Jaguar
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1976-77) - Ed Foresman -- vocals, bass - Drew Hays -- vocals, percussion - Roy Howell -- guitar, mandolin, bass - Doug Mayo -- keyboards, percussion, drums - Walter Polk -- drums, percussion - Pat Taylor -- vocals, guitar
line up 2 (1977) NEW - Sam Gowan -- bass - Roy Howell -- guitar, mandolin, bass - Doug Mayo -- keyboards, percussion, drums - Walter Polk -- drums, percussion - Pat Taylor -- vocals, guitar
Roy Howell, Pat Taylor, David Mayo, Walter Polk, Sam Gowan |
- The Breaks (Pat Taylor) - Combinations - D. Beaver (Pat Taylor) - Drama (Pat Taylor) - Edgewood (Pat Taylor and Doug Mayo) - Hot Bisquits (Pat Taylor) - Hot Dog (Pat Taylor) - Doug Mayo (solo efforts) - Larry Raspberry and the Highsteppers (Pat Taylor) - Suz and the Fuse (Pat Taylor) - The Village Sound (Pat Taylor) - The Yankee Dime (Pat Taylor) - The Zee (Pat Taylor)
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Genre: pop Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Jaguar Company: RCA Victor Catalog: APL1
2420 Country/State: Memphis, Tennessee Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: minor cover wear; includes original inner sleeve with lyrics Available: 1 Catalog ID: 767 Price: $15.00
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Can't say I know a great deal about this outfit other than the fact singer/guitarist Pat Davis and drummer Doug Mayo were mainstays on the '60s and early-'70 Memphis music scene.
Co-produced by Ron Capone and band members Howell and Mayo, 1977's "Jaguar" showcased a band with considerable talent, but who were clueless in terms of how to showcase much in the way of originality, or a distinctive band identify. With guitarist Roy Howell responsible for penning the majority of the eleven tracks, the result was a collection full of standard mid-'70s AOR moves including power ballads ('Rain On the Roof' and 'Story So Far'), AOR rockers (''Daisy' and 'Widl Oats'), and Kansas/Styx styled lite-progressive moves ('Open Mind'). Even worse were the band's stabs at Wild Cherry-styled funk ('Closer To You'). Technically there wasn't anything wrong here. Lead singer Drew Hays had a nice enough voice (for better or worse he's always reminded me of The Jefferson Starships Mickey Thomas). Howell was an impressive guitarist with some nice slide moves. I also liked his mandolin playing. Bassist Ed Foresman and drummer Don Polk were a steady, if unglamorous rhythm section who kept the band fairly focused. Giving credit where due, there were a couple of above average performances - 'Open Mind' and 'Brand New Day / Following Moon' underscored the band's pop-progressive orientation, perhaps pointing in a direction they should have pursued.
"Jaguar" track listing: 1.) Flying (Roy Howell) - 3:09 The mid-tempo ballad 'Flying' opened the album up with something out of the Ambrosia/Styx school of '70s AOR pop. Nice enough, but hardly the most original track you've ever heard. Mayo's keyboards added a bit of interest to the arrangement. rating: *** stars 2.) Daisy (Roy Howell) - 2:30 On the bar band rocker 'Daisy' lead singer Hays sounded a bit like The Jefferson Starship's Mickey Thomas - he had the same high pitched edge to his voice. Another track that was radio-friendly and thoroughly anonymous. rating: ** stars 3.) Closer To You (Pat Taylor) - 3:09 Taylor's only contribution to the songwriting chores, 'Closer To You' found the band trying to get down and funky. Nothing wrong with that unless the results sounded like Wild Cherry in which case it was a genre you probably shouldn't have picked. The fact it was horrible didn't stop RCA marketing from tapping it as a single. rating: ** stars 4.) Rain On the Roof (Doug Mayo) - 2:43 'Rain On the Roof' was a pretty, but ultimately faceless power ballad with one thing going for it - a nice Howell slide guitar solo. Another track that could have easily been mistaken for a number of equally anonymous mid-'70s competitors. rating: ** stars 5.) Open Mind (Roy Howell) - 4:13 Probably the album's best performance, 'Open Mind' started out with some nice Howell slide guitar before shifting into pop-meets-progressive mode. The song actually had a nice melody, showcasing Hays voice at its best and giving the rest of the band an opportunity to show off their technical virtuosity. Could have been a hit with a but of promotional support. rating: **** stars
(side
2) A plodding, pop-oriented track, 'Cat's Out' was simply too cute for its own good. rating: ** stars 2.) Kinda Hot (Roy Howell) - 3:11 Another attrocious slice of white boy funk - never thought I'd think Wild Cherry sounded good, but compared to this one, that was the case. rating: * star 3.) Wild Oats (Roy Howell) - 4:55 In spite of the cheesy synthesizer washes, 'Wild Oats' actually had a nice melody and some commercial pop potential. rating: *** stars 4.) Brand New Day /Following Moon (Doug Mayo / Roy Howell) Kicked along by some shimmering acoustic guitar, a killer bass line, nice group harmonies, and a mesmerizing melody, 'Brand New Day' was easily the album's standout performance. Guess that's why it wasn't tapped as a single. 'Following Moon' ended the song with a nice instrumental section that showcased Howell. rating: **** stars 5.) Story So Far (Doug Mayo - Roy Howell) - 2:25 'Story So Far' ended the album with another forgettable power ballad. Clearly intended to have some commercial potential, it was sappy and seld-indulgent. Should have buried it on a 'B' side single. rating: ** stars
As mentioned, the album was tapped for a pair of obscure promo singles:
- 1977's 'Daisy' b/w '???' (RCA Victor catalog number JH-11011) - 1977's 'Closer To You' b/w 'Closer To You' (RCA Victor catalog number JH-11077)
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