REVIEWS:
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released by Wizzard
(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: You Can Dance The Rock n Roll, Meet Me At The Jailhouse, Gotta Crush (About You), Buffalo Station/Get On Down To Memphis. LOW POINTS: Jolly Cup Of Tea
Wizzard Brew is simply something else, it's like no other album, totally unique, totally unpredictable, totally Roy Wood. Wood's whole career is unbalanced to say the least, a wonderfully creative songwriter whose output is a continual stream of peaks and troughs. Three years since his last major peak in the form of The Move's criminally underrated masterpiece Shazam, Roy shines once more with an album that like Shazam offers just six tracks. The first album since the amicable split with Jeff Lynne is a major shock to the system and this must have been a total bombshell to the 7" buyers who'd bought into the rock n roll revival of the "Ball Park Incident" and "See My Baby Jive" big selling UK singles. Wizzard at this stage was made up of old acquaintances Rick Price (ex Move), Hugh McDowell & Bill Hunt (both ex ELO), together with Charlie Grima, Keith Smart, Mick Burney and Nick Pentlelow, and together under the direction of the maestro they deliver an altogether explosive experience.
Wizzard Brew is an absolute heavyweight listen and unlike anything else you will hear from this period or even to date, indeed its often sited as far too self indulgent for it's good. The album kicks off with in reality one of the more accessible tracks in the form the mighty "You can Dance the Rock n Roll" and you immediately get a feel for the album. Wood mixes a clever blend of his previous incarnations with the commercial revival elements of the Wizzard singles. The heavy cello's Wood brought to the ELO table combine with the proto heavy metal sound from The Move's Looking On period in a mix that is so murky and cloudy you're instantly lost in a sea of noise. Wood's vocals throughout the album are equally rough and ready and compliment the raw energy of the production perfectly. "Meet me at the Jailhouse" takes the opening tracks idea's and develops them further as drives its way through 13 minutes of heavy heavy territory. Solid grinding guitars riffs in the style of "Brontosaurus" form the base for an extended workout that weaves freeform sax's with dark cello's and wonderful guitar interplay throughout with semi Hendrix inspired solo's duelling with any number of instruments at one time. On another day Wood could have trimmed this down three minutes, lightened the mood, removed the experimentation and turned this into another Top 10 single. But that was not on the agenda for this album, Wood clearly wanted to present the flip side to his catchy pop hit maker alter ego buy delivering an expansive collage of sound where Elvis & Hendix team up with Zeppelin & Manfred Mann Chapter 3.
"Jolly Cup Of Tea" is sadly a nasty interlude, a short and pointless jokey stiff upper lip military march. It has no place on this album for me and is an annoying flaw in an otherwise inspiring album. "Buffalo Station" is a another commanding rocker that contains another ear-splitting Wood vocal, a brief Move sounding interlude breaks the track early on before it spirals off into "Get on Down to Memphis" which this time has it's own trad jazz interludes and a verse which features Wood exercising his famous Elvis impersonation last used on "Don't Mess me Up" from the final Move album A Message From the Country.
"Gotta Crush (About You)" is probably the most straightforward venture on the album, another driving rhythm blends a big band sound with traditional rock n roll fare. The sax's, piano's, guitars and 50's fashioned vocals deliver a track that is far superior, but not unlike the main body of tracks from the later disappointing Eddie and the Falcons album. The closing "Wear a Fast Gun" feels very much like an ELO designed vehicle, a lengthy ballad with far more to associate it Woods former band than his present one. It's not as experimental or adventurous as the main body material on Wizzard Brew, and in reality would have been far more at home closing off the later released solo Boulders album. A fine track nevertheless, but just a little out of place for my liking, and it generally tends to disrupt the overall feel of the album.
Wizzard Brew is one on it's own, with Wood's cover artwork complimenting the albums content wonderfully, a truly intriguing package that sadly Roy would never manage to repeat. Don't let the radio friendly singalong's from the period put you off, there's not a single "Angel Fingers" or "See my Baby Jive" to be found here. An undoubtedly demanding, but ultimately rewarding album, it's heavy, complex, experimental, traditional, it's many things for sure, but one word returns to describe it, time and time again, Wizzard Brew is truly "unique". Get a copy while you can.
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: We're Gonna Rock n Roll Tonight. LOW POINTS:: Everyday I Wonder, Come Back Karen, Eddy's Rock
I'm afraid Introducing Eddy And The Falcons is simply as corny as it’s title sounds and a catastrophic disaster when considering the previous awesome Wizzard Brew album. The two sets really couldn’t be further apart in terms of style and impact and there’s a real sense of Roy Wood playing into the hands of the singles buying public here. The previous album was absolute monster, dark and murky, rough and ready, raw and inspiring, superbly grotesque in places but totally unique, and a truly compelling mix of styles and ideas. Eddy And The Falcons is the complete opposite, a limp collection of Rock n Roll pastiches with Wood reworking the formula’s of numerous 50’s & 60’s artists including Elvis, Del Shannon, Gene Vincent and Neil Sedaka.
In all honesty I’d rather have seen Wood approach this kind of project as a straight covers album injecting some of his own invention into the mix. Instead we get tracks that try hard to mimic classics and inevitably fall woefully short of the mark. Why a songwriter of Woods calibre decided to take this ponderous route for the second Wizzard album is a complete mystery. Why the creator and force behind such inspiring projects as Shazam, Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer) & Wizzard Brew decided Eddy And The Falcons should be the next logical step in his career is an even greater puzzle, the album was a complete disaster commercially and artistically, and Wood's profile would never be the same again.
If the tracks contained were as enticing and melodic as the stream of Wizzard singles through 1972-74 then I could have been a little more sympathetic towards this release. Neil Innes kind of worked the formula far more successfully four years later with The Rutles soundtrack, but Wood simply doesn’t pull it off here. The entire album is a major disappointment and singles from the set both sold poorly, the overlong and unimaginative “This is the Story of my Love” and the catchy but overly lightweight “You got me Running”. The poor Del Shannon take “Everyday I Wonder” and annoying Neil Sedaka workout “Come Back Karen” are targets for the lowest points, not forgetting the tired Duane Eddy opening instrumental "Eddy's Rock". If there is a high point here it must be the closing driving “We’re Gonna Rock n Roll Tonight” which features rasping Wizzard Brew style vocals and more of a “California Man”, “Ball Park Incident” feel about it. Totally out of place really, with few longer instrumental passages and a little more improvisation this could, with a suitable production, have been a more suitable closer for Wizzard Brew than that albums out of place closer “Wear a Fast Gun”
This dull and distinctly below par album must have a huge part to play in Roy Wood’s fall from grace, and other than the average (and vastly overrated) 1975 solo outing Mustard I’m afraid there’s very little to recommend from the remainder of Wood’s catalogue which is a travesty when considering all that came before Introducing Eddy And The Falcons.
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: Wake Up, Nancy Sing Me A Song. LOW POINTS: Miss Clarke And The Computer.
Roy Wood's first official solo album appeared only a couple of months after the awesome Wizzard Brew album in the summer of 1973, although legend reveals that it was recorded much earlier, as far back as 1969 and ready for release in 1970. Recent ELO re-packages claim that tracks bound for the final Move album, the first ELO album, and this solo album were found on the same tapes. Interesting enough scenario then for this well respected little collection and it is a solo album in every sense as Wood took McCartney's approach to his first outing by handling all the vocals and instruments himself, with the exception of a guest harmonium player on a couple of tracks.
Boulders is in reality a mix of Move, ELO and Wizzard style material, it's a relatively easy listen, gentle melodies combine with a diverse set of songs, but none get over heavy or over ambitious. The overall effect is that you are left with a collection of tracks that don't ever approach the sheer over the top invention of albums like Shazam, ELO (No Answer) or Wizzard Brew, but surpass the mediocre tiredness of Eddy and the Falcons, Main Street or Mustard. Roy Wood is one of the great British songwriters but for me was always at his best when he tore up the script in terms of what the record buying public expected of him and delivered what many perceive as overlong, inaccessible, self indulgent albums. Boulders will be a joy for those who objected to Shazam or Wizzard Brew as it's straightforward pop structures are instantly accessible, mostly catchy, and very easy on the ear.
The album opens with the bright religious singalong "Songs of Praise" complete with handclaps, gospel backing and "I believe" lyrics. It's a classic Wood pop structure, and I seem to remember reading that it was earlier performed as an entry for "a song for Europe" by The New Seekers in the irritating mess that parades itself each year as The Eurovision Song Contest. The second track "Wake Up" is a wonderful folky ballad combining a gentle lead vocal over a sweet acoustic and woodwind backing, supplemented but what sounds like a child stamping in puddle throughout, a wonderful track. "Rock Down Low" sounds like a Wizzard outtake, not outrageous enough for Wizzard Brew but uses the same instrumentation with a hoarse lead vocal. "Nancy Sing me a Song" whilst being lyrically trite is another catchy gem of a melody and one of the standout tracks here, whilst "Dear Elaine" (a Top 20 UK single from the album) would have benefited from the same kind of arrangement as the aforementioned track, its a little too pompous and overblown in this format with a particularly ugly brass backing.
"All the way over the Hill" is another strong track mixing some hybrid Doo Wop/Beach Boys backing vocals over a another laid back acoustic backing before tailing off into the "Irish Loafer", which is as the title suggests, a bouncy traditional instrumental theme. "Miss Clarke and the Computer" is a beautiful melody ruined by totally dire lyrics, delivered vocally in an equally shameful manner, a shame really as the track could have been a key player here with its clever and unexpected jazz break midway. "When Gran'ma plays the Banjo" is a humorous and largely enjoyable slice of hillbilly rock with Wood displaying his prowess over yet another instrument. The closing "Rock Medley" is an introduction to the idea that Roy would take forward as a theme for the next Wizzard album Eddy and the Falcons, although the three tracks here are far superior to the majority of tracks on that album. The opening "Rockin' Shoes" is a bouncy country rock workout, I'm not entirely sure (like the closing "Locomotive") who the key inspiration is, but it's a solid opening to the medley. No missing the inspiration for the middle section "She's too Good for Me", a glorious Everly Brothers pastiche which chugs along sweetly with a wonderful middle eight. The track recently showed up as an unfinished backing track entitled "Second Class" on the excellent West Side Records Move anthology Movements. The closing "Locomotive" is an upbeat playout given a distinct Wizzard treatment, indeed sections of the instrumental playout are extremely Wizzard Brewesque.
All in all a good effort with a bit of something for everyone, but as an overall package Boulders simply doesn't have the same impact as some of the more rewarding Roy Wood projects. Difficult to get hold of which always lends to such albums generating a greater reputation than some actually deserve, and generally Boulders does tend to be a little overrated by many. The benchmark then is probably whether or not the Wizzard Brew album appeals, if it doesn't you're probably going to love Boulders.
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: Any Old Time Will Do, You Sure Got It Now, Get On Down Home. LOW POINTS: The Rain Came Down On Everything, Why Does Such A Pretty Girl Sing Such Sad Songs, Interlude.
Wizzard had already disbanded by the time Wood’s second solo release Mustard hit the shelves, and it finds one of rocks greatest underachievers caught at the crossroads once more. Mustard turned out to be the last credible album that Wood would release, diverse it certainly was, but so diverse that in reality apart from the hard core fanbase it was unlikely to appeal to anyone else, and so inevitably commercially it was a disaster. Mustard is a fun album in all honesty, different from Boulders in that it generally tries to be more ambitious, but similar in that it’s essentially made up of odd tracks that would fit comfortably into Wood’s Wizzard, Move and ELO portfolio's. Like Boulders it’s practically a one man effort vocally and instrumentally and therefore credit is due in terms of Wood's talent and his sheer old fashioned belief in his own material.
The set opens with the all too brief title track, a wonderfully bizarre take on The Andrews Sisters, we’d heard Wood’s rock n roll pastiches previously of course, but this is something completely different and a most ambitious and original opening to any album. This bright start is followed by the equally impressive "straight melodic pop" of “Any Old Time Will Do”, it sounds a little dated nearly 30 years later but nevertheless remains an upbeat and catchy pop gem. Mustard takes it first dip with the completely over the top “The Rain Came Down on Everything” which strikes me as the kind of track that Wood may have brought to the table for an ELO project. Simply too much of everything drowns what is essentially a pleasant ballad but the production is just too intense and brings the overall track down. Wood lifts the strings from Carole King's "It Might as Well Rain Until September" and uses them to the same effect, practically mimicking the aforementioned track note for note on the playout. Overcooked tracks like this are a major frustration on this album, kept simple and without the obvious influences, many tracks could have been far stronger.
“You Sure Got it Now” is alternatively a stormer of a track which re-works the formula used on the title track but this time adding a bluesy feel, but despite my honest appreciation for this song it also highlights one of Roy Wood’s major weaknesses. The Andrews Sisters influence that this track once again uses was as previously stated an original and ambitious bonus for this album, but was there really the need to feature it twice within the first four tracks??, and had Wood relinquished some of his writer, performer, arranger, producer duties elsewhere, someone would surely have instilled a little quality control and removed one of these tracks from the set list. Don’t get me wrong “Mustard” and “You Sure Got it Now” are both incredible tracks, but is there really room for both on the same album. The later of these tracks does break midpoint and re-invents itself as a heavier later period track with once again a unique vocal, I’m not entirely sure who Wood’s inspiration is on this second section, the sleeve notes site Tina Turner?? I remain unconvinced.
Mustard takes it second slide in the form of the Brian Wilson inspired “Why Does Such A Pretty Girl Sing Such Sad Songs”. The track is basically a "straight down the line" Beach Boys pastiche, Wilson style arrangements and harmonies ring through the entire track and in truth by this point of the album I’m really seeking more Roy Wood material than Beach Boys imitations. “The Song” is yet another extremely heavy listen, in reality a dull lengthy piano ballad that doesn’t contain enough spark in it’s melody to impress. Once again the track is lavished with heavenly choirs and orchestration and feels very much like a route that Wood might have led ELO down had he been able to dominate the band in the way he clearly desired. "The Song" does play out with an impressive three minute orchestrated instrumental section, but it doesn't quite save the track.
“Look Through the Eyes of a Fool” uses the straight Wizzard "single" formula, top notch 60’s inspired pop which sits a little uncomfortably with the surrounding material here. Following the annoying, but thankfully brief "Brian Wilson with Bagpipes" instrumental “Interlude” Mustard closes with the lengthy “Get On Down Home”. A Move style rocker “Get On Down Home” is far heavier in approach than anything contained on a Roy Wood release since the frantic Wizzard Brew. The solid guitar work is a welcome return and it’s just a shame that there wasn’t a couple more tracks in this style to help balance the album somewhat. The track also features vocals from Phil Everly mid course, who apparently was working at nearby studio and invited to contribute. A drum solo is also incorporated into the track, always a completely unnecessary inclusion whoever’s album it is, and time that could have been better filled with further improvised guitar passages, but despite this "Get On Down Home" remains one of the stronger tracks on Mustard.
Mustard is a novelty album, not to be taken too seriously, but inevitably it disappoints. If only Roy Wood had stuck to his earlier formula of using the singles market for his commercial material and the album market for his heavier ambitious projects, his albums would surely have made more impact, and his shelf life increased. Wood is one of rocks greatest underachievers, he remains a well respected composer in certain circles, but to just as many who only remember the coloured hair, make up, and bouncy pop singalongs, he is nothing more than a glam rock clown. Roy Wood is however so much more than the majority of the listening public perceive, he had shown with ELO that he had the belief and the ambition to create innovative material, and he could have walked a far different road had he remained with that band. He had previously proved with The Move that as well as writing classic pop material he could also produce heavy rockers, and interpret covers into heavy blues monsters with ease. He had shown with Wizzard that he could still pump out chart friendly Top 10 singles and at the same time release original and inspiring classics like the Wizzard Brew album. Strange and frustrating then that post Wizzard Brew he chose to largely ignore his originality and creativity in favour of producing user friendly renditions of material in the style of far lesser talents who had gone before him.
Mustard is the last Roy Wood album that the critics rate, just don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. It shines in places, shows glimpses of Wood's genius in others, but there's a whole load of frustration to be found within its grooves as well.
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released by Wizzard
(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: The Fire In His Guitar, French Perfume, I Should Have Known. LOW POINTS: Saxmaniacs, Take My Hand, Don't You Feel Better
Edsel release the great lost Wizzard album, recorded and shelved by Jet Records back in 1976. So was that "corporate might" over "artistic licence" decision the correct one, or is this a lost classic that strengthens Roy Wood’s extremely uneven and often fragile late period catalogue. The answer is quite simply that “the powers that be” (as Wood puts it in the sleeve notes) were right, Main Street is an interesting listen (as most lost albums are years later) but in reality, little else. Given a 1976 release Main Street would have done nothing to re-instate any of Wood’s fast fading credibility, and would have inevitably been a commercial flop. Wood’s days of releasing ambitious, innovative material were clearly behind him, as were his years as a viable commercial singles artist. Main Street does take a change of direction from the previous Wizzard albums, and I guess it's an improvement over the dire Introducing Eddy and Falcons, but it also doesn’t begin to approach the invention shown on the earlier Wizzard Brew album. Main Street has an overriding Jazz feel about it, combining this new smooth sophisticated sound with many of the other elements you will find on Wood’s projects throughout his career. There are moments where the tracks nod towards Wizzard Brew, Message From The Country and ELO (No Answer), but the dominant force is without doubt the new Jazzier arrangements which work better at some points than others.
The title track introduces this new sound immediately and is a real glossy listen taking more from Steely Dan than the kind of influences Wizzard had previously incorporated, it's also laden with Brian Wilson style harmonies and vocal phrasings which Wood was also particualrly fond of during this period. “Saxmaniacs” is an uninspriring instrumental that kicks off briefly like a throwback to Message From The Country and ends up as a repetitive and drawn out Sax experiment short on hooks and short on ideas. "The Fire in his Guitar” is the peak on the album, Wood was always at his finest when he picked up the guitar and he doesn’t disappoint here in this throbbing rocker. Wood shows flashes of his brilliance throughout and breaks the heavy theme by inserting a wonderful jazz guitar passage mid course. Over seven minutes of solid guitar work make this easily the strongest track on the album, more accessable than the Wizzard Brew workouts, but the mix of jazz and rock guitar passages make it just as compelling. “French Perfume” bounces along for the most part on a delectable piano line in a semi swing mode, but once again Wood switches the mood several times by seamlessly combining Move style pop passsages with delightful jazz guitar breaks, another stronger moment from the album without doubt.
“Take My Hand” and "Don't You Feel Better" don't quite cut the same effect as the previous two tracks, and both feature guest vocal performances, the later presenting drummer Charlie Grima and the former oddly featuring Recording Engineer Richard Plant. "Take My Hand" is a bland ballad which feels kind of close to "Wear a Fast Gun" in places, but nowhere near as demanding. "Don't You Feel Better" stutters along for the most part, Charlie Grima's performance adds nothing to track and hearing Woods harmony vocals at the chorus makes you wish he taken the song head on himself. The over polished "Indiana Rainbow” was a single release from 1976 that failed to chart only re-enforcing the fact that Wood had all but lost his market and adding extra justification for Jet to shelve the release of Main Street. “I Should Have Known” closes the set on a stronger note, featuring some solid Wood vocal hooks with a tidy melody and a changing backdrop throughout. The straight tracks really don't amount to much on Main Street but the few where Wood does mix styles and idea's as he does here are rewarding with repeated listens.
Main Street is a worthy addition to your Roy Wood collection, but there’s really nothing cutting edge or ambitious about it and it doesn’t ever attempt to challenge the might of some of Wood’s earlier works. Wood’s sleeve notes detail how this was the kind of music Wizzard genuinely preferred to play, he goes on to state that had Main Street been released back in 76 then his writing style may have taken a different curve, and that “we would have been performing the material that bands such as Jamiroquai are being successful with right now”, are you sure??.
Roy Wood should be held in high esteem for what he had already achieved in his years with The Move, the formation of ELO, and the beginnings of Wizzard. The kind of material he was producing post 1973 cannot begin to compete with that which was produced during what turned out to be his prime years. Don’t judge Roy Wood on Main Street, Mustard or Eddy and the Falcons, to judge Roy you must go back to the very beginning, and believe me, if you do that, you won’t be disappointed.
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