10 BERKELEY BARB, Jan. 20-26, 1978 PLATTERS A NewWave Of Rock Fever Bette the brassy babe becomes by Michael Snyder Cross Lou Reed's rock 'n' roll LOL CREME/KEVIN GODLEY heart. We saw the corpse kick­ Consequences (Mercury): a fragile flower. Bessie Smith's ing and thrashing throughout Mammoth, three-record boxed "Empty Bed Blues," the Ro- Welcome to a fresh start. A nettes' "Paradise," a duet with new wave, as it were. Nonse- Winterland at the Pistols' show set, directed by two former mem­ last weekend. We heatd and felt bers of 10 CC. Weird synthetic Tom Waits on "I Never Talk To quiturs aside, 1978's product has Strangers" (the same take that's yet to hit the racks, so we're the beat. ' Born again, brothers noises, two or three fair-to- sisters... middlin' songs (one with the on Waits' latest LP, Foreign indulging in a quasi-retrospec­ and Affairs) and "La Vie En Rose." tive of a few recorded goods that « * * silky voice of Sarah Vaughn) The Line and tons of garbled rapping by Midler's strongest record since went unheralded in these pages AEROSMITH-Draw her first, which was arranged by during '77. No sense in another (Columbia): They drew it, but British satirist Peter Cook. It's didn't snort it. The title cut a fascinating demo for Creme Super-Wimp Barry Manilow. His Tops-Qf-The-Year list, anyway. they absence makes Broken Blossom You can see Blair Jackson's poll is as awesome as the Stones' and Godley's instrumental inven­ tion, the Gizmo, in the same way twice as good by default. of local scribes in a recent Bay JONI MITCHELL Don Juan's Guardian, if interested. that the Bell System's presenta­ tion of the Picture-Phone was Reckless Daughter (Asylum): Backtracking briefly, 1977was Boney Joni solidifies her claim --pardon the alliteration a rock fascinating at the New York World's Fair in 1965. Without to the title of America's Pre­ V roll revelation. The narcotic Sister. She's cer­ ecstacy, epileptic rhythm and anybody worthwhile to talk to mier Twisted emotional range of classic rock at the other end of the line, the tainly the most articulate and Joni Mitchell: America's Pre­ music has been rediscovered by novelty wears thin and you might beloved jazz-folk singer-song- mier Twisted Sister. the young, loud and snotty. It as well hang up. writer-neurotic in memory. Back understated lyrics, and the conies in all varieties. You can DAVE EDMUNDS -Get It when she was a lady of the can­ stopped-up nasal cavities of Joey dance to most of it, but unlike (Swan Song): Tall Paul at Rather yon, Joni sang, 'They paved Ramone. Poor Jimi "You'll nev­ disco-drek, it's got news for Ripped Records thinks this LP paradise and put up a parking er hear surf music again" Hen- you. Depth. Humor. Pith. Less could pass as a K-TEL Decade lot." This time around, she takes drix. With covers of "Surfin' is more! No 10-minute solos! Of Hits mail-order special. I a leak in that very lot. Bird" and "Do You Wanna No symphonic la-de-dah! They think it's among the finest re­ It's all chronicled in "Talk Dance?," plus newies like make their point and get out leases of the past year. Edmunds To Me," an excellent song about "Rockaway Beach" and "Sheena quick. is a superior producer and gui­ inebriated interpersonal com­ Is A Punk Rocker," theRamones The Clash, Talking Heads, tarist, who has a definite af­ munication. Not only does this are blithely riding the pipeline. DEVO, El vis Costello and Tom fection for the rock 'n' roll of number boast Weather Report's Not a wipe-out in sight. Petty promised us anything and the past. Initially the leader of Jaco Pastorius rolling out a de- 10 CC Live and Let Live liciously sensual bass-line, it gave us the fever again. The Clapton: "Slowhand" nods out. the English progressive blues (Mercury): Half of the original most telling symptom of the di­ band, Love Sculpture, his first also offers a chance to hear band (5 CC?) continues to churn solo hit was a remake of "I Joni's impression of a chicken. vine disease was the return of "Rocks Off," its genealogical it out the easy way: double- those ravers, the Flamin' Groo- Hear You Knockin'." On Get It, Too little material for two discs, record live album of tried and ancestor. There's even a dreamy he's equally at home with "Back but some insightful moments, vies, who blew San Francisco 8, sandwiched between true favorites. Bolstered by a last month to record in Wales. middle To Schooldays" by Graham Park­ particularly for her fans. crew of faceless sidemen, Eric two slabs of pure furor. Alas, er and "Where Or When" by, Oh, yeah. The superfly dude Be on the lookout for their new the remainder of the LP is sim­ Stewart and Graham Gouldman Sire LP, produced by a Stiffs Rodgers and Hart. His own com­ next to Ms. Mitchell in the cover flawlessly recreate the clean stu­ best friend, Dave Edmunds. It'll ply Aero-hash. Savage produc­ positions could have been writ­ Jack Douglas, as on the dio sound they cherish. "Ships be preceded by their super- tion by ten by anyone from Brian Wilson Don't Just Disappear In The snazzy, limited edition, 12-inch, preceding and more potent Aero- to Hank Williams. A delightfully Rocks. All for Night" sports a funkier arrange­ four-song EP, supposedly fea­ smith album, eclectic showcase by and for the ment and "Art For Art's Sake" turing a Groovie-ized "Blue naught, unless you pick up the rock 'n' roller. 45 of "Draw The Line." gives Stewart room to stretch out Turns To Grey." Strictly 'Teen­ INTERGALACTIC TOURING on lead guitar. age Confidential." JACKSON BROWNE-Running BAND (Passport): Recorded over The rest of the material is Let's raise a can of beer on On Empty (Asylum): And sput­ a year's time from summer of identical to the earlier studio high to calculated primitivism! tering to a halt. 1976 to summer of 1977, this performances, except. .(l)The It's alive, Dr. Pretorius! Alive! CERRONE Supernature (Co­ New York/ London supersession humorous songs aren't as funny. tillion): The cover shows our is science fiction-flatulence with (2) The love songs aren't as lush. Mediterranean disco-hero, Cer- a. couple of stirring moments (3) The vocals, without the de­ rone, turning musicians into in execution, but virtually none parted Creme and Godley or swine and other beasties. The in libretto and concept. Rod Ar­ overdubs, are merely adequate. record inside is your standard gent, Marge Raymond from GEORGE THOROGOOD AND electro-drone. Draw your own Flame, Dave Cousins of the THE DESTROYERS (Rounder): conclusions. Strawbs, Annie Halsam from Look! Zooming out of the wilds and Meat Loaf get ERIC CLAPTON --Slowhand Renaissance of Wilmington, Delaware! It's off some fine vocals. Nonethe­ Bo Diddley! It's Slim Harpo! It's (RSO): Ten years ago, the nim- less, an implied musical con­ blefingered guitar god was nick­ Dr. Feelgood! No! It's actually tinuity is non-existent. George Thorogood! Possessing named "Slowhand" in supreme MEAT LOAF Bat Out Of Hell irony. Nowadays, the irony is R&B and rockabilly chops far be­ (Epic/ -Cleveland International): Jackson Browne: Sputtering to yond those of normal groups, that the name fits. Listen to A better name for this concoc­ him nod out during J.J. Gale's a halt. George and his trusty rhythm tion could not be found. Todd section fight a never-ending bat­ "Cocaine." Good night, sweet Rundgren's kamikaze guitar and prince. photograph is Joni the Drag King tle of the bands for sweat, slip- Wagnerian wall-of-sound.Com­ wearing blackface. I'd suggest pin' and slidin'. One of the rare Close Encounters Of The Third poser Jim Steinman's Spring- that she stay out of Watts. aggregates that will comply when Kind (Arista): If a lump clumped steen-like teenage mythos. NAZARETH -- Expect No the audience screams "Play all your throat at the sight ofCarlo Chunky oF Meat Loaf himself, Mercy (A&M): Expect no quality. night!" Rambaldi's rubberoid alien ro­ a leatherlunged neo-Clayton- People enamored of Dan McCaf- No silly clothes or posturing. bot with the watery, Walter Keane Thomas, who once sang for Ted ferty's rich, growling vocals are Mucho flagrant jamming. The eyes, then, by all means, hop Nugent and also played a jovial advised to pick up Hot Tracks, a record is a true representation on this John Williams sound­ moron in The Rocky Horror Pic­ well-chosen assortment of white- of their virtues, but they must track. If you wonder why Richard ture Show. The ketchup on top hot Nazareth cuts on A&M. With­ be seen live to be fully appreci­ Dreyfuss couldn't construct a is the voice of the Yankees, out that solid repertoire, they're ated. Hitline: "One Bourbon, One model of Devil's Tower in his Phil Rizzuto, doing play-by-play a bunch of loud, kilt-less Scots­ Scotch, One Beer" and Bo Did- backyard instead of his living during "Paradise By The Dash­ men. Ach! dley's "Ride On Josephine." room, then you .probably don't board Light." Personally, I pre­ THE RAMONES Rocket To GARY WRIGHT -- Touch And watch television. Before long, fer London Broil. Chacun a son Russia (Sire): There's no stoppin' Gone (Warner Brothers): Gary they'll be syndicating episodes gout.