Inch

MEAT LOAF (EPIC)

Have you ever heard an album that simply over— ccmes your resistance and by sheer brilliance and power blots out every— thing else around you? Meat Loaf's debut album is Such a one.

The man responsible for this brilliance is Jim Stemnan, who fronts mat Loaf as lead singer, piano player and can- poser of all the times found here. Each facet of the man's talents is developed to knife- edge precision. The lyrical content is similar to Bruce Spring— steen on the title cut, "Bat Out Of Hell" which resembles a nine—minute version of "Born To Run".

‘Steinman isn't confined to Springsteen for lyrical and musical in— spiration, thwgh, as the rest of the album‘s music varies from Chuck Berry rock 'n rollers to orchestrated ballads of pain and confusion.

Steinman's voice is

remarkably similar to Cat

' Stevens, particularly on

the three elm songs. An added surprise is the vocal ability of Ellen Foley as exposed on "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". The female Hemmer of Meat loaf adds that extra touch of class that sets the whole album apart-— Meat Loaf, as a group, do not play any instruments. Todd Rundgren, who produced the album, also provided standout guitar work backed up by Utopia.

All seven cuts on this album have Moore sure of my favorite mlBiC of all time. With strong AM play of their first single "You Track The Words Right Qlt Of My Mouth" , Meat Loaf deserve to be bigger than last year's lucky rookies, Boston.

(****) JT - JAMES TAYIDR (COLUMBIA),

It appears that 1971 is returning in 19.77. In 1971 Carole King, James Taylor and Don MacLean all corrbined to make the singer—songwriter a viable alternative to the heavy—metal of the late sixties and early seven—' ties. The artists mentioned above peaked in 1972 and have since a low profile.

e g I Capt). 150111011110

Montague—

Summerside—

OPEN TDAYS A WEEK 4:00p.m..1gzooa.m. SUNDAY"

Charlottetown— 115 Kent St.” Ch’town Mall

Ch’town Airpo rt Main St.

10 Summer St. A

The UP§| Sun.Tbursday,Nov.10,1977loage H4

Both Taylor and King have returned in 19.77 with hit Singles and neol albums, soundin' g as good as they ever have. JT is a fine, well—prodch album, containing great Taylor originals ("Terra Nova" cc—written with wife Carly Simon is especially fine), a couple of decent cover versions, and sparkling musicianship. Easy listemn' g fans should be satisfied.

(.**) RAM JAM (EPIC)

They never wrote their hit single, "Black’Betty", but they take credit for writing the rest of the garbage found on Ram Jam. The longer version of "Black Betty" is the only thing this record has going for it. Avoid it. (V****) PHIL SPECIOR'S GREATEST HITS (SPECTOR— WARNER)

Phil Spector is _ acknowledged as the best producer to ever cut a record. A producer having a greatest hits album may sound strange but it's not in the case of Spector, He used the artists he worked with as sinply musical instruments to be manipulated. The artists never complained as he produced most of them into at least one top ten song a piece. Phil Spector‘s "wall of sound" made nunber one hits out pf the Ronette's "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You", the Crystal's "Da Doo Ron Ron" , "Then He Kissed Ma". and "He's A Rebel"; the Righteous Brothers' "Yw've Lost 'Ihat Lovin' Feelin'"; the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him", Benny King's "Spanish Harlem", and Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep — Mormtain High". These . songs are only Spector's most famous yproducti’om hits from 1960 to 1967. Spector is also noted for his work with the Beatles while they were together and also individually. Although the Beatle

tunes are not included, the two record set con—

tains 24 classics in all. It's one or important historical records to surface in a long tine. (***) NIGHT AFTER NIGHT - NIIS IDFGRE'N (A & M)

Nils Iofgren is probably the most noted imitath of Keith Richard. The

AJAMESTAYLORCOMESBACK

fact that he has never had a partner such as Mick Jagger to co—write and sing his songs is why Lofgren remaJns' with only a devoted cult followm' g and not widespread ‘ popularity. He's produc— ed scne brilliant work on his studio albums, met notably his C_ry Em album. Unfortun— ately, Niggt After Niglt, a two record live set, fails to pro— vide one basic ingredient. There is just no excite- ment generated here at all. In fact, in places it sounds almost like a studio album. Lofgren fans mly need apply for this one. (***) PURE MANIA — . VIBRMORS ((DIIJMBIA) \ (***) 'IH'E CLASH (COLUMBIA ,1 Punk rock is the latest fad that has' risen far enough out of the underground to be market- able. Reaction to punk rock is usually fairly cut and dried. Either you love it or you hate it. I find myself sitting in the middle because on first listen to each of these records I disliked them. By about the third time through I really liked most -of the songs on both albuns. But by the fifth listen, boredan had set in. The only exception fran both albums is the Clash's "Police And Thieves", which is a reggae anthem given the punk treatment. That‘s not a very good percentage when you consider there are, in total, 29 songs on these mo albums.

(***) CAT SCRATCH FEVER — . 'IED NUGENT (EPIC)

Now that Ted Nugent has finally come up with a popular sound, he‘s sticking to it. _C_at_:_ Scratch Fever varies very little frcm its mo predecessors, 'Ied Nuflt and Free For All. If you want the sane bone-’- crundning guitar-centred heavy metal sounds from ’ Nugent, this album will keep you contented. If you're growing somewhat tired of Nugent's con- tinuous grate as I am, then bypass the Madman from Detroit this time out,

\