RECORDS

Rip It Up, Issue 5, 1 October 1977, Page 10

RECORDS

rA Stone’s Throw Away Valerie Carter C.B.S.

As far as I am concerned, Valerie Carter has a lot going against her before the needle even hits the vinyl on her debut album. Before hearing her, I had read that she was too mild for an Eagles audience, that she was signed to C.B.S. because some record company executive thought she had a bankable face’, and that so many of the L A. session army played on A Stone's Throw Away, that she couldn't recall one of them even being there. Imagine my surprise then, dear reader, to discover that this album is every bit as good as its reputation was fishy. A Stone’s Throw Away may not quite be the album that Little Feat fans everywhere are looking for, but it cuts the latest offerings from both Linda Ronstdt and Bonnie Raitt.

The album starts slowly, with a faithful retread of an old soul near-standard, "Ooh Child", and a rather uncomfortable feeling that this is the way that James Taylor likes to get under way. All such thoughts are dispelled by the truly soulful "Ringing Doorbells in the Rain" a collaboration between Lowell George and someone called Ulv, who is rumoured to be an inmate of a local institution for the insane. From that moment on Valerie Carter is set. While the rest of the first side, and much of the second side doesn't quite match those heights, the album’s closer, "Back to Blue Some More" is worth seven dollars on its own. With words by Lowell George, a stunning melody by Ms Carter, and arrangement by William Payne, the song leaves for dead anything on the Feat's Time Loves a Hero.

It’s a sad commentary on the rock and roll world that women like Valerie Carter have to battle to overcome the kind of hype they are landed with in record company promo sheets, and rock magasines. It shouldn’t be a surprise that she has talent, just a shame that we have to be told what a lovely little lady’ she is before we can appreciate it. Francis Stark

Eric Carmen Boats Against the Current Arista Perhaps it was a bad morning, but I had a fright when I spent two hours yesterday listening to transistor pop.

As production .line single after sing-by-number chorus was slapped down, it became harder and harder to tell top 40 material from ad jingles. When it came to Donna Summer's machine written and machine played "Theme from the Deep" I gave up. And for somebody who places a lot of faith in pop music that was worrying. Meanwhile I’d been pondering on Eric Carmen's Boats Against the Current. First of all, it is clear that Carmen is a top 40 operator and a good one. He has as strong a voice as you are likely to find in a consistent chart scorer. He's expressive, controlled, and just that bit bluesy. He is, further, a convincingly melodic writer and he can afford good studio musicians. In all you’d expect to conclude that this record should stand out as top popular product. Well yes it does: but that’s just the point. Eric Carmen's is by nature an imitative talent. Remember people calling the Raspberries the new Beatles because they sounded like the old Beatles? Remember

“All by Myself” 's resemblance to Nilsson’s "Without You"? Well, so too with this album. Carmen feeds off established pop styles in exploiting a little of Roger Daltrey, a little of Elton John, a touch of the Beach Boys (Bruce Johnston arranges backing vocals), and custom built West Coast production.

All credit to Eric Carmen’s ability as a blender of styles and by all means buy the record for songs like "She Did It" and “Love Is All That Matters" but it’s no hopeful reflection on current levels of innovation that a retrospective talent like this shines so bright. Bruce Bdsham

The Chieftains Live In terfusion Well, the Chieftains are back with us, even if it is only on record. Those of you who feel deprived at missing their recent New Zealand concerts (and you should) can sample the group's magic on this new album. The Chieftains are a seven man group who have a tremendous repertoire of Irish traditional music, played on instruments such as the uilleann pipes, bodhran, tin whistles, fiddles and harp. This live release is their seventh recording, and I would heartily recommend any of thei r recordings from Chieftains 4 onwards.

In their live album, the group have produced a programme which is very close to their Auckland concert (although this set was recorded in Boston and Toronto). Time obviously did not allow the inclusion of their "Bonaparte's Retreat” a 15 minute suite showing the Russian defeat of Napoleon in 1812. I

This album doesn’t tend to duplicate material on other albums, but has many of the highlights of the Auckland concert. The opening number, “Morning Dew" sets the spontaneous atmosphere, with Paddy Moloney suggesting new ideas to the other players during the piece itself. "Round the House but mind the Dresser" is just as jolly a reel as it was in concert, and we also have all the solo items by the various members of the group. In way of a digression. In their records the Chieftains usually include quite a few tunes by the blind Irish harpist Carolan (1670-1738). Carolan is a fascinating figure in the history of Irish music, whose beautiful melodies often have more than a hint of Corelli’s influence. There are three Carolan melodies on Chieftains Live, a lively jig, “George Brabazon", “Carolan's Concerto” and a harp solo, “Carolan’s Farewell to Music". The Irish group Planxty have also recorded some of Cardan’s numbers on their albums.

Anyway, back to the Chieftains . . . Chieftains Live is a terrific record, and if you want it, be in quickly. Like all the Chieftains’ records, it is an Australian import and probably won’t turn up in sale bins. William Dart

The Doobie Brothers Livin’ On The Fault Line Warner Bros

You’d wonder how the Doobies can keep the toons coming after seven albums, six of which have cleared a million in sales. The answer is simple; they ain’t the same band any mom

The Doobies that made “Listen to the Music" and “Long Train Runnin’ ”, compulsory standards for every rock band in the country, featured Tom Johnston's songs, voice, and guitar. Since then he has been officially out of the band at various times for health reasons. He was absent from the band at their excellent gig at Auckland. On this album he is credited with guitar and vocals, but his actual influence is minimal.

The man this time is Mike McDonald. His keyboards form the basis of the music, his voice stands out over the super-slick harmonies, and his songs are the high points of the album. "You’re Made That Way", “Nothin’ But a Heartache", and "You Belong to Me” are fine examples of white soul, with McDonald’s intense vocals pushing them well beyond the ordinary. Two longstanding Doobies, Pat Simmons and Tiran Porter, also contribute songs. Unfortunately, they detract from the clarity of an otherwise well-made album. The exception is Simmons’ piece, “Larry the Logger Two-step”, which is a great example of short-and-sweet acoustic guitar picking. So what you get is an inconsistent set with little resemblance to early Doobies work (which may or may not be a good thing). If you like white soul, you’ll probably like this rather sophisticated and polished album. And if their previous record is anything to go by, they’ll probably rack up another million. John Malloy

Waylon Jennings 01’ Waylon RCA The first time I played this record I found myself (not having heard too much of the boy) having to : get used:to 01/ Waylon’s sometimes-not-un-Johnny Cash-like-voice. I quickly did and now he just sounds like ol’ Waylon. Rah-ooh Waylon!!

At the second playing I had reached the conclusion that, although he included McNeil O’Diamond's "Sweet Caroline”, which incidentally nearly cost him a demerit, there isn’t a bad song on the whole

album. Outstanding are: the Jimmy Webb song "If You See Me Getting Smaller”, Buddy Knox's "Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself”, Willis Alan Ramsey’s "Satin Sheets”, "Luckenback Texas”, Jennings own "Belle of the Ball” and . . . Why hell, they’re all great!! Viva Waylon!!

By the third time I had been totally enveloped by the not so typical Nashville production (phased guitars and funkboxed bass) and the gently rocking feel of 01’ Waylons magnificent lil ol’ band, which features ace guitarist Reggie Young (remember Dobie Gray’s Albums) and pedal Steelef Ralph Mooney, Richie Albright drums, Sherman Hayes bass, Cliff Robertson keyboards, with Gordon Payne, Ranee Wassan, John Christopher and Jennings himself taking various guitar playing roles, completing the band. I read the other day where someone referred to Disco Music as the "Heartbeat Music”. I'd hate to call this music "Disco Country”. Ugh! But within it there’s a strong pulse and it surely throbs. Ole Waylon!! Alan Hunter

Andy Pratt Shiver in the Night

Nemperor Andy Pratt is one of those oddities of the rock world. To start with he is the progeny of a fairly well-heeled Bostonian family. What's the son of a millionaire doing in the record business anyway? His first album, on Polydor, is a most interesting item but did nothing overseas, and wasn't even released here. Lyrics-wise it is Pratt’s strongest album, although the production values are perhaps a little obtrusive.

A change of company brought a song

Avenging Annie", a bold reworking of Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd”. This even almost made it as a single. Now Andy is under the Nemperor label and he has mellowed a lot these days. Most of the songs on Shiver in the Dark are fairly straightforward love songs, with fairly straightforward to minimal lyrics. Therefore the onus is put on the musical side, and Pratt makes it all right. Listen to "So Faint" as pure music and sound and see what you feel about Pratt's tremulous voice, the fragmented piano, and Arif Mardin's brilliant string writing. So many technical niceties in an age where so much is downright crude. The brilliant openings of "Landscape" and "Mama's Getting Love" the latter using only voices and percussion. Andy gets up to'his usual rhythmic tricks in Rainbow" with the repeated line "I got a rainbow in my life".

The three numbers written in collaboration with the other members of his band could actually be called more or less funky, so if you ever wanted to dance to Andy Pratt, these might provide the opportunity.

A pleasant enough album, which I think will improve on repeated listenings. P.S. (A week later). It does! William Dart. Grateful Dead Terrapin Station Arista The conventional line on the Dead used to be that one needed to see them live’ in order to really feel the magic. Since the band are not known for touring and certainly never venture south of the equator this meant that we antipodeans would always have to rely on a second best their recorded product. And if the early albums

smacked of psychedelic constipation, glimmers of the ‘truth’ floated through on the Live Dead and Grateful Dead ’live’ sets. Gradually, however, the band became more studio oriented, starting with the acoustic and vocal-harmony albums and pursued through the multi-layered effects of some of the later works. Now, it seems, they have gone the whole hog and for the first time hired a producer one Keith Olsen.

Olsen has done a good job. Although the arrangements incorporate synthesizers, strings, brass and, in one instance a choir to give a full sound, he maintains a sense of space in the mix. He has also preserved the band’s essential feeling that, no matter what the pace, things are being taken at ease.

The albums consists of two distinct parts: Side one has a batch of five songs in the normal Dead ouvre, while side two contains a sort-of-suite, "Terrapin Station”. First the songs. "Estimated Prophet” is co-composed and sung by Bob Weir and must rank with the Dead’s greatest performances. A superb mellow rocker with quirky lyrics, it may take a few listenings but eventually its melody, shifting rhythm and Garcia’s sinuous wah-wah will haunt you for days on end. "Dancing in the Streets” may never threaten Martha and the Vandellas but is a happy summery arrangement with bright percussion. As my friend Lindsay put it, ‘this one is ideal skateboard music.’

"Passenger” has a driving beat with fine unison vocal work that suggests the Dead are gunning for Fleetwood Mac, (or is it Jefferson Starship?). The traditional "Samson and Delilah” is given an unusual rhythmic treatment which never quite achieves the lift it needs. It is nonetheless moderately successful. Donna Godchaux sings her own ballad "Sunrise” to close side one. While contributing considerable vocal strength to all the previous tracks, here, on her own, she betrays a rather tacky coyness and the grandiloquent arrangement and slight melody don’t help. This lapse in judgement marrs an otherwise worthy set of performances.

“Terrapin Station” on side two is an excursion into the artistically dangerous ground of extended-conceptual performance. As with virtually all the rock attempts at quasi-orchestral ‘suites’ that I’ve heard it doesn’t succeed, lacking the necessary internal musical coherence to make it a unified whole. It does, however, have some impressive, albeit scattered, moments. Definitely the strongest section is its first third which isvery competent and more or less orthodox Dead. Significantly, this part, (actually three segments,) is written by the old firm of Garcia and Hunter. From there on things degenerate into pretentiousness and, despite a short, exciting percussion workout and Garcia's only cosmic guitar solo on the album, the side ends as a failure. The finale of a repeated choral singing the word Terrapin’ is simply embarrassing. To be fair, I must admit my bias here: I think the Dead are a fine rock band, when they stick to playing rock. I don’t believe they have any place amongst banks of strings and heavenly choirs. So there you have it an album which runs the full gamut from brilliance to banality. The Dead are now a massive institution and have become so largely on their own terms. They continue to explore new directions according to the dictates of their own very corporate muse. If they sometimes stumble they also ascend higher than many other bands. They are certainly not, as some quarters would have us believe, at a Dead end. Peter Thomson