Bowing towards Macca

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 19

Bowing towards Macca

WINGS “London Town” (Capitol PAS 10012): Macca is to McCartney what Apple was to the Beatles, when as one of the fab four, he went on his own. Listening to McCartney with Wings makes one realise his contribution to the Beatles, and also aware of his limitations. Certainly "London Town” is his best album

since "Band on the Run,” but Wings have not really progressed much since then, even if the latest album clocks in at 52 minutes long. And perhaps length is its weakness. Thrown in with some great numbers are some equally silly love songs and other whimsical tales like “I’m Carrying” and "Famous Groupies.” The sjngle release “With

A Little Luck” is a certain hit, with typical Wings vocal and jaunty rhythm. Only McCartney could get away with lyrics like "I was arrested by a rozzer wearing a pink’ bal» loon/about his foot — toot toot toot toot,” on the beautifully crafted title track. Equal are the acousticbased “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” courtesy of Denny Laine’s influence and traditional origin, and another bouncy song in “Cafe on the Left Bank.” Still those who delight in easy material will find the album unobstrusive, but catchy, MOR but not dull, wimpish but not soppy. McCartney gets away with a lot within John Lennon to straighten him out, and maybe others are not strong enough to stand his power, for no.v Wings are down to three. THE ORIGINAL . IMALS “Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted” (Barn 2314 104) ERIC B U R D O N (Polydor 2310 557): Th«se are the .irjginal Animals, not to be confused with

the new Anima's .which formed after the first group broke up :n 1966. The latest album, with its apt title, because they split up in 19(W carries on the tradition of "House of the Rising Sun,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of this Place." All the orignal members are playing — Eric Burdon, Alan Price, Chas Chandler. Hilton Valentine and John. Steel — and only Chandler was rusty having not played pass since leav ng the group to later manage Jim Hendrix and Slade. It is not a nostalgia trip, but the An mats get back into the basics, this time with an emphasis on more blues than rhythm as on “Fire on the Sun” and “As the Crow Flies.” “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” is equal to Graham Bonnett’s cover version in a quieter way, while the (Curtis?) Mayfield song “Please Send Me Someone to Love” is handled really well in a soulful manner. Alan Price does justice on keyboards to his big fan, Eric Burdon on vocals as side two is a counter-

play between - them. It is a pity that the same quality could not have crossed over on to Eric Burdon’s “Survivor” album. The album opens with “Rocky” an anthem to rock ’n’ roll with a heavy beat, but getting into the album one finds that perhaps Burdon and co-writer Zoot Money were the only musicians left after a nuclear holocaust for many of the songs are taken from Hollywood B films in the car chase, big rig scene of the good ole boys American he-roes. Of the songs “The Kid” a quasi-Western about Billy the outlaw, and two written by outsiders attract attention. “I Was Born to Sing the Blues” is well-crafted with an

acoustic guitar, but the other “Tomb of the Unknown Singer” needs a wreath. “Highway Dealer” also needs something other than the modern American drug pusher hero escaping from the bears in a rig with the hammer to the floor and the usual CB nonsense.