MUSIC WEEK JANUARY 21, 1978

■liirali inl imagination in the present act to Isn't She Lovely, and Evergreen excitement, from time to time at TheOCPIRIED fil CASTING makes_ BuacpcksMANCHESTER BAND ,he suggest they may eventually find from A Star Is Born, completed an least, enough to get his audience ivkv Dolcnz's performance as the punk confining. Pete Shelley's act which was well-paced, polished clapping in time by the end and earn ™mVs son in Harry Nilsson's The Pmnifn' "K mghi V ,,calbum based on the ho through no fault of his own is communicating easily with his desperately need is another song hit, works of William Blake, but none Umbered with the less demanding despite the prevalence of black audience and delivering sharp- 'leas Oblio. But Dolenzapart, this leather and spiky hair most had the and maybe his forthcoming album, the worse for it — and the last to an ri edged, though rarely audible, lyrics recorded in the US, will provide him almost complete run through bsorbing musical fantasy, based on ajr of uncommitted observers original television cartoon and with some force. Best of a long with just that. Perilous Journey. hc checking om a new craze. string of two-minute numbers were Regardless of his track record as a The weak point came with an Lrrv Nilsson's^o album lr>l rsC ofitc the\> * * same— Subway Sect and Siouxsie and the the mesmeric Sixteen, Whatever hit record artist, however, Grcco acoustic set in the middle, including has lost a lot of its humour Banshees preceded the Buzzcocks on Happened To, and a new song, I will always be in demand as a live the excellent Catwalk Blues, which " d subtlety since its premiere at The stage. Seasoned performers have the Don't Mind. performer and it should not be loo went over fine at the Victoria Palace Mermaid last Christmas. Ironically ability to magnify their personality; NICK ROBERTSHAW long before wc see him this side of some days before but only made the 1 is probably because the Dolenz Jacking this projection Siousic came the Atlantic again. Folkestone audience restless, rt has been developed that the across merely as a young girl singing CHRIS WHITE anxious as they were for some other characters seem to be lacking petulantly and out of tune in an action. compared to last year when there auditorium too big for her. She went Euii^ ireeo The action came with Lucifer's were several gems among the down well with the crowd though, BUDDY GRECO remains one of the Gordon Giltrap Cage, a cut from Visionary that supporting actors. I also didn't like judging by the shower of spit that slickest performers in the field of splendidly combines Giltrap's the splitting up of the rock man, the surrounded her. cabaret today, and his latest season IN FRONT of an audience which classical guitar influences with sheer new puppet dog Arrow, and I missed It s hard for outsiders to evaluate at London's Talk Of The Town — included Alan Freeman and several manic speed, and Hcartsong, the ]ast year's Leafman who played the punk without sounding either his fifth — marks a welcome return hundred under-age drinkers, current single. It is a simple little role with just the right amount of patronising or ridiculous. At one to the venue. British audiences have Gordon Giltrap wound up his ditty that wears well and it would caricatured rag trade roshcrness. But level it was inevitable; for fifteen not seen too much of him in recent lengthy UK tour at the Leas Cliff only take a radio play or two in the to be fair, the new version works years rock has been growing steadily years, and his last London Hall, Folkestone last Saturday. right places for it to be an better for the children in the audience more sophisticated alongside the appearance was nearly two years ago It was an unlikely setting for this instrumental hit to make even (if my three nephews are anything to developing musicianship of its as support to Shirley Maclaine at the unassuming master of the guitar to Brighouse and Rastrick nervous. Its goby) as it has more of a pantomime players. Now it has been grabbed London Palladium, but with a new go out with a bang, but with a bang fate at present is uncertain but atmosphere. And Dolenz is superbly back by the youngsters, made recording contract in the offing, it he went. Folkestone, it seems, has a Giltrap is convinced enough to hissable as the despicable count's son accessible to the inexpert again, and looks as though the situation will taste for symphonic rock even if the repeat it as the band's second who has the lovable Oblio banished the wonder is that it hasn't happened soon be rectified. youth assembled on the dance floor encore. to the pointless forest because he sooner. Greco's Talk act was a welcome look a more likely audience for the The band, Eadie Spence and Rob doesn't conform by having a pointed Punk has provided a philosophy mixture of the old and new — the Motors or Status Quo. Edwards (keyboards), Dave head like the rest of the population that the harsh and crude new music 'old', of course, included his finger- Giltrap has come a long way from MacDonald (bass) and David in The Land of the Point. Musically is well-fitted to express — possibly snapping version of The Lady Is A the introverted folkie slightly Barfield (drums fit around Giltrap Harry Nilsson's poignant songs all it can express — and that is no Tramp, L-O-V-E, and The More I hunched on a stool plucking at an like an electronic glove. Giltrap aren't showstoppers but they are mean achievement, artistically. But See You, dedicated to the late Nat acoustic guitar. Now he is an himself is more relaxed on stage memorable and although lyrically it is hard to see how punk music can King Cole. The 'new' (well, perhaps introverted rock musician who has these days and even broke into a they don't exactly further the story develop while remaining punkish; not so new) were his 1978 version of kicked the stool habit, more or less, smile from time to lime. Hc leaves they do make pleasurable interludes introduce more organisation and MacArlhur Park (which he has and stands slightly hunched mid- the impression that he is at least between the action. The Point you undermine the anarchic core; already recorded twice), a disco stage plucking at any five acoustic half-way to becoming a fully-fledged continues at The Mermaid for a develop melody, harmony, rhythm treatment of the oldie Quando and electric guitars, backed by a rock star. One day he will bounce on season with the hope of a West End and you find yourself expressing Quando Quando, and Gonna Fly four-piece replete with bass, drums, stage, prowl around menacingly, transfer and MCA has the cast positive values, not punk nihilism. Now from the film Rocky. and innumerable keyboards. square up with his bassist and run album (MCF 2826) with some songs, The Buzzcocks are not up against A couple of Sedaka works, The new Giltrap music, recorded off an electric guitar riff on his while RCA has the original album thai problem yet — at the moment Breaking Up Is Hard To Do — on his last two Electric albums knees. At which point the world, or narrated by Dustin Hoffman and their music conforms to the hard- treated as a torch song — and Visionary and Perilous Journey, is at least a substantial number- of sung by Nilsson (SF 8166). strumming three-chord stereotype Laughter In The Rain, Stevie simple but intricately woven and Genesis and Yes fans, will be his JOHNELDON. — bul there are enough signs of Wonder's My Cherie Amour and majestic. What it gains on stage is oyster. GODFREY RUST

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