line up 1  

- unknown

- unknown

Genre: rock

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  The Spell Is Broken

Company: Robert

Catalog: AW #14002
Year: 1977

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1626

Price: $50.00

Based on the band name and the cover photo, I guess I could be forgiven for expecting "The Spell Is Broken" to feature a throwaway set of salsa and disco-oriented material.   Yeah, so much for truth in advertising.   Instead, what you got was a typical tax scam album. In the case the unlisted producer seemingly gathered up demos lying around the office and studio, slapping them together without any objective other than coming up with enough music to pad out an album's running time.   Like your standard tax scam album, this one contained scant biographical information.  The tunes carried songwriter credits and some were accurate (Buzz Clifford), but others were wrong ('New Box of People').  Understandably there were no performance credits.  To my ears it sounded like there were at least five separate artists on this one. 

The first two tunes featured an anonymous female singer on a pair of heavily orchestrated mid-'60s MOR-pop ballads.   Her performances provided two of the album's best numbers - 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' would have been a nice single.

The third tune 'New Box of People' featured a raspy voiced male on a more rock oriented number and was another album highlight.

'Shake the Light' sounded like an okay Tony Joe White tune.

The first tune on side two was an okay rock ballad with another male singer who struggled to stay in tune.

From there things went downhill with most of side two given over to thoroughly forgettable pop and country tunes.

It really wasn't an album you could recommend to anyone other than tax scam afficiandos.  

"The Spell Is Broken" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Wouldn't It Be Nice   (Buzz Clifford) - 

Hum, wasn't expecting to hear the album start out with a '60s-styled pop tune.  An even bigger surprise was the female singer who sounded a bit like Merilee Rush, or perhaps Jackie DeShannon.  Ironically the song wasn't half bad.  The song was actually a cover of a tune written by Buzz Clifford and originally recorded by The Hamilton Streetcar.    rating: **** stars

2.) Baby I Could Be   (Buzz Clifford) - 

Same anonymous female singer on another mid-'60s slice of Bachrach and David-styled MOR-pop. This was actually another Buzz Clifford tune.  He recorded it on his 1969 debut "See Your Way Clear".  Whoever she was, the lady had a nice set of pipes.   rating: *** stars

3.) New Box of People   (Ansel) - 

Goodbye anonymous lady singer and heavily orchestrated '60s pop and hello anonymous male singer with a more rock orientation.   I actually liked this guy's voice and the fuzz guitar solo was one of the album highlights.   In spite fo the title, the song was actually written by J. David Sloan  and Lee Hazlewood.  Hazlewood recorded the tune on his 1977 album "Back On The Street Again".   rating: **** stars

4.) Shake the Light   (Morse) -

'Shake the Light' featured a Tony Joe White-styled blue-eyed soul.  Another album standout, though the baseline for comparisons was pretty low.   rating: **** stars

5.) Lady of Light   (Morse) - 

Exceedingly bland and forgettable pop tune that sounded way more county than it actually was.  The drums were at least kind of cool.  . rating:** stars.

(side 2)
1.) My First Night Alone   (Vassey) - 

Hum, a heavily orchestrated ballad wasn't exactly what you would have expected from this album.  Pretty enough, but the poor man's voice was shrill and kind of an acquired taste.   rating: *** stars

2.) Singing the Blues   (Mitchell) -  

Stark, if pedestrian and uninteresting blues number ...  rating: ** stars

3.) Prairie Lullabye   (Morse) - 

Based on this straight forward country tune  you could only hope this guy didn't sing in country clubs looking like some sort of new age apostle.   rating: ** stars 

4.) Country Lady   (Morse) - 

IN case you couldn't guess from the title, 'Country Lady' offered up another slice of bland country.  Be warned that the singer's shrill falsetto made this one was even worse than 'Prairie Lullabye'.  This one was seriously painful ...   rating: * star

5.) Soul of My Southern Lady   (Morse) - 

Aggggg ...  more pedal steel and overwhelming sentimentality. Luckily the tune faded out early.    rating: ** stars