Trapezoid - s/t

Name: Trapezoid
Album: s/t
Year: 1975
Style: Old Tyme, Folk, Irish
Similar Bands: (per allmusic) Darol Anger, Metamora, Mark O'Connor, Oregon, Adrian Legg, John McCutcheon
"One-Word" Review: Celtic Baroque Renaissance Fair
Based Out Of: West Virginia
Label: Troubadour Records

Cover, Catalogue, Record

Back, Catalogue, Record

Trapezoid (1975)

1. British Grenadiers/Swinging on a Gate 3:00
2. Opera Reel 2:15
3. Planxty George Brabizon 4:20
4. Whiskey Before Breakfast 2:46
5. Carrie Under the Arbor 2:25
6. Southwind 2:57 /
7. Dill Pickle's Rag 4:05
8. Jamie Allen 2:16
9. Wonderous Love 3:00
10. O'Carolan's Concerto 2:50
11. Chorus Jig 2:22
12. Margaret's Walk 3:22

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Sam Rizzetta - Hammered Dulcimer, Fretted Dulcimer, Concertina (Madeline MacNeil, Blackie Cool, Maggie Sansone)
• Paul Reisler - Bass Dulcimer, Guitar (A Thousand Questions, Kid Pan Alley, Three Good Reasons, John McCutcheon, Holly Near, Si Kahn, Beth Nielsen Chapman)
• Pete Vigour - Dulcimer, Banjo, Pennywhistle, Vox (Albemarie Ramblers, Hubie King, Diane Jones, Erynn Marshall)
• Paul Yeaton - Dulcetta, Mandolin
• Sandy Davis - Spoons, Concertina, Bones (Roaring Jelly, Common Ground quintet, Dudley Laufman, Canterbury Country Dance Orch, Berlin County Dance Orch., Oh CONTRAire, Tony Saletan, Jay Unger, Jerry Robichaud)
• Sarah Gregory - Bass, Recorder (Flying Shoes, All Comers Band
• Lydia Mills - Fiddle (Arlington Street Women's Caucus)
• Bill "Smitty" Smith - Banjo
• Rosie III - dulcimer on cover

Unknown-ness: I honestly don't know if this is a band or an album of random songs just played on a Trapezoid/dulcimer, or just some completion with cool cover art and font...because it is a VERY cool cover and font. Seeing the pics on the back & reading the notes, I imaging it is all instrumentals, of old time folk played on old time instruments, the dulcimer spotlighted. It looks like the "finger harp" we used to strum & play in elementary school music class. reading more of the back, the band makes their own instruments, including these dulcimers, so this might be pretty cool.

Album Review: Well, the description was not wrong, the instrument makers definitely have a knack for old tyme folk music going back to the Renaissance period. The range of their designed hammered dulcimers is quite good, as they themselves forged bass & piccolo dulcimers to fit the range of music in a full band. 

Paul Reisler has been the one constant musician, with Sam Rizzetta perhaps being prolific / famous in his own right; still making instruments and recording albums (2020). Reisler has seen the band through many personnel changes, and played as Trapezoid for 25 years through 1995, reuniting in 2004 with their 1984 line-up. This is their first album. I read a little more and it seems Sarah Gregory and Bill Smith got married, and were together up to her passing in 2020.

Stand Out Track: Chorus Jig

Links:
Full Album on Spotify w/ Bonus Tracks
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Rate Your Music
1995 Washington Post
Sam Rizzetta
Paul Reisler
Maine Fiddle Camp: Sandy Davis
Sarah Gregory obit 2020

Image (thee) - Inside the Triangle

Name: Thee Image
Album: Inside the Triangle
Year: 1975
Style: Prog, Jazz, Disco, Psych
Similar Bands: Traffic, Little Feat, Dr. John, Bee-Gees
"One-Word" Review: Hard Jazz Fusion Disco
Based Out Of: Miami FL
Label: Manticore, Motown

Cover & Record

Back, Record

Inside the Triangle (1975)

1. Fly Away 6:36
2. Far Away Places 2:55 (single b-side)
3. High Time Feeling 3:34
4. IOU's 2:32
5. All Night Long 4:15 / 
6. Good To You 6:02
7. Alone With You 5:05 (single)
8. Rapture of the Deep 1:45
9. Nobody Wins till the Game is Over 4:15 (cover Sir Mack Rice)

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Mike Pinera - Producer, Guitar, Lead & Backing Vox (Blues Image, Iron Butterfly, Cactus, Alice Cooper, Ramatam, Classic Rock All Stars, Fanz, Thee Butterfly, Judy Mayhan, )
• Duane Hitchings - Keys, Moog, Synth, Backing Vox (Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, Charmer, Steel, Kim Carnes, Carmine Appice,  The Runaways, Rod Stewart, Bad Finger, Alice Cooper )
• Donny Vosburgh - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vox (Blues Image, Buddy Miles, Fortress, Mother's Finest, Darrell Mansfield Band)
• Karl Richardson - Recording & Mixing
• Ed Mashal - Asst. Engineer
• John Blanche - Mastering Engineer
• Srat Stills - Cover Art
• Mario A Algaze - Photography
• Thee Big "M" - Album Concept & Art Direction
• Mario Medious - Executive Producer

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. Although the title and cover are is heading to somewhere ominous...the Bermuda triangle...the three guys in the band couldn't look more like three stoner surfer dudes incapable of evil. I assume the back image is of them at some palace in Bermuda, with the three guys looking a little glammy with cape, embroidered shirt, and bedazzled bell-bottoms. So I'm guessing this band is somewhere between glam, and prog, with the cover art being conceptual enough to make me think of prog.

Album Review: The Band name was a nostalgic throw-back tribute for Pinera & Vosburgh, who used to play together in Blue Image at a "legendary" club in Miami called Thee Image. Some of the album (Single "Alone With You") sounds like if a typical lounge singer like Tom Jones would decide to make a funky-disco album..okay, that might actually work or sound cool, but this does not sit in such a positive light. But some sounds like psych rock, or prog fusion. "IOUs" sounds kind like a video game

Stand Out Track: IOU's

Links:
prog aspect
audiophile man
discogs
rockasteria
rate your music
classic rock louder sound
spotify double album
allmusic

The Eddie Boy Band - S/T

Name: The Eddie Boy Band

Album: s/t

Year: 1975

Style: Southern, Pub Rock, Prog Rock

Similar Bands: Wishbone Ash, Doobie Bros., Chicago, J Geils Band, Edgar Winter Group, ELO, Van Morrison

One Word Review: Proggy Mountain Men inna Pub

Based Out Of: Chicago, IL

Label: MCA Records, 

 The Eddie Boy Band - Cover & Record

The Eddie Boy Band - Back, Record, Letter from promotions

The Eddie Boy Band (1975)

1. Oh So Hard 4:49
2. The Maze 3:12
3. Say Goodbye Babe 3:26
4. Come on Virginia (I Wanna Win Ya) 3:01
5. Losin' Again 6:07
6. Good to Have You Back Again 3:14
7. The Gambler 4:53
8. Sixteen Ladies 3:35
9. Makin' Love to You, Babe 3:28
10. Mother Music 5:23

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands
Rick Canoff - Producer
Bob Monaco - Exec Producer
Don Sciarrotta - Exec Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Tony Sciarrota - Engineer, Mixing
John Notar - Asst Engineer
Lou Marks - Asst. Engineer
Scott Spain - Asst. Engineer
Josh Leo - Guitar, Vox (The Hate Boys, CY Walkin' Band, Kim Carnes, Jimmy Buffett, Vinyl Kings, Glen Frey, Alabama, Crystal Gayle, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes )
Mark Goldenberg - Guitar, Slide, Piano, Vox (The Cretones, Linda Ronstadt, Al Stweart, CY Walkin' Band, Grimaldi/Zeiher, Max Groenthal, Peter Frampton)
Tim Walkoe - Bass, Vox
John Paruolo - Organ, Piano, Accordion, Mellotron, Vox (Jack Mack & the Heart Attack, Mark Saffan & the Keepers)
Dennis Ebert - Drums, Percussion
Mike Lerner - Drums Percussion
Dick Caine - Guitar
Jon Carsoon - Guitar
David Wolinski - Arp Sting Ensemble, Locrian Mode, Pie Ala Mode, Dialogue, Synths (Bangor Flying Circus, Madura, Rufus, Rufus & Chaka Khan, The Shadows of Knight, The Wild Horses, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Bee Gees)
Jon Scott - National Album Promotions

Unknown-ness: I bought this record still wrapped in plastic with the letter in the above picture (claiming this was a free- remastered, resend from MCA to replace older copies with flaws)  obscuring the cover. I felt a little bad opening it after 30 years, but a still wrapped record is not as much fun. I imagine this will be simple southern AOR with a mix of pub rock and perhaps some blues. Seems pretty cut & dry, like previous bands I've reviewed like Beaverteeth or Cactus.

Album Review: Although this band, the Eddie Boy Band, never made more than one album, and split up after sound / quality differences, the members have gone on to play alongside or write many hits for greats. David Wolinski has played synthesizers on highly acclaimed albums for Michael Jackson and the Bee Gees. Mark Goldenberg became a session musician for the likes of Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Natalie Imbruglia, Chris Issak, Willie Nelson, Peter Frampton, and many more (and was also in the Cretones). And Josh Leo has written over 20 #1 country music songs, as charted on the Billboard Country listings.

“Oh So Hard” begins with a light hearted guitar, reminding me of Edgar Winter Group’s “Free Ride.” It then explores some prog-timed guitars and keyboards. The vocals are very southern soulful mountain man style. The song repeats back to the catchy guitar hook that lead off the song, and this is a solid 70’s jammy song. The instrumental almost goes off the rails, but it is reined back in with the start of the third verse, which gets a little gruffer.

“The Maze” starts with some Billy Joel piano, which is covered over with wailing guitar. The song becomes a bouncy ELO sorta song that dips a toe into Bee Gees disco, particularly with the harmonized backing vocals in the chorus. The breakdown before the instrumental is a bunch of “Doo-Dee-Doo-Doos.”

“Say Goodbye Babe” enters with a rolling drum beat, and a held guitar chord. The song evolves into a bouncy, light pub piano tune. The lyrics “work it out” lead the song into an electric guitar instrumental section. Two guitars then commence playing together.

“Come on Virginia (I Wanna Win Ya)” sounds like an old ragtime band playing on an island cruise ship. The vaudevillian, male vocal / barbershop groups of the 50’s must have played a heavy inspiration to the track. The la-la-la breakdown even has a barker in the background that sounds like it’s coming through an old radio set. The end of the track has muddled spoken crowd vocals, and other radio-show sound effects like a whirling slide whistle.

“Losin' Again” heads right back into a powerpop hook, layered with guitar and organ. Different vocals play in and out of timing with another, and they harmonize at the middle. The guitar and keys divert from each other for the instrumental breakdown. Near the middle of the song, the familiar chorus is changed up to follow a different melody. This is where the song resets with a mellow guitar led prog harmony. This transitions into a multi-part instrumental section that follows the two guitars on their vocal-like journey, which ultimately ends the song with the “First Call” bugle melody on guitar.

“Good to Have You Back Again” starts with a prog hook that turns into a slow swampy rock jam. Both facets of the song interact and standalone from each other at varying points of time.

“The Gambler” has a classic rock intro, almost immediately added to by a jovial, drunken piano, and the song takes a happy back water turn, perhaps a little like Van Morrison. The electric guitar powers through the instrumental at a high pitch, followed by a display of some slide guitar work by guitar 2. It includes a familiar melody that sounds like it is from the muppet show.

“Sixteen Ladies” starts off full force with a driving power pop number. The vocals are different here, more southern in tone, more like my memory of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night” again. The interchange of swampy pub rock and electric power pop finds a nice balance. Toward the end, the organ comes up out of the background to play a more important role in the song’s mood.

“Makin' Love to You, Babe” takes a step back to be more country-ish, with a slower pace, harmonica melody base, and a country guitar hooks in the background. The chorus is a harmonized group of male vocals, which is a little odd, considering they are all singing together “Would you like to be makin love to me, babe?”   

“Mother Music” illustrates more of the band’s free-form prog rock ideals, with sweeping effects, and wha-wah keyboard sounds. The vocals are a little bluesy, especially mixed with the organ and bass line. The harmonized chorus brings comparison to the Bee Gees again. The instrumental section is that fine line between psychedelic and prog rock and it would make for a great laser light show.

Stand Out Track: Come On Virgina

Links:
Discogs
Mark Goldenberg.com
Nashville Music News
Josh Leo Wiki
Allmusic
Rate Your Music
13 Afternoon

(the) Michael Stanley Band - ~You Break it...You Bought It, *You Can't Fight Fashion

Name: (the) Michael Stanley Band 

Albums: ~You Break It...You Bought It, *You Can't Fight Fashion

Years: ~1975, *1983

Style: Blue Collar/Heartland Rock, Pub Rock

Similar Bands: Todd Rundgren, Utopia, John Cougar Mellencamp, J. Geils Band, Bruce Springsteen, Big Star, Bob Seger, REO Speedwagon, Kavaret, Michael McDonald

One Word Review: Dated Middle America Rock

Based Out Of: Cleveland, OH

Labels: Epic, EMI

You Break It...You Bought It - Cover & Record

You Break It...You Bought It - Back & Record

 You Can't Fight Fashion  - Cover & Record

 You Can't Fight Fashion  - Back & Record

You Break It...You Bought It (1975)

1. I'm Gonna Love You 4:04
2. Dancing In The Dark 2:59
3. Step The Way 3:32
4. Waste a Little Time on Me 3:36
5. Lost in the Funhouse Again 3:40
6. Gypsy Eyes 3:40 /
7. Face the Music 4:36
8. Sweet Refrain 3:59
9. Highway Angel 5:25
10. Where Have All The Clowns Gone 4:17
11. Song For My Children 3:01

You Can't Fight Fashion (1983)

1. Hard Time 4:25
2. Just Give Me Tonight 4:31
3. Someone Like You 5:47
4. Highlife 5:04 /
5. My Town 3:58
6. The Damage is Done 5:04
7. Fire In The Hole 4:12
8. How Can You Call This Love 4:20
9. Just How Good (A Bad Woman Feels) 4:41

Album Rating (1-10):~ 6.5

*7.0

Members & Other Bands:

~*Michael Stanley - Guitar, Vox (Silk, the Resonators, Ghost Poets)

~Jonah Koslen - Guitar, Vox (Snake Eyes, Breathless, Ghost Poets)

~Daniel Pecchio - Bass, Vox (Glass Harp, Phil Keaggy)

~*Tommy Dobeck - Drums, Comgas (Browns All-Star Band, Circus)

*Bob Pelander - Keys (Ghost Poets)

*Kevin Raleigh - Keys, Vox  (Paper Sun, Freeport Express, Freeport, Dynamite, Pictures)

* Michael Gismondi - Bass 

*Rick Bell - Sax

*Danny Powers - Guitar

*Bob Clearmountain - Producer, Mixing

~Asheton Gorton - Cover

~Jimmy Wachtel - Design

~Allan Blazek - Engineer

~Ed Mashal - Engineer

~Paul Harris - Keys (Manassas, Southern-Hillman-Furay Band, session work)

~Huey Chopburn - Percussion

~Henry Diltz - Photography

~Bill Szymczyk - Producer, Engineer

~Albhy Galuten - Synth (other work)

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band, but between the general head-of-a-band name, and the mechanical / factory nature of the artwork, I'm guessing this is roots rock n roll: general Americana midwestern hick rock. Just how much will it be like Bruce Springsteen, though (not that I am a fan of or know much of the boss's catalog)

Album Review: Michael Stanley and the MSB are the epitome of local superstars with only moderate success outside of the region. Michael Stanley began in a band in college, and recorded two solo albums after that, while regional managing a record chain. From there he started the MSB in 1974, and starting in ’75, released an album a year for 12 years (skipping ’85). Most were on major labels, until they were unceremoniously dropped following You Can’t Fight Fashion. Their final 2 records were self-released. They hold some local concert attendance records, and their hit My Town, from YCFF, is still played by the Ohio State band at sports events. They finished their career together with a string of 12 concerts back in 86.

~”I'm Gonna Love You” was a single. Power Pop chords and a driving bass drum beat start off the slice of Americana pride. It rocks out with some near country electric guitar and fades out in the end.

“Dancing In The Dark” begins like a Big Star track, then changes direction into piano ballad territory.

“Step The Way” has a slightly dark town, and comes off like a prog rock track, reminding me of Kavaret.

“Waste a Little Time on Me” sounds like a country rock slow dance with some dated synth at the very end.

“Lost in the Funhouse Again” is a funky prog rock song, thanks to the disco bass. The whining electric guitar plays the song out over a gospel chorus of whoo-ho-hoos.

“Gypsy Eyes” relaxes from the energy in the last song with a soft whisper of a ballad. Power builds into the chorus, but the delivery is slow and methodical.

“Face the Music” was also a single. It starts right away with a fun bouncy bass line, dipping into bluesy pub rock and applying an underlying psychedelic organ. The chorus is powerful and catchy. This is the best song up to this point.

“Sweet Refrain” shifts gears quite suddenly to another quiet AM Radio ballad. Right before the chorus it uses a hook stolen from the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.”  Perhaps that is the reason/ inspiration for the song in the first place.

“Highway Angel” begins with some slide guitar and funky guitars after a bit of dialogue. This would fit into the country rock camp.

“Where Have All The Clowns Gone” ” is a soft song, with a bit of a Soul Asylum feel to it, such as the soft verse in Black Gold.

“Song For My Children It is a respectful sentimental song and bleeds right in from the previous track. The end talks about being so high, and it feels like a mellow cloud walk, so I can only imagine the meaning.

*”Hard Time” starts off with a chugging bass line and dark, wind swept guitar and synth melodies. The vocals are drawn out and accented a little like Michael McDonald.

“Just Give Me Tonight” blasts out with sax and an upbeat tempo. Blue Collar vocals and general rock power through, along with some harmonies. The chorus sounds a little like Jackson Brown’s “Somebody’s Baby” from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

“Someone Like You” was a single, and sung by Kevin Raleigh. It reached #75 on the Billboard Magazine chart. The vocals are higher, perhaps a little Rod Stewart-ish, without the raspy-ness. But there is a very nice, fun drive in the chorus. Maybe sounding a bit like The Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” And it ends on an energetic high that fades out.

“Highlife” is a sinister synth song, with sax intro. The vocals are the exaggerated McDonald style again, and the chorus gives a lighter clarity to the song’s dark verse.

“My Town” was a single, and is still performed by Ohio State’s band. It reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It has a very Bruce Springsteen or John C. Mellencamp feel to it right away. It’s a chugging, energetic sing along.

“The Damage is Done” is a reflective slow piano based song with lots of ethereal, ambient synth sounds in the background. It sounds very dated to the early 80’s era…complete with sax solo.

“Fire In The Hole” is about a mining disaster. It has a nervous, synth energy, and the vocals are different than the first couple songs full of loud emotion. The end of the song has a bit of call and response with an army of miners chanting the song title at each other.

“How Can You Call This Love” sounds like it is sung by a woman. It is a typical smoothly energetic Footloose style song, swinging tempo from resting to rushing at the drop of the chorus. Electric guitar flourishes, reminding me a little of Beat it, are added for texture.

“Just How Good (A Bad Woman Feels)” is a country hard rock song, with exaggerated vocals a bit like Michael McDonald.

Stand Out Track: ~Face The Music

*My Town

Links:

Wiki

Website

Allmusic

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