Bang ~ USA ~ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Music (1973)

For the Mother / Bow to the King album I wrote: "This was pretty much it for the band. They released one more album, which appears to be far more commercial in nature." After all these years, I've finally heard the dubious 3rd album, after finding a cheap copy at the COS record show. And I fear to say that I agree with the low assessment appended to it. It starts out rather promising though. Still has some hard rock riffing and definite proggy flare, as noted by the mellotron use. But it seems the band had lost interest and the rest of the album is what I call "early 70s North American classic rock." It's a style that was popular then but hasn't really aged well. Slightly rural, based in songwriting, but without much skill in melody development. Overall not a terrible album but rather average on the whole. Which is disappointing considering they were one of the American trailblazers on the hard rock front.

Source: 1973 Capitol (LP)

4/3/25 (review)

Mother / Bow to the King (1972)

Hot on the heels of acquiring Bang's debut, I now have secured their sophomore effort. Like two EPs sewed together as one, each headline title gets one side. Musically they are similar with the Mother side being slightly more heavy. Bang's second album does tone down the riffing a bit from the debut and Frank Ferrara doesn't go quite as much for the Ozzy pitch as prior. All the same, it's a solid hard rocker with more ideas than the usual bonehead early 70s North American fare. If you like one, you'll certainly enjoy the other. This was pretty much it for the band. They released one more album, which appears to be far more commercial in nature (see above for update). They also have an archival release that came out many years later.

Ownership: 1972 Capitol (LP). Gatefold

1992 (first listen); 4/2/23 (review)

Bang (1972)

Now we're talkin'! I had encountered Bang in my initial late 80s deep diving crate digging years, but they didn't resonate at that time. I was still either more prog or metal focused to appreciate vintage hard rock. Over the years, Bang's album has gathered a cult following among hard rock aficionados. And it's easy to hear why. Bang were from Philadelphia and were one of the very few contemporary bands to make a try at a Black Sabbath like sound. They're not quite as heavy but they have the same motif. Plenty of riffs and lead singer Frank Ferrara at times sounds eerily close to Ozzy. This really is a classic of the genre, and tough to score these days. 

Ownership: 1972 Capitol (LP). Green label.

3/4/23 (review)

4/2/23 (new entry)

Helmet of Gnats ~ USA ~ Connecticut

Sunday Drive [single] (2025)

Precisely one year later from Helmet of Gnats' last review, I'm checking out their next single 'Sunday Drive'. The track starts off in namesake fashion, with a pleasant ECM approach to jazz fusion. A Sunday drive indeed. Highly melodic and peaceful. The keyboard work is excellent and reminded me of The Franklin Street Arterial of all bands. Perhaps it's the New England connection. About halfway through guitarist Chris Fox enters, and ups the distortion a bit. Then around the six minute mark the Sunday drive gets mired in New York City traffic apparently. The music moves into funk territory and the guitar tone gets nastier. A wonderful progression! In that light, I'm thinking of Frank Marino on 'Poppy', which is about as nice a compliment as I can give. 

4/3/25 (review)

Nathan Deacon's Other Brain [single] (2024)

Helmet of Gnat's latest release is a lengthy seven minute track. Starting off more in electronic territory the music soon enough shifts towards a mellow Crimsonic type cyclical fusion piece. This eventually leads to the more comfortable sounds of common jazz fusion as one might hear in 1982 (they continue to move forward in time, though 40 years in the rear view mirror). Though the funky wah-wah bit at the six minute mark is a cool twist. Very nicely done.

4/3/24 (review)

Travelogue (2020)

I was recently in touch with guitarist Chris Fox, and he was kind enough to send me over a copy of Helmet of Gnats 4th and latest album Travelogue. I have notes on the second and third albums and there's a common bond between them. To cut and paste snippets from each:

"Their stock and trade is retro jazz rock/fusion, with Hammond B3 and electric guitar leading the way. Melody is front and center so this isn't a chops fest, just the way I prefer it. At times it sounds like Niacin with some spruced up psychedelic guitar leading the solo parade."

"As for style, I'm reminded of what Mandrill said about their music: "We were too prog for funk, and too funk for prog". Replace funk with fusion and you could make that same argument here."

The main theme on both of the above is that Helmet of Gnats favors melodicism over technique. And that shines through once again on Travelogue. You never have to sit through a chromatic scale shred fest, nor gymnastic rhythmic displays. Rather there's a natural flow of events to the compositions. While Timeslip refers back to the early 70s side of jazz rock, Travelogue comes in around 1977 or so. Fantastic synthesizer and other analog keys complement Fox's thoughtful guitar solos. The rhythm section is complex but not busy. Some of the warm bass tones are right out of the late 70s fusion cookbook. There are seven tracks totaling precisely 50 minutes. A full LP length, not too short where you are pining for more, not too much where it leaves you exhausted. Travelogue is timeless music, the kind that sounded fresh in the 70s and continues that way into the 2020's and most assuredly beyond. I've enjoyed all four of Helmet of Gnats albums to date.

Ownership: 2020 Ambient (CD). Trifold digipak.

3/30/24 (review)

High Street (2010)

For Helmet of Gnats second album I wrote: "Their stock and trade is retro jazz rock / fusion, with Hammond B3 and electric guitar leading the way. Melody is front and center so this isn't a chops fest, just the way I prefer it. At times it sounds like Niacin with some spruced up psychedelic guitar leading the solo parade. That reads like a great combination to me! If your tastes in fusion run towards the early 70s side of the continuum then Timeslip will most certainly satisfy."

And that most certainly applies here too. The concept is about the band members' childhood home street. There is something special about that experience and connection with the past. I have a very good friend from my old neighborhood (lived right across the street) and we've been friends for well over 50 years. We both are blessed with excellent memory capability so we can each recreate moments going back to our earliest school days of the early 70s.

This connection comes through in the music of Helmet of Gnats. As for style, I'm reminded of what Mandrill said about their music: "We were too prog for funk, and too funk for prog". Replace funk with fusion and you could make that same argument here.

Ownership: 2010 Ambient (CD). Digipak

2010 (first listen); 9/26/23 (review)

Timeslip (2004)

Timeslip is Helmet of Gnats second album, eight years after their debut. Here their stock and trade is retro jazz rock / fusion, with Hammond B3 and electric guitar leading the way. Melody is front and center so this isn't a chops fest, just the way I prefer it. At times it sounds like Niacin with some spruced up psychedelic guitar leading the solo parade. That reads like a great combination to me! If your tastes in fusion run towards the early 70s side of the continuum then Timeslip will most certainly satisfy.

For years I thought the album was self-titled, or simply known as II. But if you look carefully at the bottom front, you'll see the words Time on top, and Slip on the bottom, intertwined. I thought it was just a symbol, like you'd see on a door design. Haha.

Ownership: 2004 Ambient (SACD). Tri-fold digipak. 

7//06 (first listen); 7/28/22 (review)

7/28/22 (new entry)

Blue Oyster Cult ~ USA ~ Long Island, New York

Blue Oyster Cult were one of the very first bands I got into at the tender age of 13, much to the chagrin of my religious mother who didn't understand the allegory (not that I did either at the time, I just liked the music). Their material has held up well, and I own most of their classic albums. More updates will come eventually.

Mirrors (1979)

Mirrors was the first new studio album from Blue Oyster Cult after I had become a fan. Since my collection was still very small at the time, I found plenty to enjoy on the album. It wasn't really what I was looking for at the time, but I could explain it away. As more and more titles entered the household, Mirrors eventually became superfluous and I traded it off. Other than albums starting after The Revolution by Night, Mirrors was also the only classic era studio BOC I didn't have in the current collection. Found a minty one recently for cheap, so let's dig in for the first time in probably 40 years. It certainly isn't as bad as the low rating I had on it, though one can understand the disappointment. I was hardly alone in my assessment, and Mirrors remains their lowest rated album until the aforementioned Revolution album (according to RYM). Side 2 is the better half, and most of it is enjoyable. The first side isn't a total loss, though one wonders how they arrived at the suggestion that the title song was one of the treasures of the album. In any case, the one track here that is a fan favorite - and the one I loved at age 14 - is most certainly 'The Vigil'. It's really too bad BOC didn't pursue more of their proggy ambitions. They dabbled with it early in their career, and would later reference the genre every once in a blue moon. 'The Vigil' is one of the best tracks in their canon of work. Buck Dharma was at another level when penning this composition. It truly stands out on an album such as Mirrors, given that the rest of it is mostly commercial oriented. I wouldn't keep this album under normal circumstances, but the nostalgia pull here is huge.

Ownership: 1979 Columbia (LP)

1979 (first listen); 4/2/25 (review)

Agents of Fortune (1976)

Blue Oyster Cult's 4th album Agents of Fortune is where I first started with the band. If memory serves, Spectres was already out, but once I saw 'Don't Fear the Reaper' on the back cover at the local K-Mart, then I decided to fork over my hard earned lawnmowing money on the album. I was 13 years old and with my mom (not like I was driving yet), and she wasn't too keen on me buying it due to the Tarot imagery, but she relented. To this day, I still think Reaper is a 5 star track despite having heard it countless times over a 47+ year period. That's how good it is. And it's certainly the highlight of Agents of Fortune, though it would be for almost any traditional song based album. The only other "known" track here is 'ETI' a rather heavy piece for its era, and signals their next big hit with 'Godzilla'. B2 is the other harder rocking cut, one I've always been fond of. The other seven songs are geared towards melodic AOR, something they proved to be adept at on Secret Treaties, though it was presented in a more progressive form on that album. B3 and B4 in particular are very touching. I like the opening track as well, seemingly more like a mid-album cut. Strange beginning I think. I can do without A2 which sounds like the Stones, never a good plan. The side closers are lackluster as well. The end summary is that Agents of Fortune is a good album, somewhere in the middle of their canon, but not extraordinary. Lost opportunity because one of the tracks is just that - extraordinary.

Ownership: 1976 Columbia (LP)

1978 (first listen); 6/21/20; 2/14/25 (review)

Hard Rock Live Cleveland (2014 / 2020)

Quite an elaborate package with a double digipak and three discs. At this stage, BOC is really Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma with a touring band. And these guys have lost their ability to sing in harmony, one of their trademarks. It's nice to hear great songs that are under performed such as 'Golden Age of Leather', 'The Vigil', and 'Black Blade'. But they just ain't got it anymore. Weak sound and out of tune vocals. Fans seem to love it. I personally go back with BOC to 1978, as they were one of my first favorite groups. No blinders for me though.

Source: 2020 Frontiers (2xCD + DVD)

1/15/25 (review)

Fire of Unknown Origin (1981)

Another one of those albums I bought new real time, got tired of, and sold by the early 90s. From a cover perspective, it's very clear that BOC were moving as far away from Mirrors as fast as possible. A classic of its kind. The music is easily identifiable as Blue Oyster Cult and it's not that much of a risk taker. Much was made of the Joan Crawford song in its era, but it's not going to change your world. The whole album screams early 80s hard rock, plain and simple. There's nothing that sticks with you for days like, say, 'Subhuman'. 'Burnin' For You', which was the big hit, may also be the album's best track.

Ownership: 1981 Columbia (LP)

1981 (first listen); 7/27/13; 1/9/23 (review)

The Revolution By Night (1983)

I first heard this album on my winter break from college in 1983. It was relatively new then. It was the same time period that I picked up Savatage's Sirens and Manilla Road's Crystal Logic. A friend swore it was great, but as you might imagine, I had completely moved away from poppy hard rock such as BOC by that time. I thought it was terrible and maintained a low rating for the next 40 years almost. With this era of the 80s in my lens, now is a good time to repurchase the album from a local store. Well... yea, I can certainly see why I thought nothing of it when I was 18. It is lightweight and it is poppy. Which doesn't translate to terrible like it once did. I did recognize the opener 'Take it Away', but nothing else, 'Veins' is really nice and one gets to hear Randy Jackson (American Idol of course...) play a mean bass on the lengthy 'Shooting Shark'. Side 2 is mostly solid hard rock as well. Other interesting guests are Larry Fast (Synergy) and Aldo Nova, a star in his own right not long before.

Ownership: 1983 Columbia (LP)

1983 (first listen); 3/4/22 (review)

Extraterrestrial Live (1982)

The first live album I ever bought was On Your Feet Or On Your Knees, which became a personal favorite when I was 14. To this day, it remains one my top live albums in the collection. By the time ETL came out, I was already tiring of BOC, and this live album seemed perfunctory. I had seen the band live around this time, and modern reviews are generally very positive, so I plucked down near-retail dollars to buy this used copy. Nope, looks like my 17 year old brain knew better. The key to On Your Feet is the improvisational and energy quotient, both missing from ETL. Obviously seeing them live was a different positive experience, but it isn't captured here. It's a run through of all their hits, and every album has at least one representative including even their least successful Mirrors album. The only cover song is Roadhouse Blues, the Doors chestnut that was overdone in those days. I don't think it's a very good song to begin with, and might be my least favorite Doors hit. Oh well, not every nostalgic pull is going to work out.

Source: 1982 Columbia (2xLP)

2/18/22 (review)

Secret Treaties (1974)

The last of the "Black and White" trilogy of albums, Secret Treaties ups the ante on just about everything. Considered by many to be their most thoughtful and challenging album, lyrically Blue Oyster Cult were living in a surreal, but parallel, universe. Even tracks that are essentially boogie rockers receive mid track breaks that belong more to progressive rock - or later in the heavy metal genre considering the mid song riff change. 'Subhuman' is melancholy on a plate with a killer underlying riff. 'Astronomy' is about as progressive as BOC will ever get, always pulling back instinctively knowing their audience are there to rock and roll. Buck Dharma has a very recognizable guitar style. Had he chosen a route similar to Santana, his name would be far more known today as a soloist rather than band member.

The CD adds five bonus tracks. Three of these were recorded during the Secret Treaties sessions but left off due to time constraints. Revisiting these, it appears the band / label made the right choice as they are more straightforward than the album proper. Still it's quite excellent to hear unreleased tracks like this. The other two are singles, including live favorite 'Born to be Wild'.

Ownership: 1974 Columbia (LP); 2001 Columbia Legacy (CD). Contains insightful liner notes, lyrics, photos, and five bonus tracks.

1978 (first listen); 11/21/12; 7/7/15; 11/26/22 (review)

11/26/22 (new entry)

Sweet ~ England

Action / Medussa (1976)

'Action' is the same tune that opens Give Us a Wink and is a fantastic example of the superb hard rock goods that album brings.

But the real draw here is the American Capitol release that contains 'Medussa'. I hadn't heard this track prior and it's a must for Sweet fans - and hard rock fans in general. A well penned song, bordering prog combined with the traditional Sweet chorus sound. About halfway through Andy Scott starts to riff some chords. Not long after that an entire instrumental sequence lifts off. Scott goes wild on the guitar solo, while the rhythm section is going through some complex time changes. Very kinetic! I've never heard Sweet sound like this. And it has to be Scott's wildest solo on record.

I've just been informed this is 'Medusa' on the European versions of Desolation Boulevard. I've never heard that album, which is much different than the American version on Capitol.

Ownership: 1976 Capitol (SP)

4/1/25 (review)

 

Level Headed (1978)

Sweet were one of my early favorite groups. Level Headed was their new album at the time and 'Love is Like Oxygen' was the track getting regular airplay - a song I enjoyed immensely. We'll get to that soon. On the first day someone could shuttle me to the mall (I was only 13 at the time), I waltzed into the two record shops to purchase the album, only to find they were sold out. I decided to buy the album before it - Off the Record. I enjoyed that album (to be discussed another day), though I won't say I was blown away by it. I had one friend back then who was also into music like I was, and he did find Level Headed. Neither of us were overly impressed, and I decided to forgo buying my own copy. Not long after, I bought Desolation Boulevard (US version of course) and Give Us a Wink and those two solidified my early fan status.

Since I recently made the decision to pick up old commodity LPs from my youth (must be found in a store, and very inexpensive - or trade), I thought Level Headed would be an early score. As but one example, I walked into a local store and bought a stone mint Saga's Heads or Tales for $4 at the beginning of this adventure. But Level Headed had proved to be elusive. Again, I'm not going to mail order these things - that would have been too easy. Finally, after two years, I secured a copy - and it was properly discounted in the budget bin. Perfect.

So what of Level Headed, and where did my initial resistance come from? Right from the beginning, that's where. Even today, I find little to embrace about the opening three tracks. They're OK of course, but the melodies aren't striking, and gone is the hard rocking Sweet that I enjoyed. It's not until 'Fountain' that things begin to improve dramatically. Then comes 'Love is Like Oxygen', one of God's gifts to music. It's such a bizarre tune really - and how it became the "hit" off the album is even more puzzling. Starting off with power chords (finally!) Sweet sings in a high pitched but odd styled harmony. This is followed by some Brian Wilson like mellow interludes that raise the hair on your arm. The mid section then shows that Sweet may have had a fondness for Camel - as they totally go prog here. This leads back to the power chord section. And finally, the album closes with a cool funk bit (que?). What the heck did I just hear? None of it makes sense, but I think it's brilliant. No wonder I was drawn to this at a young age. Side 2 starts of in a Gryphon-goes-pop manner (which by that time was the sound of Gryphon anyway). There's a couple more middling tracks which leads to the other great track from the album, it too a side closer. 'Air on 'A' Tape Loop' is about as strange as 'Love is Like Oxygen'. This time it's a groovy instrumental with only harmony vocals on top - as if Deodato had walked in for a cameo.

Level Headed is not a great album by any means, but there's 13 minutes of brilliance and about 20 minutes overall of excellent material. That's plenty good for me.

Ownership: 1978 Capitol (LP). Gatefold with lyric inner.

1978 (first listen); 1/21/21 (review)

Ballroom Blitz / Restless (1974)

'Ballroom Blitz' is well known, and honestly is a great hard rocker. It was the track that drew me to Sweet in the first place when I was 12. Shoot, even my mom thought it a good track, and she hated most of what I listened to. In any case, the track is also on the US pressings of Desolation Boulevard.

The real allure here is the unreleased 'Restless' which is patented Sweet, and features some really inspired guitar soloing from Andy Scott. The 45 is as common as one raisin in a box of them, so well worth the pennies.

Ownership: 1974 Capitol (SP)

6/27/20 (new entry)