Hammer - s/t

Name: Hammer
Album: s/t
Year: 1979
Style: Light Rock, Powerpop, Electronic/Synth Pop
Similar Bands: Brian Eno, Yes, Peter Gabriel,
"One-Word" Review: Unpredictable Power-Synth Pop
Based Out Of: NY
Label: Elektra Asylum, Warner

Cover, Sleeve, Record

Back, Lyrics, Record

Hammer (1979)

1. Goodbye 3:37
2. I Got You 5:50
3. Oh, Pretty Woman 3:41 (Roy Orbison Cover)
4. One Day 4:38
5. Vaporize Me 3:42 / 
6. Nowhere to Go 5:46
7. Forever Tonight 4:46
8. Highway Made of Glass 3:14
9. Rainbow Day 5:38
10. Sister Louisiana 3:14

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Jan Hammer - Writer, Producer, Keys, Synth, Vox, Engineer (Mahavishnu Orch, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Neal Schon, Sarah Vaughan, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Elvin Jones, Junior Trio more) 
• Colin Hodgkinson - Bass, 12 String Guitar, Vox (Back Door, Barlin Blues Band, Electric Blues Duo, Jon Lord Blues Project, K2, Ten Years After, Hofner Bluenotes, Spencer Davis Group, Tramline, Whitesnake, Alex Korner, Konstantin Wecker, Pete York, British Blues Quintet, Alexis Korner, Eric Delaney, Alan Randall, Joan Bptista Humet, Joji Hirota, Neal Schon, Schon & Hammer, Cozy Powell, Mick Jagger, Stefan Grossman, James Young, Phil Carmen, Pete Maffay)
• Gregg Carter - Drums (Edgar Winter)
• Glen Burtnick - Lead/Backing Vox, Guitars, Tambourine (Cats on a Smoth Surface, Helmet Boy, Jersey Artists For Mankind, Styx, The Orchestra, The Sides, The Weeklings, Schon & Hammer, Eric Troyer, Bystander, Celine Dion, Meat Loaf, Johnny Popstar Luv Explosion, Lita Ford, Marshall Crenshaw, Jonathan, Tonio K, What If, Patty Smyth, John Waite, Don Henley)
• Bos Schachner - Additional Engineer
• Ron Coco - Art Direction & Design
• Johnny Lee - Art Direction & Design
• Chris Callis - Photography
• Elliot Sears - Mgmt

Unknown-ness: Never heard of Hammer, and with such a general name, that does not give any hints. However, the chosen imagery does...lets see...smashing through into a women's (pink) locked apartment with said "hammer" as she seems to be hiding/running from the obstructed assailant. This does not paint a very understanding band, and far from today's PC standards. So i guess the music will be testosteronly aggressive. The back image of the band, being chased by the attacked female down the stairwell (per her retaliating shadow), shows energy, but also perhaps a lighter (weaker) side. When it comes down to the year and label, i can only surmise it will be power-pub rock.

Album Review: Apparently, this is basically a Jan Hammer, most famous for the 2-Grammy winning Miami Vice theme, album. Although he is not the lead singer, he has written, produced, and engineered the full album, aside from the bass heavy version of the Roy Orbison cover "Pretty Woman." The vocals are weak and kind of flat compared to the aggressive drum and bass - which carries through the album: locked in a tug of war between light and heavy super smooth production. In "Vaporize Me" the synth bass line that leads into a Monkees-like tambourine chorus sounds great (also like Brian Eno) and is really catchy. "Forever Tonight" also has a catchy computer-synth bass line and chorus. It is apparently is the first version (sounding like a demo version with lyrics) of the hit instrumental song featured in Miami Vice. The last track sounds a bit like a Beatles-Kinks hybrid song.

Stand Out Track:  Vaporize Me, Forever Tonight

Links:
youtube full album
wiki
website
imdb
facebook
discogs
allmusic
grammy
billboard
sound on sound
miami vice wiki
unofficial site
1979 NY Times poor live review (and description of his"unwieldy keyboard-contraption" "slung over his shoulder")