frocks
.roger simmons
I
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(* * * * *)‘HELLUVA BAND- ANGEL (CASABLANCA RECORDS) This band is off and running. A great debut album has been follow- ed with a second effort on par with the first. Angel is definitely one of my three favorite, bands, along with Led Zeppelin and Foghat. The Angel style is as distinctive as both the Page/Plant team and the Price/Peverett/Earl com— bination. . Angel has everthing a
rock group needs to be succeszul. Frank
Dimino handles all the vocal duties like a professional of Daltrey's stature. He can command
' the range from a screaming rocker to a soft moody peice with precision and smoothness. Funky Meadowns owns a varied collection of guitars which he uses to a smash- ing effect on every
tune on this albu. His guitarwork comes to the fore on such peices as "Mirrors", "Feelings", and\"The Fortune" . ‘ Greg Giuffera comes into prominence work is out—
' knowledge. _album will put this band
lmrn ’ RATINGS ' * A LOSER ! * * POOR * * * FAIR * * * * GREAT '* * * * * A WINNER! standing, especially his
two minute solo beginning "The Fortune". His master- ful touch on the piano is demonstrated by the song "Feelings" on side two.
The rhythm section of Barry Brandt on drums and: Mickey JOnes on bass
once agian privide the base for the other band member'S‘extravaganzas. These are names which will soon become commonplace The next Angel~
on the top.
This second album will certainly earn the band plenty of new fans. It opens with "Feelin' I Right", the type of song we have comt to expect
. ,from Angel; solid rocking
from every band member. "The Fortune" follows. I The brilliant synthesizer opening by Giuffera, coup- led with Meadows guitar and Dimino's vocal, make this song an instant Angel classic. "Anyway You* Want It” is a short, Concise rocker with no excess and with no room for the weak-hearted.
"Dr. Ice" is the usual granite rock with no roll
Edavid p. gallant
fl
winning defence
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BIDDING A, S N 1 5 2c 2H "2NT 4H 48
Your partner leads the ten of diamonds
_agannst South's four—
spade contract and your ace captures dummy's ’
IheSecond - Coming
.. .p of
whatsoever.
Side two opens with a Tune belonging totally to Mead0ws. The rest of the members simply support him as he breathes fire with his hot licks from his guitar. The lead breaks are sizzling, and Meadows even adds a special guitar interplay in the song, playing identical-riffs but alternating from one speaker to the other.
. There is no way of des-
cribing the next number. It's called "Feelings, and it is aptly titled.
The combined effect of Dimino's voice and Giuffera's peiano will knowck you out. Angel
has created“a whole new type of song with this one. "PreSsure Point" is
a blazer from start to finish. It is the re" sult of a suually tight band lettingwit all go.
As with the first album, Angel ends this in the same flourish. The original version of "Angel Theme" was dominated by Giuffera's synthesizer, but Meadows gives the instumental a completely new guitar dominated sound.
Angel have expanded musically on this album, and they have promised a further expansion on their third. I just can't waif.
(* * * *) CRY TOUGH - NILS LOFGREN (A&M RECORDS)
Heralded as one of the best new guitarists around, Nils Lofgren ’ has come up with an album bursting at the seams with promised talent.
queen. How do you plan the defense?
From the bidding, you know that South has not more than three cards in th the minor suits so you must go after clubs.
If declarer has the ace
of clubs your partner will need to have two trump tricks to defeat the
- contract and you can forget
about that possibility. How should you tackle the clubs? It is not good enough
to lead a small club. The king is the proper card
to play whatever de— clarer's holding maybe.
If South has a dohbleton diamond and a singleton club it is vital that you lead the king of clubs first so that declarer will have to ruff in front Of Your
Angel!
The fact that his guitar.
is almost produced entirely out of the picture is disturbing, but some of his talent maages to escape on numbers such as "Mud In Your Eye" and my favor- rite, the Yardbirds old
hit, "For Your Love". "Cry Tough" is a solid tune, not suffering from the over-production much of the rest of the album ‘is subjected to.
With a raw sound, longer, and more num- erous lead breaks,and a producer who can handle these, Lofgren will be a star to recken with in 1977. His next album will have to do it.
(* * *)RAMONES—RAMONES (SIRE RECORDS)
If you like EXTREMELY simple rock n'roll, this is the one for you.
Thes Ramone brothers only change the lyrics from song to song, nothing else. The songs are all the same pattern, with one verse and an often—
‘ times repeated chorus. They average about two .minutes each. Titles range from "Beat On The Brat" to "Chainsaw". Not much difference, eh? The lalbum actually sounds like one song in several parts. You'd have to be partly mental to like this.'
EXT WEEK: Playin' funky music with Wild Cherry and connecting with Wireless, along with Abba, Burton Cummings, The Stills—Young Band, and others.
partner's ace. This will cause him to lose control if he has only five trumps. Should declarer have a singleton diamond and two small clubs, you want your partner to be on lead
after the second club trick so that he can knock out dummy's heart ace before it can be used as an entry for the monor suit winners. Here are the missing
hands: