Between Linda Ronstadt and Kate Slightly Folksy Melody, Kicking and Smith
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more gifted musicians, guitarists Kerry hitdom in some cases. I particularly like IJD Livgren and Rich Williams and violinist the ballads Baby Hold On and Jealousys Robby Steinhardt, play second fiddle to (sic), both of which owe obvious debts to organist Steve Walsh, who doesn't Stewart. pound a note that Matthew Fisher and/ Whether he'll be anybody's "next big or Keith Emerson didn't pound ten years thing" is hard to say, but there's a good ago. His style-all bombast and bastard- chance. Money's manager, Bill Graham, ized Bach-is overbearing and out- is nobody's fool. T.E. moded. What's more. Walsh has as- sumed a major share of the songwriting Porter Wagoner: Porter. Porter chores, and none of his contributions or Wagoner, producer. RCA APL 1-2432, collaborations boasts the ingenuity of $6.98. Tape:1 A PK 1-2432...CAPS 1- Carry on Wayward Son, Livgren's solo 2432, $7.98. composition (and hit single) on "Left - overture." Here in Nashville, one hears many re- One song here declares, "I am laugh- marks about Porter Wagoner. Two are ing/As it's meant to be," but "Point of agreed upon: Porter is crazy; Porter is Know Return" consists for the most part the only singer in Nashville who could of humorless homilies along the lines of, put a million dollars in cold cash on the "Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever/ table by merely making a' withdrawal But the earth and sky/It slips away, all from his savings account. Porter, you see, your money won't/Another minute may be crazy, but he's smart. Some say buy." The unnatural word order of that he's bitter, too. Ten years ago he found last line epitomizes the album's preten- Dolly Parton and made her a star; now Dionne Warwick-heavy on the Airings tiousness and stupidity. And it's a shame, Dolly's deserted him and become a because at their best these guys, as re- media darling. many, out of the churches. And the vealed in but fitful flashes (Sparks of the But Porter will survive, even as the churches provide the best moments of Tempest is intermittently galvanizing). real Dolly Parton evanesces to some- this album: On A Long Way to Go, she thing bland and grotesque, something decoratesandintensifiesacatchy, can play up a storm. K.E. between Linda Ronstadt and Kate slightly folksy melody, kicking and Smith. Porter will survive, because he shouting for joy as she builds and inter- Eddie Money. Bruce Botnick, producer. will never try to be anything other than twines with backup voices as tight as lia- Columbia PC 34909, $6.98. Tape: what he has been since 1955: a country nas. NI( PCT 34909,013 PCA 34909, $7.98. singer, a hillbilly with a guitar. And I'm The balance of the LP is sweetish bal- Eddie Money is a former New York po- happy that his new album is as good as lads. heavy on the strings, laidback in the liceman who says he's wanted to be a Dolly's is bad. vocals. This works on the title track and rock & roll star all of his life. From the In his version of the ancient Hand Me on the country flavored Livin' It Up Is sound of his debut album, he's wanted to Down My Walking Cane, he plainly Startin' to Get Me Down. ElseWhere the sound a lot like Rod Stewart and a little growls, "I got drunk/And I got in jail," ailment is pretty clear-a sense of same- like John Lennon all of his life. In any and makes vast comments on the new ness, gradually lapsing into tedium. case, he's well on his way to wish fulfill- pretentious ways of country music. Yes, What's less clear is its cause. Warwick's ment. Money plays keyboards and wrote Porter has always transcended frail me- singing can't be faulted technically, and all of the songs here save one, collaborat- taphysics. And he knows it. her tone and phrasing are varied enough. ing mostly with guitarist Jimmy Lyon. The Funky Grass Band is built upon a But her emotional intensity (or lack of it) The tunes are good, as are the chances of bunch of gossipy stories about country is too consistent, and the result is less music's old blood, including the time cool than lackadaisical. Given that she Chubby Wise knocked off Hank Snow's has never been too good at transcending toupee with his fiddle bow. I Haven't her material, the question is: Does the fi- Learned a Thing is a killer booze song, as nal effect of competent listlessness stem good as any he's sung in the past. Crumbs from innocuously banal production and from Another Man's Table is about adul- arrangements, or is she the one who is tery and desperation. Childhood Play- just going through the motions? J.S.R. ground, written by Porter, is a reminis- cence so honest it's almost scary. Disc Barbara Wyrick. Clayton Ivey & Terry jockeys, that eerie race, are fond of ask- Woodford, producers. Calliope Records ing the question, "What is country mu- CAL 7005, $6.98. sic?" If they played Porter's records in- stead of Larry Gatlin's, perhaps they Until now, Barbara Wyrick has been as wouldn't have to ask. N.T. obscure a singer as she has been a writer. Based in Muscle Shoals, she has man- aged to place a few album cuts and one Dionne Warwick: Love at First Sight. hit country single-Sami Jo's Tell Me a Steve Barri & Michael Omartian, pro- Lie. She has also done some background ducers. Warner Bros. BS 3119, $6.98. singing and cut a few song demos, and Tape:IlVik M5 3119,9_1M8 3119, $7.98. even released a single or two under her It's been two years since we've heard own name, with nothing much happen- from Dionne Warwick. Alas, "Love at ing. Her current producers have man- First Sight" is a limp return. Though aged to sign Wyrick to a label, albeit a most people probably associate her with new one, and to get her first album re- Ex New York cop Eddie Money black pop balladry, she comes, like so leased. It's a knockout, and letting it get JANUARY 1978 133.