Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band - Eugene

Name: Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band
Album: Eugene
Year: 1981
Style: Humor, Disco, Novelty
Similar Bands: Ween (in a bad way), Was (Not Was), MECO, Ray Stevens, Rick Dees
"One-Word" Review: problematic novelty island disco rock
Based Out Of: NYC
Label: Polygram, Casablanca Records & Filmworks

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Eugene (1981)

1. Eugene 4:11 (single)
2. Buzz Me 2:47
3. Gay Ranchero 4:10
4. You 3:23
5. Ugga Ugga Boo 4:25/
6. Little Puffies 4:21
7. Ice Cream 2:58 (single)
8. Stranded in the Jungle 3:26
9. Madam Palm 3:11
10. Blow Up 1:40

Album Rating (1-10): 4.0

Members & Other Bands:

• "Crazy Joe" Renda - Vox, Keys, Producer (Country Cousins, Sherwoods, Alex Parche, Chip Taylor, Stoney Edwards, Bum Bar Bastards)
• Kat McCord - Vox (Fabulour Rhinestones, David Sanborn Band, Guy & Pipp Gillette)
• John Regan - Bass, Musical Arrangement (Frehly's Comet, Ace Frehly, Peter Frampton, Chip Taylor, Wendy Waldman, Lisa bade, Diane Richards, Bowie & Jagger, Rolling Stones, Billy Idol, John Waite, Bonnie Tyler, Michael Monroe, Robin Trower, David Lee Roth, Brad Absher, John Phillips, Rob Arthur, Four by Fate, High Priest, Henning Hallqvist)
• Ed Monteleone - Guitars, Musical Arrangement (Peter Frampton)
• Claude Lehenaff - Drums, Percussion (Frankie & The Knockouts)
• Rob Sabino - Organ, Piano, Synth (Frehly's Comet, Joined Forces, Simms Bros Band, Nile Rodgers, Ace Frehly, Robert Cotter, Ashford & Simpson, Chic, Norma Jean, Sister Sledge, Peter Frampton, Debbie Harry, Odyssey, Blotto, Fonzi Thornton, Michael Gregory, Bernard Edwards, Paul Simon, Bowie, Diane Richards, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Richie Scarlet, Cartoons, Rosanne Cash, Power Station, EG Daily, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Rodney Crowell, Matthew Sweet, Laurie Anderson, Michael Monroe, Terri Gonzalez, Larry Neil, Art Garfunkel, Mick Jones, Todd Rundgren, Carly Simon, Johnny Mathis)
• Diane Scanlon - Backing Vox (Univ of Bridgeport Jazz Rock Ensemble, Felix Cavaliere, Guy & Pipp Gillette, Siji)
• Ace Frehley - Syndrum, Co-Producer (Frehly's Comet, Kiss, For Love Not Lisa, Gene Simmons, Wendy O Williams, Criss, ESP, Still Wicked, Richie Scarlet, Kathy Valentine, Jam Pain Society, Ken Sharp)
• John Platania - Guitar Effects (Prof. Louie & the Crowmatrix, Caledonia Soul Orch, Giants, Chip Taylor, John Prine, Van Morrison, Gary Kuper, Don Cooper, Genya Ravan, Sam Leopold, Randy Newman, Stony Edwards, Gary Windo, Martha Velez, Dean Batstone, Gathering Field, Children of Earth, Greg Kroll, Guy Davis, MJ Nelson, Kendel Carson, Billy Vera, Evie Sands)
• Chris Cassone - Backing Vox, Talk Box, Engineer 
• Mike Hunt - Sax (Billy Blacktooth)
• Gary Axelbank - Radio Announcer
• Dennis Kaplan - Mgmt
• John Nagy - Mixing
• Greg Calbi - Mastering
• Richard Wexler - Photo
• Stephanie Zuras - Design
• Bob Heimall - Art Direction

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. Looks like a basic power pop or pub rock band who likes to have a good time (see: guy tugging pizza out of a dog's mouth with his mouth)

Album Review: This entire album is absolutely horrible. Musically, it is OK, mostly leans toward disco,  and when the female vocals are isolated, it can be enjoyable. But each song employs comical vocals or effects, some of which are not very PC sounding, and most of the time, not very musical...take the immigrant, for whom, English is not his first language on "Eugene," or the alien rock band obsessed with underaged girls on "Little Puffies," or the homosexual vocal inflection in "Gay Ranchero." Even on the best track "Ice Cream," which starts out like a nice female r&b pop number with some fun synth energy. It is hampered by the sedated, monotone male speaking voice placed jarringly over some verse and backing the lead chorus. This vocal is the main vocal across the whole record, most of the time seeming more like a failed sketch comedy skit than a musical endeavor. 

The only pop appeal is that Ace Frehley had a hand in this band & it's "popularity." This is his first official work non related to Kiss. He co-produced and is featured on the single "Eugene." Other than that, Joe Renda made a name for himself as a producer more than a performer.

Stand Out Track: Ice Cream

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105.7 The Hawk

707 - s/t

Name: 707
Album: s/t
Year: 1980
Style: Power Pop, Light Rock
Similar Bands: Hawks, Producers, Shoes, Journey, Styx, Kansas, Nick Gilder, Foreigner, Ben Folds
"One-Word" Review: Piano Heavy Harmonic Pop
Based Out Of: LA, CA & Detroit, MI
Label: Casablanca Record & Filmworks Inc.

Cover & Record

Back & Record

707 (1980)

1. I Could Be Good For You 4:46 (single #52 BB Hot 100)
2. Let Me Live My Life 2:46
3. One Way Highway 4:17
4. Save Me 2:49
5. You Who Needs To Know 4:59 /
6. Slow Down 3:19
7. Feel This Way 3:49
8. Waste of Time 4:51
9. Whole Lot Better 6:37

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Phil Bryant - Bass, Lead & Backing Vox (Sax Maniacs)
• Jim McClarty - Drums, Percussion 
• Duke McFadden - Keys, Lead & Backign Vox, Acoustic Guitar (Chi Coltrane)
• Kevin Russell - Guitars, Lead & Backing Vox (Brian & the Sensations, Rick Derringer, Clarence Clemons, Whitesnake, Phantom-Rocker&Slick, Kokomo, NYC, Taxxi, Frank Marino, Leslie West, Jimmy Dillon, Ted Nugent, Stu Blank, F Machine Sea Hags, Nils Lofgren, Rod & The Shotgun Blues, Ruminators)
• David Carr - Piano, Arrangements (Simeon, Janine Maunder, Rich Mountain Tower, London, Tim Steen, Judty McComb, Kyle Vincent, Sarah Sarah, Paul Colman, Acetylene, Antiskeptic, Naked Raven, Steph Atkins, Guy Sebastian, Cilla Jane, Solicitors, Joe Cannon)
• Norman Ratner - Producer
• Fred Ruppert - Executive Producer
• Bob Stringer - Engineer, Mixing
• Steve DeGennaro - Production Assistant
• Bess Gilbert - Production Assistant
• Russell Schmitt - Asst. Engineer
• Dan Everhart - Asst. Engineer
• Mike Saunders - Asst Mixing Engineer
• Ed Schreyer - Mastering
• Ross Warren - Album Design & Execution
• Gribbitt - Graphics

Unknown-ness: Never heard of 707. On one hand, they look like a power pop band, but i've also seen where this sort of album design means they are a jazz fusion band. The liner notes on the back do suggest there are three singers, so most likely not a jazz band, and their photographs on the band steer them clear from any sort of new wave act.

Album Review: The band had success with their lead off song from this album, and after two more albums, one recorded in 1981, but never released until 2004, they left their label and recorded their biggest record Megaforce, who's title track was the theme for the film of the same name in 1982. For that album, their new label wanted one single front man, instead of a shared mix of various leading vocalist. McFadden passed away in 2005, and Russell tried to continue in the spirit of 707 with new material which fell apart to the degree he is now just leaving it in the past. The name 707 was considered a catchy name, and was also Russell's birthdate. This record is mostly light power pop, lots of harmonies and piano support that reminds me of Ben Folds at times. 

Stand Out Track: Let Me Live My Life 

Links:

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Brooklyn Dreams - Won't Let Up

Name: Brooklyn Dreams

Album: Won't Let Go

Year: 1980

Style: Pub Rock, Power Pop, Blue Eye Soul, R&B

Similar Bands: The A's, Toto, Hall & Oates, Journey, Supertramp

One Word Review: Smoothly Produced Radio Soul

Label: Casablanca Records and Film Works Inc

Based Out Of: LA, CA

 Won't Let Go - Cover & Record

Won't Let Go - Back & Record

Won't Let Go (1980)

1. Lover in the Night 3:58
2. Heartbreaker-Breakaway 3:49
3. Spinnin' 3:32
4. Beautiful Dreamer 3:38 /
5. Back on the Streets 4:19
6. I Won't Let Go 4:12
7. Fallin' In Love 4:20
8. A Moment in Time 5:00

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:
'Snuffy Walden - Rhythm Arrangement, Guitar Solos (Rox, Stray Dog, Various Sndtrks)
'Dave Garland - Strings & Horn Arrangement
'Phyllis Chotin - Art Direction
'Kevin McCormick - Bass (John Mayall, Rox, Nils Lofgren, David Lindley, Jackson Browne, Melissa Ethridge, Steve Perry, Don Henley)
'Les Hurdle - Bass (Bullet, Graham Walker Sound, The Mohawks, The Rhythm Section, Spaghetti Head, Troll)
'Art Hotel Inc - Design
'Mac James - Design
'Keith Forsey - Drums (Harold Faltermeyer, Giorgio Moroder, 18 Karat Gold, Amon Duul II, Hallelujah, The Heat, Me & You, Motherhood, Niagra, Ralf Nowy Group, Roland Kovac New Set, The Spectrum, Sugar Bus, Trax, Udo Lindenberg Und Das Panikorchester)
'Mark Bensi - Drums (Jerry Knight, Robin Williamson, Jennifer Robin)
'Tony Braunagel - Drums (Back Street Crawler, City Boy, Bloontz, Crawler, Eric Burdon Band)
'Bob Inky Incorvaia - Cheif Engineer, Production Assistant
'Steve Smith - Asst Engineer
'Willie Harlan - Asst Engineer
'Bobby Womack - Guitar (Artists United Against Apartheid, Valentinos)
''Bruce Sudano - Keys, Guitar (Silent Souls, Alive N' Kickin, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Donna Summer, Joe Bruce & 2nd Ave)
''Joe Esposito - Keys, Guitar (Giorgio Moroder, Brenda Russel, Laura Branigan, The Jam Squad, Joe, Bruce & 2nd Ave)
'Dave Aston - Keys (Tonio K, Henry Turtle)
'Nicky Hopkins - Keys (Cliff Bennett & Rebel Rousers, Climax Blues Band, Cyril Davies & his Rhythm & Blues All Stars, Jeff Beck Group, Jerry Garcia Band, Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends, NIck Hopkins Caravan, Night, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Sessions, Sweet Thursday)
'Rick Kelly - Keys (Street Players, Foxy, Afterbach, Emotions, Peabo Bryson, Jets)
'Ted Jensen - Mastering
'Ollie Cotton - Mixing Asst Co-Producer
'Jim Boyer - Mixing Co-Producer
'Bob Conti - Percussion
'Eddie Hokenson - Percussion (Brenda Russell, Donna Summer)
'Norman Seeff - Photography
'Gary Herbig - Sax (Afterglow, Don Menza & his 80's Big Band, toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band)
'Don E. Branker Org. - Managment

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of them, but the cover looks familiar, like it was a generic template for other bands of this era with the grid style background. The logo and signature title look quite generic, and the photo looks like session musicians without much chemistry together. I imagine this to be light, or adult contemporary rock. There are a couple of candid shots on the back, but they look a little forced, and the end result is a generic look. But hey, Casablanca in 1980 might be fun, so why not?

Album Review: This is the band’s third album, and least popular due to the decline of Disco. They played on American Bandstand and the film American Hot Wax. As this is at the end of Disco’s popularity, it is the least disco like of their albums. Their popularity came from their association (and working with) Donna Summer, whom keyboard & guitar player Bruce Sudano married. He also found success through a song he wrote for Dolly Parton (Starting Over Again) which was given a second life in 1997 via Reba McEntire. He also started the record label Purple Heart Recording Company. Esponito also went on to have a somewhat successful career via Lauren Branigan & various soundtracks like Flashdance, Karate Kid and Coming to America. And his son, Mike, was a MLB pitcher

“Lover in the Night” starts out with pure power pop chords, piano, and new wave vocals that I’ve lately been comparing to Richard Bush of the A’s. Again, this sounds pretty spot on. The song has all the great new wave pop characteristics. A great build, strong chord progression, and a final bridge/build into the harmonized chorus. Even the breakdown slows things down with a simple clunky music box guitar, and in the end, female vocals are brought in to soar and intermix with the lead.

“Heartbreaker-Breakaway” is a little more of a slinky smooth groove. You can see how if this was recorded a few months prior, it could have much more orchestral and disco production, as it does sound like a bee gees song in the chorus. Stings are brought in a little, and the song kinda feels like Journey as it winds down.

“Spinnin'” is a bouncy, smooth sounding song, like Supertramp with vocals like Randy Newman. There is a bit of a show-tuney feel to the song, and an aww-shucks groovy carnival melody.

“Beautiful Dreamer” finishes out side one with a slow dance. Synth melody, piano and vocals yearn for attention. Drums and rhythm guitars are added in after about a minute. But the song stays dedicated to candlelight reflection.

“Back on the Streets” follows the first side recipe, by starting out with a fun driving melody that reminded me at first of Genesis, but that quickly fell away. It is just a sneaky, windswept detective/cop-tv theme song, futuristic new wave synth included in the chorus; as to be expected. It has a bit of a disco hustle tempo with the chorus that is produced to a non-disco format/

“I Won't Let Go” starts out sounding like Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. But it gets much more soulful once the vocals begin. A chorus of vocals comes in toward the end to echo the lead vocals, which are split up and multilayered over top of each other.

“Fallin' In Love” is slow and confident, with synth trickles in the background. This is the power-R&B jam played on parents’ car stereos to set the mood just right.  The song features a reprise, which bunps the melody into a steady trot, one level up. But it is short lived, and although the vocals croon stronger, the melody slips back to the original installment. The end almost reaches gospel heights, with a full chorus joining in a side to side, hand clapping harmonic display before the song fades out in an instrumental.

“A Moment in Time” starts out as a slow, reflective R&B piano ballad. Intensity picks up a bit, but the tempo never does. Strings soar in the background, but are muted to a barely recognizable volume. The sax solo is put on display, and the song limps along. The song gets a little jazzier, taking liberties within the melody structure to mix it up ever so slightly, but staying true to the feel and tempo until it fades out.

Stand Out Track: Lover in the Night

Links:
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Lightning Lightning - s/t

Name: Lightning

Album: Lightning

Year: 1979

Style: Disco
Similar Bands: Musique, Bee Gees, Trammps, Chic, Rufus
"One Word" Review: Smooth Disco
Based Out Of: New York
Label: Casablanca Records & Filmworks

Lightning - Cover & Record

Lightning - Back & Record

Lightning (1979)

1. Disco Symphony 10:15
2. In & Out of Love 6:41 /
3. Baby Without Your Love 7:03
4. I Love the Way You Love Me 5:25
5. One Step At A Time 6:28

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:
Lewis Merenstein - Producer
Ralph Moss - Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixing, Master Engineering
Robin Martinez - Asst. Engineer
Judy Elliot - Asst. Engineer
Howard Merritt - Asst. Producer, Mixing
Mike Richardson - String & Horn Arrangement
John Henderson - Guitar, Vox
Tom Siano - Guitar, Vox
Eddie Dozier - Vox
Paul Caravello (Eric Carr) - Drums (KISS, Cellarmen, Crystal Collins, Bionic Boogie, Wendy O Williams)

David Collier - Bass, Vox

Jerry Platkin - Keys
Opie O'Brein - Keys (Nighthawks, Bon Jovi)
Dino Kovas - Keys (New Monkees)
Jeff Ross - Guitars (Asylum Street Spankers, Rank & File, Desert Rose Band, Candye Kane)
Bo Tomlyn - Synth (Chicago, Chick Corea, Julio Iglesias, Neil Diamond, Kenny Loggins)
Ricky Cardona - Percussion
Julie Burger - Vox (Klaus Nomi)
Holly Oas - Vox
Jose Rodriguez - Mastering
Murray Whitemore - Art Direction / Design
Michael Kevin Lee/Gribbitt - Art Direction / Design
Scott Hensel - Photography
Skate Escapes - Skates
Peter Alfond - Hair & Make-up

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this band. But the cover art is amazing and totally worth whatever is inside. It shows two chicks in neon spandex Blade Runner outfits, one holding guns, the other holding a neon lightning bolt while rolling on roller-skates. The colors jump out and the contract is fantastic, not to mention the font and sizing of the band name / album title. It is obviously going to be disco, but man, what presentation.

Album Review:

Apparently the drummer is Eric Carr of Kiss fame, and allmusic links the guitar/vocalist John Henderson to be a founder of Camera Obscura, but I rather belive this is just the dilemma of having the same common name.

“Disco Symphony” starts with a harp and a single kick drum beat. Swirling strings and brass fill in the background and then the song just lifts off once the bouncy disco beat kicks in. It is soulful, grand, and swooping. The song rests upon the single rhythm and tempo, only throwing in small pauses to highlight the accents and punctuate the stanzas. The chorus is catchy, but not very driving. Instead it relies on a steady energy that never really evolved, rather, it just loops around. Because of this, the song does not rely on any sort of pattern to the sections. They are all interchangeable, and equally catchy, so there is some rawness in the fact that you cannot rhythmically tell which section will come next, and the introduction of new variations of the sections is welcome and easily malleable into the song. The song does get a little too repetitive when it repeats the catch phrase over and over, each time backed by one less instrument, until the song stops altogether.
“In & Out of Love” picks up with high pitch harmonies and a off-rhythmic pulsing kick drum beat, which eventually levels out to a recognizable disco metronome tempo with bouncy bass accompanying. The song almost feels like an older male vocal group set to an “updated” disco production. It could have just as easily been recorded as a doo-wop single minus the horns and strings. There is a female chorus that sings the repetitive title catch phrase over and over in a quiet musical breakdown section (with the off-timed drum beat), that is in key, but basically monotone and devoid of any emotion. The song comes back for about a minute, revisiting the disco style with some free style lyric-less singing, and is quickly followed by a fade out.

“Baby Without Your Love” is a faster pace, relatively sizzling musical piece, with some fast and furious string playing, and feels downright agitated compared to the songs before it. But lyrically, it sounds exactly like the last song on the first side, pumped up with a bit more adrenaline…or coke. Male vocals take turns but end up overlapping each other in an ever flowing, harmonic singing pattern that perpetuates itself. The song launches into an instrumental section that sounds like the vocals were just forgotten to be mixed over. And just as it seems like it is going to kick in for another repeat section, a thunderous swoosh sweeps over the soundscape and the song ends.
“I Love the Way You Love Me” has a basic one-two drum beat, and is another smooth disco number with conga influence, where the dancing would consist of lots of hip swaying, fist clenched salt & peppering, and feet sliding around a lit from below dance floor. The two section to the song repeat twice, and the song finished with a fade out.
“One Step At A Time” is a slower number, with a slow-dance rhythm and elements of conga with tinny drum accents. But the bass line reminds me, once it kicks in, of Rufus’ “Tell Me Something Good” with island themed relaxed laziness. This song is not really disco, but it is a nice song to finish the album on and come down from the drugs.

Stand Out Track: Disco Symphony

Links:
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