Rex Smith - Rex

Name: Rex Smith
Album: Rex
Year: 1976
Style: Glam, Power Pop, Hard Rock
Similar Bands: T. Rex, Alice Cooper, Rick Springfield, Leif Garrett, ZZ Top
"One-Word" Review: 70's Pretty-Glam-Boy Power Rocker
Based Out Of: Jacksonville Florida
Label: Columbia, CBS

Cover, Sleeve, Record

Back, Sleeve, Record

Rex (1976)

1. Trouble 4:11 (Single)
2. Ten Seconds of Love 4:02
3. Feeling Better 4:27
4. Stay With Me 4:41 (Lorraine Ellison cover)/
5. Call Her "Easy" 4:20
6. Dead End Kids 3:35
7. I Can't Explain 2:59 (Who cover, single B-Side)
8. Rock & Roll Dream 2:40
9. Violent Playground 3:21

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Orville Davis - Bass (Hydra, Starz)
• Lars Hanson - Guitar, Backing Vox (Genya Ravan, Ronnie Spector, Rudolf's Nightmare, Benny Mardones)
• Mike Ratti - Drums, Percussion (Heavy Balloon, Morgen, The Nails, Shorud of Lowell)
• Rex Smith - Vox (Phaedra, Rachel Sweet, Frank Wildhorn )
• Lou Vandora - Guitar, backing Vox (Lou's Blues Revue)
• Eddie Leonetti - Producer
• Lee De Carlo - Engineer
• Jay Krugman - Asst. Engineer
• Rod O'Brein - Asst. Engineer
• David Krebs - Direction

Unknown-ness: Never heard of Rex, but that could be short for, or have changed for a number of acts. The cover and band photo make him look to be a typical power pop with a prog edge, with a touch of androgyny.

Album Review: The album is def power pop, but leans heavy on hard rock and glam. Many songs sound like they are going to transition into ZZ Top's "Tush." Vocals take cues from Robert Plant. But the album sounds good with talented musicians and a solid, thick, heavy rock feel, typical of the mid-70's era. The album is attributed to a band named "Rex" but most cataloging databases file this as a Rex Smith album, and i'm following suit. His pretty-boy looks made him a teen idol in the late 70's and early 80s. Rex was just as poplar as an actor as a music. This album came 2 years before he made his debut on broadway in Grease. He was also in the tv series Street Hawk, and is the Quizzo answer to "Who is the first live action actor to portray Marvel Comic's Daredevil." He has had two  top 40 singles with "You Take My Breath Away" (#10 and was on his soundtrack to the film he also starred in Sooner or Later) in 1979, and "Everlasting Love" (#32) as a duet with Rachel Sweet. You can get a personal message made from Rex for $75 bucks on Cameo.

Stand Out Track: Trouble

Links:

Spotify Full Album
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West Coast Music Blue Desert

On Cameo

Broadway World