jacksonville, Florida. This late era CD is a real drag, and doesn't even possess that "one song". They really have nothing in the tank by this point. Unfortunately one of the worst albums I've heard all year.
West, Bruce & Laing - Live 'n' Kickin. 1974 Columbia / Windfall LP). From Independent (Oct). Well known Mountain / Cream combo. This album gives the listener exactly what it says on the tin - straight up hard rock, no chaser. Very good on the whole, though I have too much of this kind of thing already.
* - Keeping for the collection
The Montrose album is named MUSIC FROM HERE. (The label - a short lived one at that - was 'Fearless Urge'.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of generally overrated, these Montrose solo jobs - there are around five or six of them - are consistently dismissed if not ignored altogether, while those first two Montrose solos with Sammy Hagar are routinely hailed as the gold standard in 70s-era Heavy, an opinion I've never shared. (They're like eating sandwiches that are 96% bread. Worse still, the meat in them is Sammy Fucking Hagar!) Not only do I find Gamma 1 & 2 vastly superior, I prefer the Bob James (RIP) albums to the Sammy era as well.
But strictly from a standpoint of guitar playing and overall creativity, the flurry of solo material Ronnie treated us to in the late 80s and 90s (of which MUSIC FROM HERE is one fine example) are his crowning glories. If you like this one, make sure you grab ahold of 1988's THE SPEED OF SOUND. (And don't be misled by MUTATIS MUTANDIS appearing on the generally-disappointing No Speak series, either.)
I never miss your new entries to UNR, so keep up the great work.
Thanks for the comment and correction (fixed). I certainly did know the title, but typed it out wrong! Going too fast obviously... I definitely plan to pick up any Montrose as I see them. Interesting you mention Gamma, as I also picked up their first 3 albums on LP out of the 25 cent bin. I do like the 1973 Montrose album though, and reported on that one already. Thanks for the tips and being a loyal reader!
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