'r...“ nut sinus . (*****) MAGAZINE -'SHERBE.T (MCA) Sherbet is the second band out of Australia to have _ nailed down to perfection the soft rock vein of music. have been topping the Australian charts mudn in the way that April Wine and the Stampeders/ in Canada, having little success any— where else but their home— land. With a successful international single, "Help Is On Its Way", and a super album, Diamantina Cocktail, the Little River Band has finally broken into the North American market. Any song whatsoever on Magazine could ~be a commerCial success for Sherbet, and to a band sud1 as this one, a hit single is the key to their becoming widely known. Why don't yo.1 pick up a good Magazine today? (**x; BRLWNSVILIE STATION (PRIVATE STOCK) Brownsville Station has finally returned after a three year absence with a new album, a new member, and a new approach. The album is Brownsville Station on which Bruce Nazarian adds another guitar and key— boards to the original line—up, and features an approach similar to Kiss as far as musical style goes. On most of these cuts Brownsville Station and Kiss a. are inseparable. only ~- saving grace of the album is the mo novelty tunes. Brownsville has been noted for than in the past, and has come up Vwith two more .m wmsowvo STEREO ECEIVER CFI—IOZD The Little River Band and Sherbet (JANJS) , Once again this four—piece British band has combined every form of popular music with the exception of country into a distinctive Camel sound. For some music that rises above the usual raunch 'n roll or soft (**) “VEHICLE (SKYLINE) Vehicle is a six member band whose first album is a collection of ' tired old rock cliches. Avoid it. (***) LAKE (comm) They've been-called the German equivalent to Abba, which totally misrepresents the band. True, side one is aimed at AM radio, but "Time Barb" is the; only song that could make it. Side two is as far from Abba as you could get. 'Ihree long pieces on this side are extremely interesting, both lyrically and musically. Hopefully, Lake's AM radio fortunes will continue to be slim, so the band will focus , on the jazz rock fusion side .of their music on their second album. (***) MANIFEST DESTINY — DICTATORS (ASYLUM) In 1975 the Dictators released what we now know to be the first punk rock album. it received mixed reactions 7 critics and "'_.'-absolutely bombed with the v buying public. release, is not exactly punk rock but sounds a lot like early Blue Oyster Cult. Called Go Girl Crfl, Their second ' "The UPEI SW,’IhurSday,Dec.l,l977,page '10 ‘ DETECTIVE MIRROR- _ .or zinnm . ,Jack" and "The Martian f Boogie" ' (*****) RAIN DANCES — CAMEL songs actually secceed on this album, the exceptions being "Ebcposed", "Sleepin' With The T.V. On" "Steppin' mt" ‘ The rest can best bedescribed as ordinary. < (**) PLATINJM JAZZ - WAR (MCA) ‘ This is the first’new material since Why Can't We Be Friends in 1375. If 1t took them that long to 'come up with the material for this mo record set, War are in danger of sinking into dalivion. The songs that are effective ("Slowly We Work 'Ibgether" for example) are outnumbered at least two to one by the poor ones such as "River Niger" and"H2 Overture" (****) DETECTIVE (SW’N SONG) The story goes that Led. anpelin discovered this band in Los Angeles and immediately signed them to their label. The members of Ied Zeppelin must be, . _ operating under some kind of self-praise syndrome as , Detective is the mirror image of. Zeppelin- ."GOt Enough love" and "Grill"1 ' Reaper" are two of the most obvious,» but at leaSt the band is imitating the masters. Led Zeppelin fans will find more than suitable. (mu) MAD IQVE —- GOIDEN EARRING (NBA) Golden Earring has always been a band standing in the shadows, one that once stepped into the spotlight with "Radar Love". Needless to say, M will not put the Dutch grog) bad< in the spotlight. Fan of the (****) ROBERT GORDON WITH ' acked with All-New Convenience and Plenty of Power: RMS Output 70 Watts Per Channel (Both Channels Driven into 8 Ohms, 20-20,000 Hz) with No More Than an Incredibly Low 0.05% Total Harmonic Distortion! LINK WRAY (PanTE S'IKXIK) Combine a singer firmly rooted in' the style of the fifties and a» famous guitar player of that period and what do you get? The answer is this album. I've never had much use for theearly rock'n roll ‘scngs but Robert Gordon has . captured the highlights of ‘ that period with his versions of such songs as "Summertime Blues" and "Red Ho ". Many of the tunes remind you of the early Sun recordin' gs'made by Elvis Presley. That is not to say this album is trying to capitalize on Presley's death as it was released in July in the United States, This album a legitimate" effort and one well worth looking into. (****) AnommR MII'HER FUKIHER - mumR's FINEST (EPIC) ' When their first album was released, Matherls ’ Finest was publicized as the "black Led Zeppelin". On hearingthefirst song on this "Mi.d<ey's mnkey", it was obvious why the comparison was made. The song is practically identical to Zeppelin's "Custard Pie" on P ical Graffiti. But as%? Nbfir Further proceeds, the led Zeppelin catparison fades out and as it ,turns out, Mother's Finest is a talented group which should go a long way on their own without leaning on the "black Ied Zeppelin“ tag to sell their records. NEXT: "mm mm PARI‘ II & TOP 'IWEN'I'YAIBUI‘B OF1977. THE. POWER AMP from' YAMAHA Fen $699.95 (AT WATTS r ENTERPRISES St. Peter's Rd. MERIU CHRISTMAS