2024 Classic rock / AOR Journal Vol. 3 - Complete

Baby Boom - Driven Too Far. 1987 Cheese (EP). Pulled this out of a local buck bin (Dec), and one of their 45s was stuck in there as well. So I'll be checking that one out soon too. Private pressing from Red Bank, New Jersey. Driven Too Far is what one would just call a rock album (or EP in this case) similar to The Flying Boxcars below. Four straightforward songs with two guitarists who never take the spotlight. As it plays on, I think their spirit guide was Dire Straits. Decent effort.

Eric Quincy Tate - E.Q.T. 1975 GRC (LP). Found this sealed for a buck at the same store in Denver as The Flying Box Cars below (Nov). Don't want to break the seal yet, so I'll check it out on YouTube first. There's no one named Eric Quincy Tate in the band. They apparently were discovered by none other than UMR favorite Tony Joe White, which makes me want to hear their first album. This is their 3rd effort. Based on what little data is out there, EQT were from southern Texas (either San Antonio or Corpus Christi). Eventually they migrated to Atlanta. Technically this falls in the Southern Rock genre, but to me it's more country rock. There's nothing on the first side that caught my attention. The second side is much more interesting. 'Drivin' Wheel' sounds like one of the Allman Brothers bluesy tracks with some fine guitar from Wayne Sauls and Hammond from Joseph Rogers. This leads to the 15+  minute closer 'Big Boss Jam'. Starts off in hard-times blues territory before finally getting into jam-rock mode five minutes in. It's mostly a boogie styled jam with plenty of pounding piano. Not my kind of album, but not hard to listen to either. Average for the style.

Queen - News of the World. 1977 Elektra (LP). Also from the Colorado Springs Record Show (Nov). This time from a dealer I only knew from Denver who usually has good deals (as was this). I haven't heard this album since it came out. I was in junior high. There are few albums in the world that have as iconic an opening as this one does. 'We Will Rock You' is still, and maybe forever, played in arenas worldwide. 'We Are the Champions' is no less used in a similar setting, usually after all is said and done and your team won. Despite this, the album isn't nowhere near their most famous, nor as highly regarded. As noted here (too) many times, I'm no fan of Queen. They just don't seem able to bring any kind of consistency, and their theatrical glammy roots always rubs me the wrong way. 

Zebra. 1983 Atlantic (LP). Same dollar bin as below (Nov). Much was made when this New Orleans based band arrived on the world stage, with comparisons to Led Zeppelin and Rush being brought forth. Randy Jackson gives a Plant like performance without the blues edginess. Though billed as a proggy hard rock band, it's definitely AOR. 'Who's Behind the Door', which closes side one, was a minor hit and a very intriguing song, and the one place you can hear the Rush influence. The album closer might be the best track here. 'The La La Song' is probably the heaviest and proggiest thing here despite the fluffy premise. Other than the ill advised boogie rocker 'Slow Down', everything here is easy to absorb. But it all seems watered down. A production boost to highlight the hard rock angle of the band would have gone a long way to obtaining street cred, and an album that would be revered highly today. As it stands, it's a mere anachronism in the time of New Wave synth pop.

The Flying Boxcars. 1980 Rufert (LP). Found this in the buck bin of a Denver store this past weekend (Oct). I'm sure many of you wondered whatever happened to the perfectly named ex-Cain singer Jiggs Lee. I mean who wouldn't? Turns out he formed or joined The Flying Boxcars. This private press from St. Paul, Minnesota is what we used to call a "rock album". Eclectic without any identity or focus. Recorded (or written) between 1976 and 1980, the songs vacillate between AOR, boogie, hard rock, prog, and whatever else they felt like doing. They clearly wanted to be discovered and receive airplay. I'm guessing they did at least get some local or regional radio coverage. The highlights include the great synthesizer work, the occasional organ, and of course Lee's voice. Unfortunately none of the songs are highlights and the album sort of flies by without notice.

Aviary. 1979 Epic (LP). From the Rocky Mountain Record Show (Oct). Aviary is a large cage for birds, and the guys on the front certainly look like they belong in one! Remember "feathered back" hair? Haha. Well anyway, I had been told this is a very good proggy AOR album so I chanced it. While I can see the allure, the album comes from that strain I don't care for so much - that of Queen and ELO, with a little Beatles thrown in for good measure. Not for me I'm afraid.

El Chicano - Pyramid of Love and Friends. 1975 MCA (LP). Obtained with the below (Oct). Similar to Cinco but perhaps even more transparent on their commercial direction. They want that label money, that's for sure. I would submit that the songs are a bit better here than on the predecessor, but that's not saying much. I'm bummed honestly, expected much more from these. At least I can look forward to hearing their first two albums, if I ever find them that is...

El Chicano - Cinco. 1974 MCA (LP). From the same dealer as the Swallow (Oct). To date I've only heard Celebration, a solid Latin rocker in the Santana / Malo tradition. Two years later, El Chicano has toned down their sound considerably. While Carlos and co. were upping their game with high flying fusion, El Chicano seemed to have an eye on the radio charts. There's almost nothing here that is catchy, and there are very few instrumentals save the closer. All the songs except one are covers. Not a bad album but sounds like a sellout. 

Swallow - Out of the Nest. 1972 Warner Bros. promo (LP). Also from Stanley but a different vendor (Sep). I had this LP about 20 years ago when I bought a few horn rock albums on ebay for deep discounts. I sold it back into the marketplace, but here it is for $2, and I forgot the contents (one more reminder as to why I keep these journals). Let's try it again. Swallow were from Boston and Out of the Nest features no less than an 11 piece band. With such a large lineup one would hope for more music! But alas it's mostly early 70s styled North American classic rock with some country thrown in. A4 is great and the sole Chicago styled brass rocker. B1 isn't too bad either from a horn rock perspective, other than some out of place vocals. The rest isn't for me. Overall average at best.

2024 Classic rock / AOR Journal Vol. 2 - Complete

*Heart - Dreamboat Annie. Capitol (MC) (1975). Grabbed this with the Neil Young and Bad Company below (Aug). I view Heart's debut as an album of missed opportunity. It could have been - perhaps should have been - one of the all-time great 70s hard rock / prog crossover albums. The two major hits from the album 'Magic Man' and 'Crazy on You' reference both genres brilliantly. I hadn't picked up on the excellence of 'Sing Child' until last night's listen, yet another strong prog number with flute. Much of the rest is folk rock or soft rock. I can understand hedging the bet that a female lead group in the middle 70s might not be accepted into the masculine world of hard rock, but they clearly were anyway. They were truly pioneers. I'm going to keep this tape. I've had the LP a few times, but I always go for the profit.

Queen - Queen II. 2011 Hollywood (CD) (1974). Thrift shop find (Aug). Queen II is usually the prog fans first choice when talking Queen. But to my ears they sound just as much like Queen here as anywhere else. To their credit, they had a unique sound. However that sound isn't for me. They needed to release Brian May off his leash and let him rip. The 20 minute EP bonus CD is better, demonstrating Queen in a more raw state. I was surprised at the quality of the B side 45 'See What a Fool I've Been' which looks difficult to score as an original.

REO Speedwagon - You Get What You Play For. 1977 Epic (2xLP). Garage sale (Aug). If there's ever been a band I should like but don't, it's REO Speedwagon. They're from the hardscrabble Midwest and their primary stock in trade is hard rock. But they also had this desire to play good times boogie rock, complete with pounding piano and dopey rock n' roll themes. Before disco, this was the music of choice for the party crowd. Styx did the same thing in the early to mid 70s. And that's what sinks this band for me. However the live version of 'Golden Country' - all by itself - almost had me keeping this. It's that good. More of that would have resulted in a monster outing. There were many bands in the Midwest that did just that, most privately released and very obscure.

Chirco - Visitation. 1972 Crested Butte (LP). This was from the very large garage sale south buy (Jul). One could argue that Chirco were influenced by the James Gang. Some hard rock, a little prog, boogie, and early 70s hippy-isms. Not bad. Despite the label name, the band aren't from the remote ski town of Crested Butte, but rather Denver.

James Gang - Live in Concert. 1971 ABC (LP). One more from the same sale (Jul). The best of the three, and James Gang were naturals for the live circuit. I do like that they improvise and add energy to tracks that weren't necessarily that way in the studio. But it's still a very typical early 70s styled concert, complete with drum solo.

James Gang - Straight Shooter. 1972 ABC (LP). Found with below (Jul). Better than I thought it would be. Troiano takes over guitar from Walsh and keeps the momentum. Hodge-podge of hard rock, funk, and country rock. The latter keeping me from full enjoyment.

James Gang - Rides Again. 1970 ABC (LP). From a large garage sale haul in Monument (Jul). I had this album once in the early 90s, but decided to try it again anyway. 'The Bomber' is a fantastic example of early metal and space rock jamming. 'Funk #49' is a well known hard rock track. But mostly it's fairly average 1970 styled eclectic classic rock. Had a +1 listen and curiosity satiated, but it can go.

Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Broken Arrow. 1996 Reprise (MC). Same find as Bad Company (Jul). I do like the fuzzy guitar tone of Crazy Horse, and when they jam it's very good. But the songs are not for me. Young is one of those artists that just bugs the crap out of me, not sure why. To date though, this is the best I've heard from him. But I still haven't heard his most classic albums beyond Harvest. I'll keep trying.

Bad Company - Bad Co. 198? Swan Song (MC) (1974). From a friend's garage sale (Jul). I've somehow managed to get this far in life without hearing Bad Company's debut in full. But I recognized over half of it anyway as they've been radio staples since I was a kid. What isn't played on the radio is inferior. Just not my band.

Eagles - One of These Nights. 1975 Asylum (LP). From the same thrift shop buy as below (Jun). For a short time in the 70s there were a lot of these countryish rock bands that went all in for soft rock. Think Atlanta Rhythm Section and Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Eagles were the king of them all. Side 1 is pretty good actually including the title track. Side 2 is difficult to get through.

Bad Company - Desolation Angels. 1979 Swan Song (LP). From a large thrift shop buy (Jun). This is the only one I should have left behind, as it's only a $5 record which surprised me. Musically that's what it's worth though. I never really understood the allure of Bad Company. A very ordinary 70s rock band with a little muscle, but not enough to qualify for hard rock. Their songs do tend to stick with you... in a bad way.

*El Chicano - Celebration. 1972 KAPP (LP). Excellent Latin rock with all the usual trappings: Hammond, percussion, Santana guitar, soulful melodies. CDs are scarce but I'd be interested in supplementing this copy. From What's Left (Jun).

A Raincoat - Digalongamacs. 1975 EMI (LP). Very odd and unique UK Baroque pop / glam like a mashup of The Beatles, ELO, and Queen. Has a quirkiness that reminds me some of the sillier UK psych outfits. Out of time for 1975 - forwards and backwards. I can't imagine who the audience for this band was, and it's possible they didn't have one. Not really my thing either but I can appreciate the creativity applied. From Dr. Boom (May).

* - Keeping for the collection

2021 Classic Rock / AOR Journal Vol. 1 - Complete

Supertramp - Even In the Quietest Moments... 1977 A&M (LP). Thrift shop find (Apr). Supertramp have become quite collectable in recent years - even their most commoditized albums are going for a tenner. Other than their out-of-nowhere 1985 prog(gy) album Brother Where You Bound, I've never had any use for Supertramp. But I'm trying to keep an open mind, and listening throughout to albums that I've dismissed in the past. To quote a part of my review for Brother: "And here comes along Supertramp - one of those bands that contributed to the dire state of the radio in the first place." Yep. The opener 'Give a Little Bit' is exactly what I was talking about there. Most folks will point out the album's closer as the grand progressive rock moment. 'Fool's Overture' is 10 minutes, and about double the length it needs to be. It's of the slow symphonic type, nothing overly progressive in my book. 'Lover Boy' is probably my favorite track, and I would call that one "good". It's not a bad album overall, but it's fairly average really. Oh well.

America - Hearts. 1975 Warner Bros. From RT (Apr). America are a band that I've passed on many times - even in thrift stores. Odd in that they have at least four songs that I think are superb - some of the best songs to ever be played on radio. In college, my roommate bought the America's History album, which is of course their famous greatest hits collection. Even then I loved those four songs. So when I went to our local used record store back then, I bought Holiday, which had one of these gems. I don't remember liking anything else, and sold the record off not too long after. Not surprised to see America in folk collector RT's stack. Maybe to amend that, I'm more surprised this is the only one I've run into so far. Now this album doesn't have any of those great four songs (which I won't mention until we get to their albums - if we get there). But it does have the 5th favorite, and that would be 'Sister Golden Hair', which is pretty good. In hearing the album opener 'Daisy Jane' - also on History - it's better than I recall. The best track for me is 'Company' and was that fuzz bass on 'Woman Tonight'? The rest is boring folk rock. So that assessment I made about America way back in 1986 seems to still hold court. Bummer.

Lighthouse - Can You Feel It. 1973 Polydor (LP). From the same estate sale (Mar). Being an enthusiastic horn rock fan, Lighthouse of course is a band that I do enjoy. Especially the debut album which has some fine horn charts, great melodies, and excellent lead guitar. By 1973, while Chicago is still cranking out hits, Canada's Lighthouse is desperately clinging on for survival, trying hard to regain that magic. The first thing you notice, while looking at the cover, is the band could have used a good dental plan. Then on the back cover, the producer is making excuses as to why it doesn't really sound that good. Too much music I believe was the lame excuse. He's right about one thing - it doesn't sound right. It has no heft whatsoever. It's a shame that a large talented band like this couldn't have come up with something more innovative. They should have gone full-on prog or funk or hard rock or something. But jeez, hearing them try so hard for radio airplay that sound like they're from 1970, just doesn't work. I think one track did manage to do OK on Canadian radio, and it's probably the best one here ('Pretty Lady'). I hesitated to buy this for fear of being stuck with it. But it does have the large poster, so that will help. Of course the giant 4 panel poster replicates the album cover... which highlights their teeth. Some guys just never do get plugged in right.

Mose Jones - Get Right. 1973 MCA / Sounds of the South (LP). From an estate sale (Mar). Mose Jones were a southern rock band, though they did have some groove to them. Probably the oddest aspect of their sound is the copious use of mellotron, hardly a southern rock staple. The music is as eclectic as their instrumentation, and is a mix of gospel, rock, funk, r'n'b, and folk. Highlights for me were the haunting acid folk of 'Ode to Drugan' and the jamming 'Julia's Beautiful Friend'. Interesting album, but not one for me to keep. Looks like Sounds of the South was a Al Kooper directed imprint back in the day, though it's new to me. The main group to have been on the short-lived project was Lynryd Skynryd. Nice gatefold cover.

Queen - A Day at the Races. 1976 Elektra (LP). Thrift shop find (Mar). The more I hear Queen, the less I like them. I figured it would be the opposite. They're just not for me. I find myself liking Brian May's guitar work... and little else. I've had good luck finding their albums at thrift shops and garage sales, which is great because they're easy to flip. I haven't heard them all yet, but A Day at the Races is my least favorite of their 70s output that I've heard to date.

Janis Joplin - Pearl. 1971 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Feb). I don't know if I've ever been able to sit through a Janis Joplin album all the way through, which would include Big Brother and the Holding Company of course. It's obvious she puts everything into her singing. But ugh, that voice. She's just not my kind of girl (in any way, shape, or form). Her singing is both annoying and irritating. My favorite track on the album is 'Buried Alive in the Blues', which is instrumental lol. If she had been able to conquer her demons, my best guess is she'd eventually found her way to Country music, and obtained more fame there for the long haul. You can hear that twang in her singing. Just needed some control. Alright, so now I've heard one of her albums throughout. An accomplishment in of itself. 

J. Geils Band - Love Stinks. 1980 EMI (LP). One more from the 1980 era RT stack (Jan). There's a fine line between opportunist and selling out. Whereas REO Speedwagon is a clear example of the latter, J. Geils is more the former. At least that's how I hear Love Stinks. The title track is the most known song here, and 'Just Can't Wait' was another hit. Jay Geils and crew were from Boston, going back to the 60s, and clawed their way to the top with a fine mix of early rock n' roll, funk, and R'n'B. They're meant to be a fun group and yet they do bring some edge with them too. Of course they were smart to latch onto the late 70s AOR sound. I can respect this album, though it does stray from my personal interest area. A well spent 37 minutes before heading to the sell bin.

REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity. 1980 Epic (LP) Ha. Early 60s folk collector RT would just buy about anything on occasion it appears (Jan). This album is more like the 38 Special album below, in that it was played so often, it's pretty much part of my DNA. Unlike 38 Special, this is pure dreck. One of the most obvious pandering to the great FM radio god there ever has been. Even Journey put some elbow grease into their pop slop. I really tried to be objective, but it's just dentist-office painful to sit through. A couple of decent guitar solos I suppose. I had to spray down the stereo after playing this.

Shoes - Present Tense. 1979 Elektra (LP). Also from RT (Jan). This is exactly the kind of power pop that has gained a following in the last few years. Borrowing from the happy late 60s but with a modern indie styled vocal and songcraft approach. I kind of remember these guys back then, but they didn't make a mark. This really isn't my thing, but it wasn't painful to get through at least. I'm a bit surprised this album isn't more expensive, as most LP's in this genre have gone way up.

Blind Faith. 1977 RSO (LP) From RT (Jan). Another one of those albums that is highly praised (and has been all my life) but leaves me scratching my head. Early supergroup (1969) of Cream, Traffic, and Family but it doesn't remind me of any of them. Maybe a more bluesy Traffic. Like the Beck / Bogert / Appice, this album lacks bite. This has the girl cover, but is a later reissue. Not for me.

The Who - Face Dances. 1981 Warner Bros. (LP) From RT (Jan) Face Dances is not a critic or fan favorite, and has generally been panned across the board. And while I'm certainly not going to fall on my sword for it, I don't find it any better or worse than most major artist albums from this era. This was the first studio album without Keith Moon, so you know how that goes with the die-hard fans ("It's not The Who without Keith Moon" grumble, grumble, grumble...). But the year 1981 had more to do with the output than the personnel methinks. 'You Better You Bet' was the big hit of the day and it's pretty good. 

38 Special - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. 1980 A&M (LP). From the RT collection (Jan). 38 Special were a band from Jacksonville, Florida, so they are often compared to The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. And certainly 38 Special have southern rock tendencies, but mostly they are a rocking AOR band, pretty far removed from the above groups. Once again, 38 Special were a band that enjoyed great radio airplay success while I was in high school. In hearing this album for the first time throughout, tracks like 'Hold on Loosely' and 'Fantasy Girl' were already etched into my DNA due to repeatedly listening to them for 40+ years. On the whole though, the album isn't so bad. It has a bit more muscle than others of its ilk, and the guitar work is a cut above. And since it's from 1980, the music definitely has a 70s sheen to it.