Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Crow Music
Company: Amaret
Catalog: ST5002
Year: 1969
Country/State: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: minor ring and edge wear
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4890
Price: $10.00
To my ears Minneapolis, Minnesota's Crow embodies the concept of mid-western rock. There's nothing subtle or complex about the band's catalog. Watcha see is watcha get; in this case straight ahead, smash mouth rock and roll.
Crow traces its roots back to the Minneapolis' South 40, which in turn evolved out of a pair of local bands; Jokers Wild and The Rave-Ons. South 40 featured the core of what was to become Crow - drummer Harry Nehls, keyboardist Dave "Kink" Middlemist, guitarist Dick Wiegand, bassist Larry Wiegand (bass), and singer Dave Wagner. A true bar band, the group's blend of popular R&B and rock covers and originals generated a local following and one album on the local Metrobeat label - 1967's "South 40 Live At Someplace Else!" (Metrobeat catalog number MBS-1000).
South 40's big break came when they entered and won a 1968 'battle of the bands' contest sponsored by The National Ballroom Operators Association. The prize was a recording session with Columbia Records. Their win was followed by two key changes. Deciding South 40 was too backwoods a nametag, the band opted for a name change with Crow being chosen for it's dark overtones and the fact it was short. Secondly, original drummer Nehls quit to join Minneapolis' T.C. Atlantic. He was quickly replaced by Mike Malasgar.
Armed with their revised line up and name the group went into Columbia Studios recording a series of five demos, including 'Evil Woman', 'Gonna Leave a Mark' and 'Busy Day'. Unfortunately Columbia management elected not to sign the group. Luckily A&R man/producer Bob Monaco had seen some of the recording sessions and took an active roll in shopping the band around with the small Capital Records affiliated Amaret label ultimately signing the band (over the group's protests that they should go with Atlantic Records which had also expressed interest in the group).
Produced by Bob Monaco and powered by Dave Wagner's growl of a voice, 1969's "Crow Music" debuted the group's bare bones, no-frills attack. A mixture of the five previous recorded demos and five new tracks, the album also introduced former Castaways drummer Denny Caswell to the line up. Crow probably doesn't make many top-10 favorites list, but they did have their moment in the sun - in this case the gloriously heavy 'Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games with Me)'. Even the addition of a sloppy horn arrangement couldn't spoil the track (and to the band's everlasting credit they fought against overdubbing the horns). Nothing else on the set was quite as good, but with three of the five members contributing material, there were plenty of worthwhile efforts including 'Busy Day', 'Gonna Leave A Mark' and the extended blues workout 'Sleepy Woman'. No it won't change your life, but so what. As a debut it's better than 80% of the stuff you'll hear.
Amaret pulled two singles from the album. The debut 45 did nothing: 'Time To Make A Turn' b/w 'Busy Day' (Amaret catalog # 45-106). In contrast 'Evil Woman' b/w 'Gonna Leave a Mark' (Amaret catalog number 45-112) provided the band with a top-20 hit. Propelled by the hit single the parent album also sold well, peaking at # 69.
"Crow Music" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) Evil Woman (Don't Play Your
Games With Me) (Larry Wiegand - Richard Weigand -
Dave Waggoner) - 3:10
2.) White Eyes (Larry Wiegand - Richard Weigand) - 4:13
3.) Thoughts (Dave Waggoner) - 4:48
4.) Da Da Song (Dave Middlemist) - 3:19
5.) Busy Day (Larry Wiegand) - 2:30
(side
2)
1.) Time To Make A Turn
(Larry Wiegand) - 2:47
2.) Rollin' (Richard Weigand - Dave Waggoner) - 3:20
3.) Listen To The Bop (Larry Wiegand - Richard Weigand - Dave Waggoner) - 3:07
4.) Gonna Leave A Mark (Larry Wiegand) - 2:53
5.) Sleepy Woman (Larry Wiegand) - 9:53
By the way, there's a nice Crow website at:
