Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Wizzard's Brew
Company: United Artist
Catalog: UA LA042-F
Year: 1972
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: gatefold sleeve
Available: 2
Price: $8.00
In a classic example of poor timing, in early 1972 singer/multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood chose to take his leave from the Electric Light Orchestra just as the band was beginning to see it's first commercial success (see separate entry). Joined by fellow ELO alumnists Hugh McDowell (cello) and keyboard player Bill Hunt, Wood established Wizzard later in the year. Expanding the line up with sax player Mike Burney, percussionist Charlie Grima, Nick Pentelow, former Move guitarist Rick Price and drummer Keith Smart, the band promptly signed with EMI (United Artists acquiring American distribution rights).
The band's American debut came with 1972's "Wizzard's
Brew". While the album was billed as a Wizzard product, for all intents and purposes it might as well have been a Wood solo effort. Wood's influence was pervasive. In addition to producing, he served as lead singer, wrote all of the material, played many of the instruments and handled all of the arrangements. Against that backdrop, comparisons with ELO were understandable. Unfortunately, those comparisons were infuriating to Wood in light of the fact one of his main reasons for leaving ELO had been a desire to return to a harder rock oriented sound. Like ELO, material such as "You Can Dance Your Rock n' Roll" and "Buffalo Station" sought to meld classical instrumentation with rock structures. Unlike ELO, tracks such as "Meet Me At the Jailhouse", "Got a Crush On You" and "Going On Down To Memphis" deftly melded Wood's love of '50s rock and conventional rock. Elsewhere, Wood lived up to his reputation as a true musical eccentric, the band going over-the-top on the bizarre epic "Wear a Fast Gun" and "Jolly Cup of Tea" sounding like an outtake from an English World War II film. Sporting an extremely dense mix, it's a great album to listen to with headphones. Unfortunately, whereas the album sold well in England, in the States it was completely ignored. (The collection was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.)
Note the US release sports a different cover
than the original UK Harvest album.
Wizzard's Brew" track listing:
1.) You Can Dance Your Rock n' Roll (Roy Wood) -
2.) Meet Me At the Jailhouse (Roy Wood) -
3.) Jolly Cup of Tea (Roy Wood) -
4.) Buffalo Station (Roy Wood) -
5.) Going Down To Memphis (Roy Wood) -
6.) Got a Crush About You (Roy Wood) -
7.) Wear a Fast Gun (Roy Wood) -