- unknown

- none known

Genre: rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Maverick

Company: Tomorrow

Catalog: TVL-142
Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: 3

Catalog ID: 5698

Price: $150.00

Anyone got a clue about this one?  Released by the tax scam Tomorrow label, "Maverick" came out in 1977, but has a sound that places it in the early-1970s.  As you'd expect from a tax loss release there were no performance credits, no writing credits, no biographical information ...

I don't have a clue if Maverick was a band, or a solo act though the eleven tracks clearly spotlighted the anonymous, bluesy, Joplin-esque sounding female lead singer.  Whoever she was, this lady had quite a set of pipes.  Imagine a less sentimental Bonnie Raitt ('My Thoughts'), or a female version of Delbert McClinton (her cover of Chuck Berry's 'Nadine') and you'd be in the right aural ballpark.  It certainly didn't hurt that she was backed by a first-rate band, giving the collection a surprisingly impressive vibe.  Musically the collection was also quite diverse including blues-rock (a nice cover of The Band's 'The Weight'), country-rock ('Nellie' which included a weird sound drop in the middle of the song), and rock ('My Thoughts').  It wasn't perfect.  The fuzz guitar and sax propelled cover or 'Good Night Irene' found the singer pushing herself into screechy Joplin territory and was forgettable.  'Brown Eyed Handsome Man' was a standard and equally forgettable bar band workout.   Still there were lots of highlights including 'Pickin' Berries', the slinky 'Song No. 8' (love it when she screamed 'bongos' and the bass player kicked in), and the atmospheric ballad 'My Lady' (though it was a little weird hearing the unadjusted lyric coming from a woman).  Not a lot to go on, but certainly one of the better tax loss releases.

"Tomorrow" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) My Thoughts

2.) Nellie

3.) Pickin' Berries

4.) The Weight

5.) Nadine  (Chuck Berry) - 

(side 2)
1.) Song No. 8

2.) Good Night Irene

3.) Brown Eyed Handsome Man

4.) My Lady

5.) I'll Finish My Song

6.) Voodoo Woman