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THE BEST KEPT SECRET Walsh song on the is terrible, but a bunch of solo artists with very IN THE he doesn't play anything particularly little in common. They sing nicely to- AUDIO INDUSTRY. earth -shattering here, as there is al- gether, and occasionally write well, ready an established Eagles guitar but as far as I'm concerned they're That's the way it's been. But no more. sound which he fails to break out of. less of a band than Kiss, and though at We want the world to know that we Although Walsh's co -composition times they may show a slightly make loudspeakers ... probably the greater Life in the Fast Lane is it's very best made anywhere. And the fairly good, degree of musical knowledge and only way we know of convincing you still an Eagles tune-there is evidence melodic gift, in the long run neither is is for you to go to your audio dealer here that a group comprised of Hen- particularly inventive musically and and lister) to a Frazier. If your dealer ley and Walsh could be pretty inter- the only battle between the two is in doesn't have Frazier, ask him to get esting, but here the negative points of terms of who has the most mundance Frazier. Or go somewhere else. Once the rest of the Eagles continue to lyricists. While Kiss may lack subtlety you hear a Frazier, we're pretty sure bring Joe and Don down in the mire. and charm, when it comes to writing you'll buy a -Frazier. Frazier. The best Without the California laidback/ banal words, kept secret in the audio industry. Until Glenn Frey can take on now. cowboy mystique, The Eagles would all corners. J.T. be just another bunch of singer/ songwriters banded together for Eagles: no apparent purpose. With it, they're Sound: A- Performance: B- a group who make records together Kiss: /ER RAZIER RAZZ for the sheer sake of momentum -they don't sound like a band really, Sound: B+ Performance: B

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ZIER RAZIER RAZ Hejira: Joni Mitchell time his bass playing appears. Larry Asylum 7E-1087, stereo, $6.98. Carlton's guitar leads and Victor Feld - Last year's Hissing of Summer Lawns man's vibes perform some uncanny was not an easy pill to swallow. A total tricks. Surprisingly, Joni Mitchell's pi- ZIER RAZIER RA departure from the phenomenally ano work, which had been strongly ,r Ri's SR VI I I successful Court and Spark, it was a emphasized since the Blue album, is daring, highly idiosyncratic and lavish completely gone. She contents herself DOMESTIC some 1930 Valley View Lane album that people did not like with her special guitar rhythms which Dallas, Texas 75234 at all. unite the album sonically, with the ef- 214/241/3441 Hejira (which refers first to Mo- fect of a smooth motor in a new car. INTERNATIONAL hammed's flight from Mecca and ge- This album is completely a road al- 2200 Shames Drive/P.O. Box 882 Westbury, L.I., New York 11590 nerically to the pilgrim's flight from bum. It is spent in cars looking up at Cable: ''Churchin" Westbury, N.Y. the holy place) is much sparser. The jets in the sky or strung out on anoth- Telex: 961474 /Telephone: 516/334/3303 sound, no less personal, is cut lean er man. Coyote opens with an en- Fine loudspeakers from $60.00 to $1,200.00. and is Write or call for the name of your nearest Frazier to the bone, and very challeng- counter on the road near Joni's Can- dealer and for descriptive brochures. ing. Jaco Pastorius is brilliant every adian hometown. Amelia following it

Check No. 14 on Reader Service Card AUDIO March 1977

AmericanRadioHistory.Com is triggered by six jets over the desert ing and fully acknowledges the alter- ry are all Mitchell can count on, this in "the hexagram of the heavens," native-"(I'm) a defector from the "rolling taking refuge in the roads." with visions of Icarus doomed to fall, pretty wars/until love sucks back Hejira is another difficult pill to swal- she compares the fallen aviatrix and that way." low, as open as it is. her own state-"I crashed into his The Song for Sharon faces the same The cover gives some clues. It is in arms." The song is another view of dilemma through the image of a striking black & white, black for as- Both Sides Now fully a decade along, childhood friend who has her family phalt, white for freedom, and the her fear of flying all too alive. Furry and farm and still keeps her music for birdlady poses are stunning. Sings the Blues takes place at Furry them held against her own checkered Hejira is a challenge to absorb. It is Lewis' place on crumbling old Beale romantic history, the bitterness like a demanding of you, and it's not easy to Street in Memphis. The obsolescence lozenge that won't dissolve. The Blue shake off or forget. If it takes a little of the wonderful old Blues singer is Motel Room is in Savannah, and the getting used to, it is easily worth the tender and sad. Hejira is at the begin- encounter there leads inevitably to effort. M.T. ning of her second 30 years. It looks the Refuge of the Roads. The un- Sound: A- Performance: directly at the aimless, endless road- certainty and the ever -altering scene - A-

Blue Moves: Rocket 2-11004, stereo, $6.98. I'd like to go on record as saying Phage Linear 400: that Elton John hasn't done anything particularly stunning musically since Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and al- The best selling amplifier though his subsequent initial- ly satisfy, they have no long-lasting musical impact, up until now. in the world. is the album which changes all that, I reckon, because it ris Since introduction, the Phase was an expensive extra few home doesn't satisfy even from the very Linear 400 Power Ampler has been stereo owners could enjoy. Advanced start, and after several listens, you hailed n_ernationally as the undisputed technology developed by Phase "best buy" and best performer among Linear has resulted in a high quality, wonder exactly how many songs all the super amps availaole today. high performance power amplifier that, Elton has written and how much of And for cood reason. at a suggested retail price of $499, this album is actually non -songs pro- For some time most serious listen- becomes a practical investment for a duced/played/engineered into mas- 86 ers have considered a h gh powered stereo component system. amplifiera necessary ccrnponent in The Phase Linear 400, with its tre- ters. His damn predictability never re- a home stereo system. Most high qual- mendous power reserve, enables your ally bothered me because his hook ity are ineffi- spears sound system to deliver real- lines were the big surprise. He'd suck- cient arc demand great life listening levels with reservesof power to er you in with a fairly mundane verse, The Powerful Difference extremely low distor- play rec-crded music tion levels without and then come in and grab you with at realistic levels. clipping...at a very the chorus on something like Don't But Ln il the intro- / reasonable price. Let Your Son Go Down ductior cf the 400, On Me. Even See your dealer though he hasn't written anything but this adcibonal power for an audition. the most self-indulgent songs re- cently, I never really found Elton to be quite so unmemorable as not to merit a fourth listen, until his last studio al- bum. But this one, this two -record set, which I wish I could say would make a good single album or at least a decent EP-this is just two pieces of plastic. He's got all the right names on the album-you find arrangements by the overlooked (and misspelled) , , and Cap- tain Daryl Dragon, engineering by ex - Sparks guitarist Earl Mankey, and background vocals by Tenille, The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern California Community Choir, Cindy Bullens, and Crosby & Nash. Production by is the usual "I love treble don't you?" and 's lyrics border on total worthlessness. I've always thought Elton was trying to achieve something befnre, but here I'm lost looking for any redeeming value. /.T.

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AUDIO March 1977 Check No. 27 on Reader Service Card

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